By David Colman

For: Can-Am car for the street
Against: Frequent gas buyer miles

Last Summer I was treated to a hot lap around Infineon Raceway’s 2.2 mile IndyCar short course in the works-prepared Cadillac CTS-V competing in SCCA’s World Challenge series. Driven by top GM racing pilot Andy Pilgrim, the CTS-V left an indelible impression on me of noise, heat and prodigious speed. So it was with whetted anticipation that I took delivery of a 2012 CTS-V for a one week test drive. Even that searingly hot lap around Infineon failed to prepare me for the boundless performance of this eminently streetable hot rod.

Under the hood, the bad Cad shares a detuned and downsized version of the motor used in the ultimate Corvette, the ZR1. In the case of the CTS-V, you get 6.2 liters of supercharged V8 good for 556 horsepower and 551 lb.-ft. of torque. You can order your V with either the 6-speed manual Tremec TR6060 gearbox, or the GM Hydra-Matic 6190, which also provides 6 speeds, plus steering wheel shift controls. Our test car’s Tremec manual operated flawlessly, with nicely spring loaded gates to guide you from slot to slot without missing a shift. With this much torque, you could probably get away with a 2 speed transmission, but the 6-speed manual is so rewarding to shift that you’ll find yourself chasing gears just for pleasure. Equally rewarding is listening to the sound of the powder keg V8 snorting its way through the rev range.

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Cadillac CTS User Reviews	Cadillac CTS More Expert Reviews	2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe Photo Gallery	2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe Specs

By contributing editor David Colman

Hits

• Head-turning, stop-in-your-tracks good looks
• Impeccable handling
• Comfortable, quality interior
• Impeccable handling

Misses

• Rear seat legroom not suitable for adults or even children
• Must be cautious when opening the doors in tight parking spaces
• Rearward vision is hampered by stylish design

The CTS Coupe is a lot like a Chanel stiletto heel, entrancing to look at but hard to live with. If you want to get noticed, this coupe will serve you well. On a stretch of freeway in Concord, a sport in a Volvo C60 Convertible came screaming by while mouthing the words “Great Looking Car!” And he’s right, of course, because the CTS looks like an artist’s conception of how a sports coupe should look: close-coupled front and mid sections, truncated rear, heavy frontal rake, oversize wheels and tires, lock and latch less flanks, minimal chrome placed for maximal impact. Among the nicest touches are the V-shaped trunk finisher which mimics the centrally located V-shaped exhaust tips, and the artistic burnished aluminum strut tower brace, hidden under the hood, which connects the front shock towers together.

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Cadillac CTS User Reviews	Cadillac CTS More Expert Reviews	2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe Photo Gallery	2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe Specs

By Mary Ellen Ash

Pros

• Sharp, distinctive, angular styling
• Sporty suspension and handling capabilities
• Comfortable, quality interior
• Hand-assembled center console
• Great warranty and service

Cons

• Heavy Death Star with sluggish acceleration
• Headroom for tall passengers in the rear seat only if positioned correctly
• Fingerprints spoil the black gloss finish

The Cadillac CTS series has been around for a few years with its sedan and recently the wagon model was added, but 2011 is the first year for the coupe. So when the new 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe landed in our test drive fleet, we had to come up with a plan and find the best way to experience it. None of the regular day tripping or commuting would suffice. At the mere sight of this vehicle, you immediately knew this is a special breed of luxury vehicle that was designed for enjoying the open road. And what could be the best way to experience a Cadillac?

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By Kurt Gensheimer

From its inception until the 1970s, Cadillac was definitely the car for Americans who “made it” in life. It was a car that defined class, elegance and success. Of course, the 1970′s disco era and the oil crisis really wreaked havoc on the Cadillac brand. Ever drive a 1976 Eldorado with the 7L V8 and 180 hp?

‘God awful’ about sums it up.

The eighties were no better, with hunks of crap like the Cimarron, which was simply a rebadged Chevy Cavalier.

