Cadillac has officially revealed its 2016 Cadillac CTS-V which packs 477kW and 855Nm and has taken a swipe at the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.
SET FOR AN official reveal at the Detroit Motor Show in January, Cadillac has revealed details of the most “powerful product in the brand’s 122-year history”.
“V-Series represents the very best of the Cadillac brand – the pinnacle of our design and technical capabilities,” said Cadillac boss, Johan de Nysschen.
“The new CTS-V is the most compelling example of Cadillac’s product substance and brand trajectory. The new CTS-V soars into the stratosphere of the most exhilarating luxury cars.”
Cadillac says the new CTS-V has been tuned for both road and track from the factory and that its new supercharged 6.2-litre V8 thumps out more power and torque than either BMW’s or Merc’s hi-performance V8s. The 477kW/855Nm supercharged V8 will get the CTS-V to 100km/h in less than four seconds and onto a top speed of 322km/h. This engine is mated to a new eight-speed automatic with paddle shifts, launch control and Cadillac’s Performance Algorithm Shifting.
What’s Performance Algorithm Shifting? Basically it’s a fancy way of saying the gearbox runs smaller steps between gears in order to compete, in shift speed and maintaining thrust, with DSG ‘boxes.
While the exterior gets a more aggressive front and rear with plenty of bespoke and practical flourishes, it’s what’s under the skin that’s most interesting.
The 2016 CTS-V is 25% stiffer than non-V models, gets 40% faster damping response via the third-generation Magnetic Ride Control, driver selectable modes that tweak engine, throttle, suspension and transmission, these include: Tour, Sport, Track and Snow. And if you’re ‘down’ with social media, the CTS-V offers a Performance Data Recorder that allows drivers to record high-definition video, with data overlays, of their driving experiences on and off the track, and share it online.
To keep the CTS-V from becoming soggy when cornering hard, Cadillac’s engineering boffins have fitted: Strut tower-to-tower brace; Strut tower-to-plenum brace; V-braces for the engine compartment; Strengthened rocker bulkhead; Stronger rear cradle-to-rocker braces; A unique aluminum shear panel at the front of the chassis; Upper tie bar-to-bumper braces. These make the CTS-V, as mentioned, 24% stiffer than non-V models.
“With the stronger body structure – and more than a decade of V-Series production models and the CTS-V racing program experience – engineers tuned the CTS-V to deliver greater body motion control for a more agile feel, while maintaining excellent ride quality,” said David Leone, Cadillac executive chief engineer. “The result is class-leading capability on the highway or track, balanced with luxury and refinement.”
The CTS-V shares the same 2910mm wheelbase as the CTS non-V-Series models, but has wider front and rear footprints to improve grip and cornering stance. Nineteen-inch wheels wrapped with specially developed Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires give the CTS-V its footprint and enable nearly 1g in lateral acceleration. The wheels are 45% stiffer than previous CTS-V wheels.
The Cadillac boffins have fitted the 2016 CTS-V with revised multi-link double-pivot MacPherson-strut front suspension which gets new cross-axis ball joints, higher rate springs and stiffer stabiliser bar giving the thing 20% greater roll stiffness. At the back it gets five-link rear suspension, incorporating stiffer bushings, new cradle mounts, higher-rate springs and a stiffer stabiliser bar.
A standard electronic limited-slip differential supports optimal traction and enables maximum corner exit acceleration. Performance Traction Management is offered in Track mode and features five settings of torque reduction and brake intervention for track driving.
What about the inside? “With the performance the new CTS-V is capable of delivering, the interior needs to be as functional as the other vehicle systems,” said Andrew Smith, Cadillac design boss.
“All of the contact points – the steering wheel, seats, shifter and pedals – are designed to make performance driving experiences direct and intuitive.”
The CTS-V features standard 20-way performance-oriented heated and ventilated front seats trimmed in semi-aniline leather, with sueded microfiber inserts and seatbacks. Available RECARO performance front seats deliver aggressive, adjustable bolsters that help hold the driver and front passenger in place during high-load cornering.
The 2016 CTS-V gets a 12.3-inch colour touchscreen multi-media display as well reconfigurable heads-up display, sat-nav and Bose surround sound audio as well as a raft of connectivity features, like wireless inductive phone charging, Siri Eyes Free and more.
Cadillac will reveal pricing and full details at the Detroit Motor Show. For Australians reading this and beginning to salivate… we won’t get this thing.
