The redesigned 2016 Cadillac CTS-V is a performance sedan with the heart of a supercar, packing a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine capable of 640 horsepower and 630 lb-ft of torque.
This is the same engine used by the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 supercar and is a significant upgrade compared to the engine used by the previous Cadillac CTS-V.
"The new CTS-V is essentially two cars in one: a luxury sedan with sophisticated road manners and a track-capable sports car with awe-inspiring performance," said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen.
What do the experts have to say upon taking the much-hyped vehicle for a spin?
Wall Street Journal: "The CTS-V-a high-performance variant of the mid- to full-size CTS sedan-is not a perfect car... You are looking at the first straight-from-the-box 200-mph Cadillac... When Cadillac says the CTS-V is an uncompromised luxury sedan that is track-ready off the showroom floor, that's true, but they don't say how many laps it's good for... Journalists were permitted only two hot laps in every three-lap stint, and that, combined with the zone control, suggested to me a very definite limit to the steel rotors' ability to sustain prolonged abuse ... But those laps were memorable."
Auto Blog: "The words 'epic' and 'awesome' are hilariously overused on the Internet, but in the case of the CTS-V's 6.2-liter supercharged V8, their literal meanings are fitting... In day-to-day driving, the only compromise one will have to make is near-constant sound of a potent supercharger doing its work... Inside is a riot of soft surfaces: leathers shiny and sueded, whole, and perforated... But the two most critical parts of the facing interior are the steering wheel and the shift lever. The former for what it means to the immediate driving experience, and the later for how it can facilitate while staying out of my damn way... Cadillac's V-squad of engineers seem more good than lucky. They've screwed together a rocketship sedan that ought to make big gains in its posh segment."
Motor Authority: "The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V is the latest salvo in an ongoing campaign to prove that America's luxury brand can rise from its malaise-era ashes. And it's one hell of a salvo... More than once during my test of the CTS-V, I found myself wondering, 'How can a large luxury sedan turn so well?'... But what is it really like to drive? The experience is breathtaking: brutal, endless acceleration; shockingly good braking; neck-stretching grip... In other words: the CTS-V is damned good. Really damned good."
Motor Trend: "Our initial, subjective impressions of the super sedan's ludicrous speed a gorilla grip were backed up by some impressive results - including fuel economy... On Motor Trend's unique Figure-8 course, the CTS-V produced a 24.2-second lap which ties the last mid-engine Porsche Cayman S we tested, but more importantly, puts it a tenth ahead of a 2014 BMW M5 Competition Package and all-wheel-drive Mercedes-Benz E63 S AMG... our in-house emissions and fuel economy lab recorded 14.9 mpg city, 21.5 mpg highway and 17.3 mpg combined. For perspective, the previous-generation 556-hp Cadillac CTS-V earned just 12/18/14 from the EPA, so this represents a huge improvement... So it comes to this: Did Cadillac finally build the car with the correct ratio of elegance, power, and menace that the Germans refuse to?"
Road and Track: "It touches 60 in 3.5 seconds and does a quarter-mile in 11.6 at 126.1 mph. But can it dance?... On the deceptive downhill 96-degree left at Turn 8, which fools everyone into braking too late and suddenly, making turn-in too quick and ragged, the CTS-V's sheer grip and solid chassis pulled fat from fire every time, almost without being asked. This is one playful bruiser... So yes, it's a thick steak and a dry martini and it sings just about any number you want. Our needs are simple, but nevertheless, we thank Cadillac for anticipating them. "
With a base price of $84,990, early reviews on the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V makes it already look like a winner.
