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Cadillac prices 2009 CTS-V from $59,995

The Cadillac CTS-V has already proven that its impressive power stats translate nicely to the track with sub-8 minute 'Ring times and a 0-60 time of 3.9 seconds. The General is also positioning its new 556-hp halo sedan as a performance bargain, having announced today that it will go on sale around November 1 with a starting price of just $59,995. That's more than $40,000 cheaper than the less powerful XLR-V, and we'd argue the CTS-V is more attractive with its v2.0 Art and Science styling and works much better as a daily driver with its back seat and usable trunk. The CTS-V also makes the larger $80,900 STS-V sedan completely irrelevant considering its 86-hp power advantage, improved aesthetics and quicker moves. Even the vaunted BMW M5 with its higher starting price of $83,900 and less powerful 500-hp 5.0L V10 engine can't touch the CTS-V in price or performance.
posted : 10/17/2008 @5:46:08 PM
Clarkson doesn't hate all American cars, recommends CTS-V for the Stig

I feel so affirmed right now after reading Jeremy Clarkson's latest car review in the Times of London. After the rightfully-deserved savaging Clarkson gave the Chrysler Sebring last week in addition to some of the things he 's saidover the years on Top Gear, you might have the impression that the man hates American cars. Apparently, nothing could be further from the truth. He just hates bad American cars. Put the guy behind the wheel of a truly great car built here and he might just fall in love. So when the time came for Jezza to recommend a new car for the tamed racing driver known as the Stig, the obvious first choice was the vaunted BMW M5. Well, it's obvious until you start considering gas costs nearly $10 a gallon in Britain now. Since any suitable car would not get significantly better fuel economy, the other option was to go with a less expensive machine, in this case the Cadillac CTS-V. While the first-generation CTS-V was not as sophisticated as one might have expected, the new model can reasonably be said to be better than the M5 in almost every respect. Equally important in this context is the £19,000 savings compared to the M5. The slightly light steering is easily overlooked given everything else it does so well and so quickly that Clarkson affirms our first driving impressions of the CTS-V.
posted : 10/15/2008 @9:24:01 PM
Top Gear testing American metal

Not long after we learned that the famous Top Gear trio was in the U.S., a fan managed to snap some shots of Clarkson, Hammond and Mays testing their favorite examples of American muscle at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. The hosts made their way to salt flats by way of Reno, Nevada where they had a few modifications done to each vehicle in the name of high speed safety, namely driveshaft loops and fire extinguishers. If you saw our previous post on the subject, you already know that Clarkson is driving a Corvette ZR1, Hamster a Challenger SRT8 and May the super-fast but still luxurious Cadillac CTS-V, a car that shares much of its supercharged V8 architecture with the new force-fed mill in the 'Vette. We can already surmise that the ZR1 easily took top honors at Bonneville thanks to its slippery shape and abundance of power. Now, which car wins the comparison test? We look forward to next season to find out.
posted : 10/2/2008 @3:51:53 PM
UK Top Gear testing CTS-V, Challenger and ZR-1 in Reno

The blokes from the real Top Gear are back in the States to test what us 'Mericans do best – big V8s, rear-wheel-drive and powerslides. Clarkson, Hammond and May flew into San Francisco on Wednesday and then made a B-line for Reno before heading south, reportedly to test the out a trio of American muscle at the Bonneville Salt Flats. If you're just as obsessed as us, you don't have to look at the photos in the gallery to know who snatched the keys to a Corvette ZR1, Dodge Challenger and Cadillac CTS-V. But we'll spoil the (lack of) surprise for you anyway. Clarkson grabbed the 'Vette, Hammond is getting his retro kicks in the Challenger and May – the consummate stately sedan man – is piloting the CTS-V. Top Gear is rumored to be back on the air towards the end of October, and we're hoping this segment kicks off the next season.
posted : 10/2/2008 @2:30:15 PM
From the 'duh' files: Cadillac considering supercharged CTS-V Sport Wagon

Put your checkbook away. As desirable as a CTS wagon in hot-rod V trim is, it's not here yet. The CTS Sport Wagon was developed as a way to offer the European market a configuration that's sure to sell, and it's headed to North America by the end of next year. When the Caddy wagon finally gets here, it will have the excellent 3.6-liter V6 providing power. Wagons aren't great sellers here, though, so the CTS Sport Wagon will likely be a niche model, dashing most of our hope that Cadillac will put its hottest powertrain in the two-box car just like BMW, Mercedes and Audi do. The hardware port would be mostly a snap. The supercharged V8 is ready to go and the CTS-V has been developed around that engine, so there's suspension and drivetrain parts already on the shelf, and the V has already set the style direction for bodywork tweaks. While we won't be holding our breath for a CTS-V Sport Wagon that can rip off 12-second quarters while hauling 120 cubic feet of stuff, Cadillac's David Caldwell points out that the pre-existing hardware would make it "a relatively easy add." A high price – though still less than the German SuperWagens – wouldn't help the sales case, and really, there's only like ten of us wagon freaks, anyway. It probably won't happen, but it could, and it would be quite a welcome respite from those high-CG truck-lookin' things.
posted : 9/23/2008 @9:55:58 PM
First Drive: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

