GM Aims High With 550-hp ’09 Cadillac CTS-V

Special Coverage

North American Int’l Auto Show

Sharing more than just the spotlight with General Motors Corp.’s new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next week will be a second-generation Cadillac CTS-V performance sedan.

Expected to launch in the fourth quarter as an ’09 model, the all-new CTS-V aims to offer unprecedented levels of performance for Cadillac while maintaining the brand’s focus on luxury and refinement.

“The CTS-V represents the full extension of our design, technology and performance capabilities,” says Cadillac General Manager Jim Taylor. “The V-Series takes the award-winning (’08) CTS sport sedan and elevates it to a position within the club of the world’s most exclusive and capable cars.”

More specifically, the new car aims to one-up the 500-plus-hp BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG with help from a de-tuned version of the Corvette ZR1’s new 6.2L OHV V-8.

Called the LSA, the supercharged, all-aluminum engine is expected to pack 550 hp at 6,200 rpm and 550 lb.-ft. (745 Nm) of torque at 3,800 rpm when Society of Automotive Engineers certification is complete in early April.

Compared with the ZR1’s 620-plus-hp LS9, GM says the Cadillac variant is geared toward a more refined power delivery.

Cadillac CTS-V sports blown 550-hp V-8 and choice of 6-speed manual or automatic gearbox.

Both engines share the same block and nearly 100 other components, the auto maker says, but the LSA’s 9.0:1 compression ratio is slightly lower and its cast-aluminum pistons and other internal components are less radical than those used for the ZR1.

The LSA and LS9 also share similar forced-induction assemblies. However, the Eaton Corp.-sourced Twin Vortices Series VI supercharger is smaller and produces 9 psi (0.6 bar) of boost vs. 10.5 psi (0.7 bar) in the ZR1.

In addition, the taller engine compartment of the CTS allows a larger, single-brick aluminum intercooler to be mounted atop the blower in place of the LS9’s compact pair of heat exchangers.

Handling the new CTS-V’s nearly 35% increase in power over the previous model will be a reinforced 6-speed manual transmission with a twin-disc clutch and dual-mass flywheel. An automatic gearbox also will be offered for the first time in the form of GM’s heavy-duty Hydra-Matic 6L90 6-speed unit.

Cadillac’s Performance Algorithm Shifting program guides the 6L90’s operation and features three settings for varying degrees of performance. A manu-matic console shifter and steering wheel-mounted paddles offer manual control of the gearbox with rev-matched downshifts.

Chassis tuning for the 4,200 to 4,300-lb. (1,905 to 1,950-kg) high-performance model, as with the standard CTS, was honed on numerous racetracks around the world, the auto maker says.

Notable additions for the V-Series include Magnetic Ride Control, which uses iron-laden, electromagnetic shock fluid to quickly react to changing road conditions, as well as a Performance Traction Management system based on technology used by Cadillac’s championship-winning CTS-V race teams in the Speed World Challenge GT series.

Unique 19-in. forged-aluminum wheels are wrapped in high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport 2 rubber and encircle massive Brembo disc brakes with 6-piston calipers in front and 4-piston units in the rear.

Obsidian trim and Recaro sport seats differentiate CTS-V interior.

The large wheels and bulging hood hiding the supercharger should make the new CTS-V hard to miss. However, trained observers also will note the addition of heavily revised front and rear fascias, new exhaust outlets and the V-Series trademark wire-mesh grille.

The interior of the ’09 CTS-V shares its hand-stitched leather and high-tech features with the regular model, but is differentiated by suede-like microfiber trim on the steering wheel, shifter and seat inserts. Recaro performance-driving seats with 14-way adjustability replace the stock units, while dark Obsidian trim adorns the door panels and center stack.

Unlike the first-generation model, GM says the ’09 CTS-V will be exported outside North America to Europe, Asia and the Middle East as part of the auto maker’s – and Cadillac’s – ongoing global expansion.

Pricing details, as well as performance and fuel-economy figures, are expected to be available closer to the vehicle’s launch, but a base price near $65,000-$70,000 seems likely and would dramatically undercut the CTS-V’s targeted European rivals.

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