Cadillac: CTS News **2018 V Revealed (page 46)**
 

I know a thread has been posted about this car in Car Talk, but the below is a lot more thorough and has one more photo and better quality.

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http://www.thecarconnection.com/imag...6819_image.jpg

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by Paul A. Eisenstein 4/15/2003

What happens when you cross a Corvette with a Cadillac? The answer will be revealed at the New York Auto Show this week when General Motors’ flagship division lifts the covers off its eagerly awaited CTSv sedan.

That’s “V,” as in “velocity,” explains GM “car czar” Bob Lutz. But if all goes according to plan, it could also prove the first step towards victory in Caddy’s effort to revive itself after several decades of decline.

With a 400-horsepower version of the Vette’s LS6 V-8 under the hood, the CTSv is a critical piece in Caddy’s four-step turnaround, explains the division’s general manager, Mark LaNeve.

“We’re still carrying excess baggage,” he says, referring to “that image of a Cadillac as a floaty boat.” With the debut of the CTSv, LaNeve says confidently, “We will re-establish our history of (providing) explosive power.”

Explosive power

Power alone isn’t enough, of course. Virtually every automaker seems to be rolling out a car with big numbers. What Cadillac has desperately needed, analysts suggest, is a performance car that doest everything well.

To see what that means, just take a look at the likes of the BMW M series or Mercedes-Benz’s AMG lineup. These vehicles are certainly fast off the line, but even the biggest sedans can maneuver tight corners like a sports car. And they deliver the levels of refinement that have, until now, been missing from domestic luxury vehicles.

“We think the ‘V’ is essential, not optional,” declares CTSv platform chief Jim Taylor. “It is a must” if Cadillac expects to be taken seriously by those who’d otherwise opt for one of the luxury imports.

The CTSv is just the first in what will likely be an extensive “brand-within-a-brand,” and eventually, there’s likely to be a V-badged version of just about everything in the Cadillac lineup, sources tell TheCarConnection.

The CTS is the obvious place to begin – not just because it’s the automaker’s newest passenger car, but because it may be one of its best ever, at least in term of on-road manners. The sedan is extraordinarily stiff and hugs the highway as if, to retread an overworked cliché, it were on rails.

V dubbing

To get the “V” designation, Caddy engineers have stiffened it up even more, tweaking the suspension and adding a cross-brace under the hood. It’s more than cosmetic. There’s a lot of power to manage here. The LS6 puts out 400 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque.

The CTS really wasn’t designed for an engine that big, so there’ve been a variety of changes made to both the sedan and the small-block V-8 in order to marry them up. The LS6’s accessory drive had to be relocated, as did the engine’s exhaust manifold and oil pan. Even the dipstick was modified.

Many of the changes were meant to improve ride and handling. A dual mass flywheel helps eliminate gear rattle, especially in idle. A new shifter is claimed to improve shift feel and to reduce the noise and vibration that might otherwise have been passed through.

To handle the added torque, Caddy engineers switched to a larger prop shaft and added supports to the rear suspension. Even the rear axle has been replaced.

And, of course, there’s a lot more brakes. Brembos, it seems, have become the price of entry in the high-power segment, even the new “performance” Volvo signing onto the Italian supplier’s list of customers.

A critical goal of Cadillac’s development team was to put the pieces together seamlessly. They didn’t want to follow the route taken by many prior niche spin-offs, handing assembly over to an outside tuner. In production, CTSv will roll down the same Lansing, Mich., assembly line as the base CTS.

Tweaking away

When that sedan was introduced, little more than a year ago, it ushered in Cadillac’s edgy new Art & Science design theme, one of the few times Caddy had gone out on a styling limb since the days of big fins. At first blush, the “V” version maintains the knife-sharp CTS lines, but there’ve been some subtle, yet significant alterations made. “Appearance, as well (as performance), had to fit into the club,” stresses chief designer Kip Wasenko.

The CTSv gets a large air intake under the front bumper. Indeed, the entire front fascia is unique, with a functional air splitter and ducts to channel cooling air to those Brembo brakes. New rocker panels enhance the performance look, as do the stylish sill plates that pop into view when you open the doors.

