The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V was finally unveiled at the Road America track in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, where motor-heads from around the world got to test drive the new performance-luxury sedan. The CTS-V has received rave reviews from critics who are praising Cadillac’s performance-tech improvements over the original CTS model , while critiquing its inattention to style.
What’s Under the Hood?
Think bigger, faster, and stronger. At the heart of the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V pumps a 6.2 liter, supercharged V8 engine, complete with the power of 640 American horses and 630 pounds of torque. Each CTS-V model can reach up to 200 mph easily, and go from 0-60 mph in just 3.6 seconds, beating its foreign BMW M5 competition by a fraction of a second. Critics are impressed by these vast improvements over its predecessor’s 3.6 liter V6 engine, which had almost half the amount of horsepower and torque.
What’s more, Cadillac has included four distinct driving “modes” for the driver to choose from—Snow, Touring, Sport, and Race—all with their own settings to optimize the car’s transmission, throttle, and shocks for each individual scenario.
This is thanks to a greatly improved CUE system —a screen that records your drive as a video, with added graphics to show you how fast you’ve gone, how far you went, etc.—giving it a lovely 3X more powerful processor than those still causing madness and frustration in earlier models.
Lastly, the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V got to show off its excellent handling and braking systems while at the Road America track, impressing gearheads worldwide. The CTS-V boasts a Bremo braking system from Godzilla —a braking system that head Cadillac engineer Dave Leone claims to be fade-resistant, and cost-efficient.
2016 Cadillac CTS-V Not a Perfect Car
While the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V may rip and roar its way easily into the hearts of those looking exclusively for big, fast, and loud American muscle, those looking for something a little bit more may want to go on another few test drives before settling.
Many critics were put off by the sheer weight of the vehicle itself. Cadillac engineers claim the CTS-V had to be heavier to achieve their goal of a 20% rigidity increase from the previous model, making for greater toughness and durability.
What’s more, the CTS-V has been criticized—though only lightly—for its shift away from Cadillac’s usual innovative design work, instead using more typical and traditional aesthetics in order to appeal to a broader market. This includes a 50% wider gap in the front of the vehicle, made from special mesh to optimize airflow around and through the chassis.
Lastly, critics are skeptical of the vehicle’s rear-wheel driving system—a move that seems downright wrong for such a high-power luxury sedan. However, Cadillac engineers claim that if they made it a four-wheel drive, over 200 pounds would have been added to the already-too-heavy body, and would’ve raised the price of the vehicle dramatically.
How Much?
Pricing for the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V is currently priced for $97,985 US, but is subject to change. Sporting a measly 14 miles to the gallon fuel economy, this car is sure to guzzle down an enormous amount of money, but according to critics, the payoff is definitely worth it. “The V-Series’ job is to change what the expectation of what Cadillac is capable of,” says CTS-V product director Hampden Tener.
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