Cadillac’s new super-saloon packs one heck of a punch.
[Not a valid template]This is the all-new Cadillac CTS-V, and it’s brandishing a mighty 640bhp underneath that heavily creased bonnet – enough to give a swift slap upside the head of the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and the BMW M5. Watch out Germany, the USA is here.
All that power comes, predictably enough, from a massive V8 – a 6.2-litre V8 to be exact, with 630lb ft of torque, mated to an eight-speed transmission and powering the rear wheels. That gives it a 0-100kph time of less than four seconds (0-97kph in 3.7), and a top speed of 322kph.
The CTS-V is also lighter than both its German rivals at 1880kg, thanks in part to a carbonfibre bonnet as standard. More carbon can be added, with vents, splitter, spoiler and diffuser all available as options. Tech includes magnetic dampers and an electronic limited-slip diff, while structural stiffness is up 25 percent over the standard CTS, with 45 percent stiffer wheels. It’s also wider than the standard car, although the wheelbase remains the same.
The Cadillac CTS-V goes on sale in North America in the summer, with international markets following.
