Cadillac CTS-V : V POWERFUL

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Cadillac is aiming high with its CTS-V super saloon. Steve Walker reports.

As a general rule, it's best to avoid getting into a `mine's bigger than yours' type of contest with the Americans. They'll invariably take things to such an extreme that everyone else is forced to back down before it all gets a bit silly. These are a people that love large in all its forms so it makes sense that the American car brand best known for its upscale ostentation should be represented in a sector of the market where overkill is essential. Say a big howdy to the Cadillac CTS-V super saloon.

The Germans have been happily indulging in their own private game of performance saloon one-upmanship for a long time now. The concept of packing as much power as will fit into an everyday executive saloon car has turned into a matter of honour for BMW, Mercedes and Audi. The result has been a succession of monstrously quick cars, the latest crop all offering something north of 500bhp. Audi looked to have finally gone as far as anyone would dare with its 572bhp RS6 but the arms race could be about to start hotting up again with Cadillac's entry into the fray. The CTS-V is the performance version of the Cadillac CTS executive saloon, a car that has largely gone unnoticed by UK buyers since its arrival on these shores. If anything can deliver the oxygen of publicity to the lesser models in the range, you'd bank on the CTS-V. Power comes from a 6.2-litre V8 engine which develops 556bhp. It can't match the power output of the mighty Audi RS6 but it does eclipse that behemoth when it comes to torque. The RS6 develops 650Nm of twisting force at its peak but CTS-V smashes that figure with 747Nm. It means that this full-size executive car can cover the 0-60mph sprint in 3.9 seconds - faster than a BMW M5, an Audi RS6 or a Mercedes E63 AMG. With no speed limiter to speak of, the manual version of the CTS-V will hit 191mph.

"there's no denying that the CTS-V makes a compelling proposition on paper"

Where the CTS-V will be expected to fall down is in the handling department. The Americans have a history of cars that can fire themselves down a straight like a bat out of hell but behave more like a rhino on roller-skates when presented with a corner. The CTS-V could be an exception, however. The car has achieved a lap of the Nurburgring Nordschleife in under eight minutes, breaking the barrier that is generally held up as the golden standard for serious performance cars. The Nurburgring is widely regarded as the truest test there is of a car's handling capabilities and more poignantly, it's home turf for the German manufacturers which the CTS-V is so intent on putting the wind up. The dimensions of the CTS place is above the compact executive contenders like BMW's 3-Series and the Mercedes C-Class in terms of size but it's a little smaller than executive cars like the 5-Series from BMW and Audi's A6. This sits the CTS-V in a similar position within the performance saloon market, larger than an M3 or a C63 AMG but smaller than the M5 and RS6 which are closer to it in terms of the power they offer. Where it leaves no room for doubt is in its styling where the angular lines of the CTS and accentuated with deep spoilers and side skirts, the wheelarches packed with oversize alloys. The CTS-V also incorporates Cadillac's MRC Magnetic Ride Control technology which uses electro magnets to instantly adjust the firmness of the suspension according to the mode selected by the driver. When you let the CTS-V's fearsome powerplant off the leash you'll have a few seconds of unimaginable drama before your thoughts turn to stopping again. Thankfully, the brakes should prove more than up to the job with their six piston callipers acting on 380mm discs at the front and four pot callipers with 373mm discs at the rear. Hydraulic brake assist, four channel ABS and a dynamic rear brake proportioning system will also add peace of mind to the process. The CTS-V might occupy the middle ground between compact executive and executive rivals in terms of its size but in terms of power and price, there's nothing mediocre about it. The CTS-V undercuts Audi's RS6, the car that comes closest to it in terms of brute force, by around £18,000 and is only £5,000 more than a BMW M3, yet has a power advantage of 140bhp. There is, however, a major sticking point for any UK customer considering the purchase of a CTS-V and that is the car's availability exclusively in left hand drive form. With only a very few models coming to these shores, it's likely that enough people will be happy to put up with the steering wheel being on the wrong side in exchange for the exclusivity and all that power. The equipment count on the CTS-V looks suitably high. The Recaro sports seats adjust in 14 different directions and are finished in a mix of leather and suede. There's a voice activated infotainment package with iPod connector and a 40GB hard disc that lets you store music and mapping data for the navigation system. The CTS-V's engine isn't the most technologically advanced unit you'll come across and this along with its size and prodigious power output doesn't bode well for fuel economy or emissions. You just don't buy a car like this if mpg is anything other than a fleeting concern so it's probably best to gloss over the issue altogether and get on with enjoying the CTS-V for what it does best - going fast. Cadillac would probably like us to think of its CTS-V as a thoroughly modern, highly technologically advanced super saloon that beats the Germans at their own game. We're probably more inclined to view it as another in the long line of all-American muscle cars with rather more performance than finesse. The reality is sure to be somewhere in between but there's no denying that the CTS-V makes a compelling proposition on paper, where its price, pace and power knock spots off its rivals. The left hand drive configuration of the CTS-V will be a tough one for many buyers to come to terms with but otherwise, the car will be an intriguing option for anyone with £60,000 to spend on an executive car that accelerates like jet fighter.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Cadillac CTS range
PRICE: £56,495 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUPS: 20 [est]
CO2 EMISSIONS: 380g/km [est]
PERFORMANCE: 0-60 3.9s Max Speed 191mph [est]
FUEL CONSUMPTION: [3.6] combined 18mpg [est]
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: twin front and side airbags, stability control, ABS [est]
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/heightmm 4860/1842/1400 [est]