Cadillac’s 2016 CTS-V packs 640 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque in an agile, four-door package, but sources at the American luxury automaker say it’s not enough. With each new generation, the CTS-V becomes more powerful, outclassing its rivals from German and Japan by a healthy margin.
Presently, the 2016 CTS-V makes 80 more hp than the standard BMW M5 (560 hp) and 83 more hp than the base-spec Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG (557 hp), but apparently, Cadillac is concerned that the next generations of each of these vehicles will come too close to the CTS-V’s performance.
A source uncovered via Automobile Magazine states that, “The Cold War continues; I don’t know where it stops, but it’s not at 640 hp, that’s for sure.”
While the CTS-V’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8 from the Corvette Z06 has plenty of punch, redesigned versions of the 5 Series and E-Class are scheduled for 2017, with M and AMG versions due soon after. That gives Cadillac enough time to re-tune the CTS-V for added power, and thanks to GM’s superb magnetic ride control and chassis design, extra grunt will be well managed. Other top notch hardware on the CTS-V include massive Brembo brakes, an electronic limited-slip differential, a carbon fiber hood, and Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.
It stands to reason that as the ATS-V and CTS-V vehicles continue to pioneer new levels of performance, Cadillac will be able to further distance itself from its long-standing stigma as an elderly driver’s choice. We already know the new CTS-V and ATS-V can hold their own, and in some cases outclass German and Japanese performance models on road and track, but Cadillac still has a long journey ahead of it to prove it belongs with the performance luxury elite.
It’s not all about power either, as the move of Cadillac’s headquarters to New York City shows: styling will play a major role in the brand’s reinvention.