After decades of decay, Cadillac began a transformation in the waning years of the last century that would allow the brand to compete against modern luxury brands. Decrepit beasts like the late Eldorado and Seville were euthanized and, while the decision to switch mostly to alpha-numeric naming was dubious, Cadillac finally started creating cars that could compete directly with the best from Europe and Japan, and the first generation CTS was one of them. In spite of this progress, the Germans still had something Cadillac lacked, namely AMG, M and RS models. So Cadillac devised the V-Series, the first of which was the 2004 CTS-V. Just as BMW does with the M3 and M5, Audi with the RS4 and RS6 and Mercedes with innumerable AMGs, the CTS-V had a bigger, more powerful engine; beefier brakes and tires; a suspension to match and an upgraded interior. This, however, is an arms race that has yet to subsie in spite of ever higher fuel prices. With BMW, Mercedes and Audi now offering even more powerful engines, Cadillac has stepped up to the plate with an all-new CTS-V and we had a chance to drive it at the even newer Monticello Motor Club in New York. With a new supercharged LSA engine closely related to the LS9 in the Corvette ZR1, the CTS-V makes some big promises. Read on after the jump to see if it delivers.
posted : 9/14/2008 @5:30:20 AM
Faster than an M5: First Cadillac CTS-V performance test published

It's been over 60 years since the Americans have so thoroughly trounced the Germans, but Inside Line has the numbers to prove it. The Edmunds news service had a chance to take the new Cadillac CTS-V (which we're driving in upstart New York as we speak) and its supercharged V8 for a spin around GM's Milford proving grounds and brought along its testing gear. The resulting bombardment ought to have the Germans thoroughly embarrassed and rebuilding for decades to come. The CTS-V ran the quarter-mile in a scant 12.5 seconds, besting the 12.7 it takes for either the BMW M5 or the Mercedes E63 AMG. Getting back to a standstill was another hit to the Bimmer and the Benz, with the Caddy stopping from 60-0 mph in 109 feet – five feet less than it takes the M5 and six shorter than the AMG. And if you're thinking that brakes and power are easy to upgrade and that the Cadillac couldn't possibly best the Germans on the handling course, think again: the CTS-V ran the slalom at 71.1 mph, while the M5 and E63 ran it in 68.5 and 65 mph respectively.
posted : 9/13/2008 @5:38:05 AM
Cadillac shelves that whole V12 thing

Here's a shocker: Cadillac has reportedly canceled plans for a range-topping V12 engine. Really, you don't say? Last we checked, General Motors didn't seem to have any problems extracting plenty of performance from its 6.2-liter supercharged and 7.0-liter naturally aspirated V8 engines, and the majority of the development work has already been done for a Caddy installation. Additionally, we've heard some rumors of a possible twin-turbo version of GM's excellent 3.6-liter direct injection six, which could find a cozy spot under the hood of the next Cadillac sedan. Cadillac is also said to be reconsidering its premium large sedan, where the V12 was originally intended to reside. In its stead, GM's classiest division will focus in on the replacement for the STS and DTS sedans. Also rumored is a new naming convention, as if the waters weren't already murky enough. Will the next Caddy sedan be known as the DT7? We sure hope not. Will it be based on the new Zeta platform? Well now... that decision would get our seal of approval.
posted : 9/2/2008 @5:33:43 PM
2010 Cadillac CTS coupe coming to LA Auto Show

This past Saturday in Monterey, Cadillac invited a select group of journalists to see the production version of the CTS coupe. Naturally, cameras weren't allowed inside the Caddy tent to keep images leaking out ahead of the coupe's official unveiling this November at the Los Angeles Auto Show. However, a lack of pictures hasn't stopped InsideLine from going into detail about what the CTS coupe will look like when it rolls onto the stand in LA. According to the report, the coupe is virtually unchanged from its conceptual predecessor, with everything ahead of the A-pillars pulled directly from its sedan counterpart. The massive C-pillars have remained, along with the vertical taillights and steeply raked rear window. Thankfully, Cadillac saw fit to include a back-up camera to make up for the lack of rearward visibility. Production will begin next summer at GM's Lansing Grand River plant, and while GM execs remain mum on engine choices, expect the same duo of V6s available on the sedan and sport wagon to carry over to the coupe, along with the CTS-V's 550 hp, supercharged 6.2-liter V8 later down the line.
posted : 9/2/2008 @2:28:35 AM
CTS-V to go hunting in Europe after all

Last week, we reported on a Top Gear piece that indicated Cadillac would not be sending the CTS-V super-sedan to Europe. Cadillac contacted us with some corrections and clarifications, which we now deliver to you. First, the CTS-V is going to Europe. That fantasy matchup in the likes of Auto Motor und Sport that pits it against the likes of the M5, RS6 and the AMG E-Class is bound to happen after all. Top Gear's complaint centered around the UK-market's particular situation. You see, the CTS-V is not going to Blighty in right-hand-drive form. The V-Series car is only being produced with the steering wheel on the left side of the IP, though the company STILL can (and intends to) offer a limited number of CTS-V sedans in the UK in LHD configuration, according to Caddy spokesman David Caldwell. This could be duplicated in other RHD markets as well, save for Australia, where apparently, the regulations are such that left-hand-drive vehicles are simply not an option. We won't shed a tear for Australia, though. They have plenty of cool stuff that we won't see either.
posted : 7/15/2008 @1:30:28 AM
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