A special V-badge will adorn the front quarter panels, while in back, the oversized license plate insert is now body color-coded, a much-needed change, several insiders concede.

Lifting a cue from the competition, CTSv gets a wire mesh grille – visual shorthand, it seems, for performance these days.

To plant all that power on the road, the car will be shod with low-profile, 18-inch tires, an all-new breed of Goodyear Eagle Run Flats carrying a supercar rating. They will be dedicated summer tires, rather than compromised all-season rubber. The CTSv gets an all-new and unique seven-spoke alloy wheel, by the way.

Interior changes are modest, centering around the all new, white-on-black gauge cluster. There are two new driver information centers where, with the touch of a button, you can learn such things as how many Gs you achieved during the last hard corner.

And bottom line, this car is all about performance. Weighing in at an estimated 3850 pounds, or roughly 270 pounds over the current V-6, the power-to-weight ratio is enormous. Look for a top speed “safely over” 155 mph, and 0-60 times of “less than” five seconds, Cadillac officials promise.

A variety of details have yet to be finalized, including the model-year designation the car will carry. According to Taylor, the “intent” is to validate the CTSv as a 2005 model, though the first cars may come out as 2004s. Whatever the number, look for production to begin around Thanksgiving, with the formal launch campaign set to kick off with the Super Bowl next January.

How many does Caddy intend to produce? Company officials admit they’re not quite sure of that one, either, and will probably have to flex with market demand, at least initially. But there’s no question that the demand for this type of product has been rising rapidly in recent years. If Caddy pulls it off, Taylor believes the marque should be able to move “a few thousand,” at the very least, each year.

“The volume’s going to be there,” predicts Jim Hall, a consultant with California-based AutoPacific, Inc., if for nothing else than pent-up demand for an American car like this. Hall says he’s reasonably impressed with what Cadillac has accomplished. The real question, he quickly adds, is what will the GM division do next?

“They have to show they can come back” with more of the same, Hall stresses, and not just pull off a one-shot wonder.

Still looks like an angry kitchen appliance. Caddy's image is so blah or rapperish, no thanks. I can appreciate their persistance.

If so, then kitchen appliances make some hot ass cars. I would buy that in a second. It is going to kick the pants off the M3, and Audi S4.

Theres just nothing about cadallac that excites me....the thing is just so dam ugly....i dont mind the xlr though, but this thing is a sin. Fast as shit im sure, but what does that matter when when you look at the thing you cringe?

If it comes out I'm trading the Cl in and getting that.....there is so much you can do to a vette motor. 500HP is just a few grand away!.......and its rear wheel drive

mmmmm yes i do believe i would take that. the one thing i absolutely hate on the cts is that big black plastic square on the trunk and i see they fixed it. as long as they upgrade the interior to make it fit a 50k high performance sedan then i'm all for it. i'm sure they made the performance on this thing excellent in all categories to prove a point.

Exactly, it was about proving a point. Bob Lutz told the engineers to go to the N-ring and never come back till the CTSV is faster in that track than both the M5 and the M3. Only then they could get to the next stage. Of course he also told them to do all that in a well specified budget. And that was the hardest thing of all. :)

If there was a shorter Coupe version, I'd consider this, even if it cost $50K.

Im actually interested in this car. Im torn cause its still domestic, that and i know the interior will blow. But its unique and has balls out power.

I still want an M5 most of all though...:)

so is it going to cost $50k? I wouldnt hit it for that much...i'd still rather get an m3...abid not fully loaded one...

The initial rumor was that the CTSV will start at high $30Ks. It sounds too optimistic, but that source was very good. The source said it came from Bob Lutz himself. With options at high $40Ks makes a lot of sense though.

I've heard 50s. And I must admit, 400hp and 390lbs or torque in a V-8 sedan is wonderful. And egads, the looks are growing on me.

I just can't see myself in a Caddy until that day comes when SICK gets to the Gates of Heaven!

its still a fuckin caddy, the more hp u put into iy = more stress on parts witch translates to parts failing
thats what happens when u put to much power into an american luxury car, i think the americans should step back on the 300+hp luxury cars and just let the germans do there thang


caddy is fuckin garbage

the front part of the kit looks almost like a subaru.

that being said, i'd hit it.
its a def competitor to the M3, S4, and C32, fastest of the bunch judging by the hp/tq numbers. itll prolly cost less than those 3. i dont know much about cadillac but it seems like GM's cars have been becomming more and more reliable. so much that its really almost unfair to judge them as unreliable purely because its american before it even comes out. wait and see, this could be a winner.

ignorance is bliss, funny thing is going to be when this bad boy rolls up to an m-series at a light.

