Cadillac has introduced the 2016 CTS-V, the most powerful Cadillac ever. As a high-performance luxury halo car, the CTS-V will feature 640 horsepower and 630 lb-ft of torque and a phenomenal top speed of 200 miles per hour. This third-generation of the luxury sports sedan is set to redefine Cadillac, the company says.
It may very well do that. With power beyond anything Caddy has created before, the 2016 CTS-V is powered by a new supercharged 6.2-liter V8 running through an eight-speed transmission with paddle shifting, launch control, and GM’s new Performance Algorithm Shifting. It’s zero to sixty time is clocked at 3.7 seconds, Cadillac says.
Key performance technologies will include:
- Standard carbon fiber hood and available carbon fiber vent, front splitter, rear spoiler and rear diffuser for greater aerodynamic performance
- Brembo high-performance brake system developed to provide durability, consistency and the capability for track-day performance straight from the factory
- Third-generation Magnetic Ride Control delivering 40-percent faster damping response
- Integrated chassis controls that provide balanced performance for touring and the track, including competition-spec Performance Traction Management
- Structural stiffness increased by 25 percent for improved ride and superior handling
Driver-selectable modes electronically calibrate performance variables for touring, sport and track driving conditions - Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires with tri-compound technology offering excellent grip with extended wear
- An interior with performance-oriented, sueded microfiber accents and matte-finish carbon fiber trim and available RECARO high-performance seats for spirited driving
- Advanced safety and parking technologies, including a front curb-view camera system that provides a visual cue of curbs to protect the front splitter; automatic parking assist to find and steer into parallel or perpendicular parking spots; side blind zone alert, forward collision alert, lane keep assist and rear cross traffic alert.
The Cadillac CTS-V will also feature a Performance Data Recorder, the same as that seen on the new-generation Corvette (read it here).
The supercharger on the engine is a 1.7L unit timed with the direct injection and fuel management system. The rotors in this supercharger are smaller than previously seen and have a higher allowed maximum RPM to give an earlier boost than before, decreasing the boost point’s RPM band for the engine, which in turn increases performance.
Engine updates include better computer management, new cylinder heads and titanium intake valves to withstand higher heat, and more.
Body structure updates for the Cadillac CTS-V include:
- Strut tower-to-tower brace
- Strut tower-to-plenum brace
- V-braces for the engine compartment
- Strengthened rocker bulkhead
- Stronger rear cradle-to-rocker braces
- A unique aluminum shear panel at the front of the chassis
- Upper tie bar-to-bumper braces.
This adds 25 percent more structural stiffness to the car. In addition, the chassis and suspension are also updated to be more track-honed, including a wider footprint for better grip and stiffer wheels to help with that. More updates include:
- A revised multi-link double-pivot MacPherson-strut front suspension delivers a quicker response and increased lateral control, incorporating “hydro” bushings, where traditional elastomeric bushings are replaced with zero-compliance cross-axis ball joints, higher-rate springs and a stiffer stabilizer bar – for 20-percent greater roll stiffness
- The ZF Steering Systems Servotronic II variable-ratio electric power steering gear, with 14-percent greater system stiffness for an improved feeling of precision and greater driver feedback
- Cadillac’s five-link rear suspension features reduced roll center migration, stronger lateral control and effective anti-squat geometry, complementing the front suspension with greater body motion control. Contributing components include stiffer bushings, new cradle mounts, higher-rate springs and a stiffer stabilizer bar
- A standard electronic limited-slip differential supports optimal traction and enables maximum corner exit acceleration
- Larger prop shafts and greater half-shaft asymmetry (stiffer driver’s side shaft) mitigate power hop during acceleration
- A Brembo brake system provides durability, consistency and the capability for track-day performance. The system includes two-piece 15.3-inch-diameter (390 mm) front rotors with staggered six-piston calipers and 14.3-inch-diamter (365 mm) rear rotors with four-piston calipers.
Also, the CTS-V features third-generation Magnetic Ride Control and Performance Traction Management. Four driver-selectable settings – Tour, Sport, Track and Snow – electronically calibrate performance variables to optimize the car for driving conditions. Performance Traction Management is offered in Track mode and features five settings of torque reduction and brake intervention for track driving.
Magnetic Ride Control “reads” the road a thousand times per second, sending data to magneto-rheological fluid-filled dampers that can independently control the damping characteristics of all four dampers. Third-generation improvements enable 40-percent faster damping response. At 60 mph, the third-generation magnetic ride control system calculates the optimal damping force for every inch of the road.
The 2016 Cadillac CTS-V sounds like a seriously awesome car.
