How The Cadillac CTS-V Became A Performance Icon

The Cadillac CTS-V was an enigma of a car. It was offered with a massive 640 hp from its 6.2-liter supercharged V8, it could accelerate faster than some supercars, and stuck with competitors such as the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63 in the corners despite its lower price tag and American label. This super sedan offered amazing value for money both in terms of performance and features and will go down in the history books as one of Cadillac's finest. Tuners are still producing 1,000 hp versions of these cars, so you know they're still good.

YouTube channel Cars Evolution, a channel dedicated to showing the evolution of iconic cars has posted a video covering the development of this car over the years.

The Cadillac CTS-V was first produced back in 2004 and continued to be built right up until 2019. The car shared its 5.7-liter LS6 V8 engine with the C5 Z06 Chevrolet Corvette and could top out at 163 mph. It had Brembo disks in each corner and could do the standing quarter-mile in 13.1 seconds. In the rear was a limited-slip differential, and it rolled on a set of 18-inch wheels. In 2006, the CTS-V received a new LS2 engine, the limited-slip differential was upgraded with a 3.73:1 final drive, and it got a standard sunroof.

In 2009, some major changes occurred: The LSA-series engine gained a 1.9-liter supercharger which upped power from 400 hp to 556 hp and the top speed increased to 191 mph. A six-speed transmission was introduced for both manual and automatic cars, and it could now do the quarter-mile in only 12.3 seconds. It was declared the fastest sedan at the Nurburgring with a lap time of 7:59.32.

In 2011, the CTS-V wagon was introduced with 25 cubic feet of luggage space and the coupe version also reared its head. In 2015, a special edition model was introduced to celebrate the end of the second-generation car, and only 500 of these cars were produced. In 2016, the CTS-V got a C7 Z06 Corvette motor fitted with a 1.7-liter supercharger, for a total power output of 640 hp. This was the most powerful Cadillac ever produced and came with a standard carbon fiber hood.

The 2019 production year introduced the Pedestal edition with Recaro racing seats and a Bronze paint color. Only 300 of these cars were built. This was the last of the CTS-V range and started at $102,590. This car enjoyed a long and fruitful career as Cadillac's halo performance car and was eventually replaced by the CT5.