...AND they're off! The ctsV has a good lead over the M, and...OH NO! THE ENGINE HAS FALLEN OFF OF THE CTS! Oh my goodness the humanity...the humanity...


:D

boy oh boy....big shit talker here....too much HP??? puuuuhllleeeeze, when was the last time vettes and Z06 vettes were filling up the service departments of the dealers with blown motors and shit?? :rolleyes: never!!! thats the fucking Z06 motor, it can EASILY handle that power, AND THEN SOME!!

if theres one thing GM can do, its build a balls-out motor that is powerful and reliable to boot!! to say what you said is just ignorant.

dont get hissy cause this caddy is going to blow the doors off the M3 and M5 in all performance categorys.....sure, it may not be the prettiest thing, depending on individual opinions, but fucking show some respect.

just wait for the reviews, just wait, this thing will be eating M3 and M5 for lunch...in mags, at the track, on the streets. kudos to Lutz for pushing the envelope all the way into the category that has been dominated by german cars for years.

yesyes we'll see...right now we're fighting over pure speculation, and thats just stupid


but, if the rumors are true, I'll be really exicited. YEEEAAAA! M3 Prices should go DOWN so I can actually afford one!!!

:D :D :D

400 hp in a cts is all well and good....but to me it looks like crap w/o nice rims, but that shouldnt count since any car can look good in nice rims.

btw if we're talking about fast cars...y do so many people continue to buy m3's over 'vettes? CERTAINLY they MUST see the error of their ways in the VALUE the vette represents? And please dont say 4 seats...m3 is hardly a family car...

to me, m3 is one of the most beautiful cars on the road today...were it up to me, id debagge every m3 emblem off of it...most ppl cant tell it appart from a standard 330 except for the quad exhausts...and that would suit me just fine ;)

not hating on the vette or even the cts...but you cant deny what the m3 represents...keep in mind that in a single year the power was upped from what? 240 to 333?!?!? thats pretty fuking amazing to me...not to mention the smg....or the handling...or the...

i just hope its not as dissapointing as the xlr...$70g's for 320 hp roadster??? you can get more from a $50k slk 32...

ok enough of my bs...commence with the flames!

if you want to argue over m3 versus vette sales, post em up, i don't think bmw sold more than 6,249 m3's in april though. why do people buy evo's over sti's? i dunno, maybe everybody doesn't like the same cars? no one denies that both are great performers though. just the same old tired arguments so people can have 'their favorite brand' of car win.

cant compare sti yet since its not out yet :D

at least not in america

i didnt say m3 sold more, but that they DO continue to sell, even with asshole dealers charging thousands and thousands over msrp

If someone were comparing the Vette to the M3, its pretty simple. The M3 is a sports car with luxury. The vette IS a sports car...there are cars well over 200,000 that cant touch the ZO6's performance. As far as reliability, I am now 20 and am on my 4th car. So far I have had 2 domestic cars (GMC sonoma and GMC Yukon) and a BMW 328is and a CLS, and I can tell you that I had 0 PROBLEMS with either GM vehicle and that goes with anyone in my family with owning GM vehicles. The 328is was great for the first 10,000 miles but then every problem that can occured did and so I got ride of it. The acura is doing fine but the tranny shaking scares the shit out of me. My parents SC430 has had the battery die 3 times (on our 4th NEW battery) and had a faulty wiring system and it has a total of 1300 miles on it. Based on my experience, foreign cars have been worse than domestic.

well youre also talking abotu domestic trucks, which are pretty bulletproof. But I do give GM gredit as the only domestic car i would ever even drive when i need rental cars.

