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MONTICELLO, NY – When the second-generation CTS sedan rolled out for ’08, it showed the world Cadillac’s Art and Science bender could yield sleek and beautiful rides with top-notch cabins and commendable road manners.
General Motors Corp. now is more serious than ever about its top brand’s ambitions beyond these shores. And with the addition of some of its finest go-fast hardware, the new ’09 CTS-V arriving this fall will be one of the best performance buys ever.
With an expected MSRP of about $60,000 netting 556 supercharged horses and a top speed approaching 200 mph (322 km/h), the latest “V” car packs enough firepower and panache to make the German icons of 4-door mayhem quiver in their treads, and enough change leftover for plenty of premium fuel and an extra set of tires.
The original CTS-V, the car that proved the Wreath and Crest could adorn fire-breathing, race-winning machines, wasn’t so fortunate. It had the interior refinement of a woodshed, the gear shifter from a tractor and a propensity to axle hop its rear wheels off the chassis.
The STS-V and XLR-V that followed, though faster and more sophisticated, improved the V-Series range, yet haven’t lived up to GM’s expectations.
In making the new V sedan, Cadillac took everything that’s great about the standard CTS and turned it up a notch or three.