The nineties saw glimmers of hope for the brand, especially when the 300 hp Northstar V8 was introduced – a terrific engine even today.

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Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon User Reviews	Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Overview	Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Photo Gallery	2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon Specs

By Twain Mein

Pros:

• Smooth and powerful 304 hp V6
• Excellent road feel that is smooth, communicative, and refined
• Handling performance that rivals the European sedans
• Unique styling

Cons:

• Uncomfortably hard front seats
• Rear seat access is limited
• Time lag with full throttle acceleration
• Steering wheel shifters don’t automatically override into manual mode

Ruling: If you’re going to get a 4-door, skip the sedan and just get a wagon!

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Cadillac unveiled the 2011 CTS Coupe slated to arrive in Cadillac showrooms in the spring of 2010. The CTS Coupe is a new luxury sports coupe designed to become the centerpiece of the brand’s revised lineup.

The Coupe joins the CTS Sport Sedan, the 556-horsepower (415 kW) CTS-V and new CTS Sport Wagon as the foundation of Cadillac’s lineup. A high-performance V-Series edition of the Coupe will also be released in 2010. The CTS Coupe’s standard powertrain consists of a direct injected 3.6L V-6 and six-speed manual transmission. A 6-speed automatic transmission with Driver Shift Control (and available steering wheel mounted shift buttons) is optional. Direct injection technology delivers fuel more precisely to increase the efficiency of combustion, enabling more power while maintaining fuel economy and lowering emissions – including a 25-percent drop in cold-start hydrocarbon emissions.

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By Adrienne Gruben

Tomorrow is the Bob Lutz Cadillac V-Series Challenge. For those of you who don’t know, Bob Lutz, an auto industry icon and currently a Vice Chairman at GM, first invited writers and then any and all owners of cars comparable to the Cadillac CTS-V to apply to get all Speed Racer with him on October 29 at the Monticello Motor Club in Monticello, N.Y.

Of the 120 people who gave a crap, Lutz chose seven. Of the seven, three are auto journalists: Jalopnik’s Wes Silver and his Jaguar XFR; The Truth About Cars’ Jack Baruth; and Lawrence Ulrich of the fancy NY Times. The journalist invites are clearly a tactical move on Lutz’ part. The other four are joe-blows. Michael from New Jersey and Michael from New York are bringing a BMW M5 and M3 respectively. (Perhaps Lutz was feeling nostalgic for his days as a BMW exec.) Tom of Philly will race his Audi RS4 and Chris from Michigan will bring his Cadillac CTS-V.

It’s clear who Lutz thinks Speed Racer is, but then who is Racer X? And what about Trixie? And that weird monkey? Let’s leave those questions in the obtuse pile, and focus on the race itself.

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Certified at 556 horsepower, acceleration times are top among V-8 sedans

MILFORD, Mich. – As final testing of the limited-edition 2009 CTS-V nears completion, the results suggest that Cadillac’s upcoming sports sedan is entering the stratosphere of the world’s highest-performing cars. Cadillac announces the following performance specifications for all-new 2009 CTS-V. In-car video of the record setting lap time is below the jump.

• CTS-V, with its supercharged 6.2-liter LSA engine, has achieved SAE-certified peak output of 556 horsepower (415 kW) at 6100 rpm and 551 lb.-ft. (747 Nm) of torque at 3800 rpm.
• CTS-V accelerates from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. CTS-V covers the quarter-mile in 12 seconds at 118 mph. These acceleration times are believed to be the fastest for any V-8-powered sedan currently in production.

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By Francis Cebedo

Pros:

• Good, distinctive exterior styling
• Excellent interior design and build quality
• The 300 hp V6 engine is a great balance of power and efficiency
• Handling is very capable
• GPS system is the one of the best we’ve used to date
• Clean and powerful audio system
• UltraView sunroof is a very nice touch
• It is an excellent family car with luxurious room for four

Cons:

• Rear window visibility is limited
• Accelerator pedal is very heavy
• Steering is not tight and responsive enough
• The car feels heavy when cornering

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