Lets put it this way...I have taken my 1998 FORD (yeah its a truck though) in for any type of service 3 times since bying it in June '98. You only think American cars suck...I can't wait until this thing sucks the doors off of those German cars. And the motor WON'T blow up...and the tranny won't take a shit...and no asshole Acura dealers to try and work with, oh yeah and that V8 RUMBLE...every time I have gone in for warranty work (that is all the dealer sees, we have somewhere else for when we pay) The writers on down to the techs have been the best, that goes for about 4 different Ford delaerships and 2 GM dealers around here.

Yes, it's the Vette Engine, it's gonna kick butt. But the CTS interior also looks like it belongs in a Vette.

Caddy still can't shake off it's grandma image. And the Escalade has brought them the rapper image. We'll see what happens I guess. If it is 40k, it would be simply AMAZING.

The interior for this CTS has been redesigned. A definite improvement over the 2003 CTS.

BTW, I was following a Z06 onto the highway today. He gunned it while merging. I think he had an exhaust, as it was really really loud, but sounded AMAZING. This CTS having the LS6 will be so sweet

Cadillac CTS News **Previewed by British Mag. (page 5)**
 

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2004 Cadillac CTS
Punching up the Power


By BOB GRITZINGER


WITH THE 2004 Cadillac CTS, the second go-round for General Motors’ BMW 3 Series contender, you get the expected year-to-year improvements like a more refined interior with refinements such as a color-keyed center armrest and center console, and gauges with white background lighting (vs. the toy-ish orange of the original).

If cosmetic fixes solve all your problems with CTS, stop reading now. If not, take note of the really good stuff most of the non-tire-kicking public won’t see, starting with the all-new 3.6-liter variable-valve timing dohc V6 under the hood.

2004 CADILLAC CTS
ON SALE: July
BASE PRICE: $31,000 (est.)
POWERTRAIN: 3.6-liter, 255-hp, 252-lb-ft V6; rwd, five-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 3694 pounds
0-60 MPH: 6.2 seconds (mfr.) Alfa Romeo's 2007 USA models


The all-aluminum engine, which produces 255 hp at 6200 rpm and 252 lb-ft at 3200, goes a long way toward correcting the power shortage that arguably was the CTS’s biggest failing when it premiered in 2002 as an ’03 model. The same engine will power the CTS-based 2004 SRX sport wagon, the 2004 Buick Rendezvous Ultra and the 2005 STS.

Unless you have your sights set on one of the handful of 400-hp V8-powered V Series CTS models due in 2004, the new V6 engine represents the bulk of CTS’s future. Caddy will continue to sell the 220-hp 3.2-liter V6 model for another year, exclusively with the five-speed manual transmission. Buyers seeking a manual gearbox with the 3.6-liter engine are out of luck for the first year. A five-speed automatic serves as the only transmission until a six-speed manual joins the autobox when 2005s arrive in 2004.

Pity the stick buyers, but there is good news: In an effort to take advantage of the quicker-revving, higher-output 3.6-liter engine, engineers spent three months remapping the automatic transmission—and their work pays off when you punch the “sport” button. Instead of shifting like an everyday automatic, the revised settings give the CTS an aggressive, racy feel, winding up to redline before dumping the power, shifting and quickly blipping the revs before sending the power to the next gear. Unlike the previous CTS setup, this one holds gears much further into the rev range, only shifting when it nears redline or when the driver fully lifts from the throttle. For instance, under full throttle the first-second shift doesn’t come until 6700 rpm, just 300 rpm short of fuel cutoff.

We suspect that, like the many wrinkled foreheads we saw on traditional Cadillac buyers when they were first confronted with a Cadillac with a manual transmission, most buyers won’t appreciate the sport mode. But that will be their loss, not yours.

CTS also gets suspension improvements for ’04 that soften some of its rougher edges without taking the life out of its Nurburgring-tuned underpinnings, and steering is enhanced to reduce effort at parking speeds, without compromising its higher speed responsiveness. A new, softer-riding set of 17-inch wheels is now available, along with better antilock brakes with a panic brake assist pre-charge system, performance brake linings, stability control and a full dual exhaust.

So if 6.2 secs for the 0-60 with the automatic tranny, I am guessing 5.8 with the manual. This thing is fast even with the V6. I cant even imagine what the LS6 will do to it, in terms of acceleration.

thats cool, glad they didn't let the car get stale like lexus did with the is300.

yeah but remember that toyota isnt involved in the "HP War"

Cadillac is ANOTHER company that can't get their doors to shut tight but are concerned with MORE POWER, cause it seems that is damn near all that matters to new car buyers.

How much HP and what is it's 0-60? The only questions people seem to ask nowadays.

It does seem like a GREAT improvement for the CTS, much faster and should be a better engine. But that interior does not belong in a 30k+ car, PERIOD.

Oh oh, it's getting softer, in a Caddy kinda way.

Check out what this review says in regards to the new suspension tuning. Looks like you may be wrong. Seems like they did a great job:

"More problematic on paper was Cadillac's decision to tinker with the CTS's suspension, since that's the car's premiere attraction. Jim Taylor, the Canadian who runs the CTS program worldwide, was also concerned about the proposed changes. But Taylor says they were able to take some of the harshness out of the car's ride without lowering its dynamic ability, and a hot ride on Detroit's awful streets showed Taylor was right. The CTS is just as aggressive under the hammer, but it is also missing some of the abrasive edge of the original.

As a result, the 2004 CTS is even more fun to push hard than the original model, and that's saying something. The refinement of the this fabulous sports-sedan suggests that Cadillac (and indeed GM in general) is willing to address specific concerns about its products head on, and that bodes well for other models as well as the CTS."

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/aut...-1193302c.html

Look at the JD power studies. Cadillac is ranked up there as one of the industry leaders when it comes to Initial quality as well as vehicle dependability

INITIAL quality don't mean jack to me. Hell anything new should work, no matter a car of a blender.My bad. I have read that it is a really decent driving car. Okay, that is good.

But I dunno, they no longer make a Lincoln LS 5-speed and that car sells very slow. The CTS reminds me of it. It is a great American car but an average car compared to others.

I had NO PROBLEM when Caddy was an elder person's car. I think they fillled that role well. Add to that the AGING American population and I am not sure why they want to be young and sporty.

Who you think buys ES 300s, LS 430s, Acura RLs, Infiniti Q45s now? Elder people, sick of unreliable Caddy's and they want a plush ride.

I think Caddy is letting them go (their solid market) for an unstable, unsure, crazy youth market.

Hell the IS 300 is selling slow as molasses.

1SICKLEX - I completely agree that the CTS is ready to fall into the big entry level sport sedan abyss, but hopefully having an exciting model will help. (CTS-V)

My friend just did the 24 hour test drive with a CTS. He got the car for 24 hours with no questions asked. He said he really liked the car, but the engine was weak. The 3.6L should help that issue. He test drove an IS300, 325i, G35, 9-3 and he said the CTS impressed him the most (engine being the only big issue).

I have to disagree with him, as I think the others are better cars, but I have never driven the CTS - I may do the 24 hour test drive just to see how it feels compared to the others

If it's really good, I'd seriously look into a CTS-V in the future

c-daddy, u can just call me SICK (less typing).
In some sick, crazy way, that car is growning on me. The performance should be something serious. IMAGINE when Ligenfelter and Hennessy (I use his name loosely) get their hands on it.

Hell, they probably will drop that in the GTO-V or GTO-P or whatever in the future.


GTO and CTS-V, not perfect but going in the right direction.

Cadillac Prices CTS-V
 

Cadillac's answer to the BMW M5 will start at $49,995, General Motors announced on Wednesday. Arriving at dealers in January, the new sports sedan has a 400-hp, 5.7-liter V-8 wedged under its hood, gets a six-speed manual gearbox and Brembo brakes behind 18-inch wheels and tires. Cadillac predicts a 0-60 mph time of 4.6 seconds for the hot version of the CTS sport sedan.

Although not clear what options remain and how much they cost, I am a little dissapointed. I was expecting at least $5K lower for the starting price.

The same goes to the XLR's pricing. It aint cheap.

With those numbers there is no way its gonna compete with the M5. It is a lot cheaper though.

Cadillac claims:

Powertrain features:
Most powerful engine in its class—highest horsepower and most torque*
Light, strong all-aluminum construction
2-valve cylinder heads
0-60 in 4.6 seconds
¼ mile in 13.1 seconds/107 mph

* Based on latest available competitive information.

That's pretty quick for a sedan. I think it's quicker than the current M5.