2011 Cadillac CTS V Coupe
Not too long ago, Left Lane News had a chance to drive the 2011 Cadillac CTS V Coupe in California’s Napa Valley. The experience left us intoxicated – and it wasn’t because of the wine flowing through the surrounding hills
As part of their second act, we ventured to the other side of the country – Cadillac favorite race track in Monticello, New York – for a romp through the Catskill Mountains in the CTS-V Coupe.
There’s more to the CTS-V than just a letter, as we’ve found from sampling the coupe’s sedan brother, but we were anxious to see how the performance translates into the even sportier two-door.
We were so impressed with the regular CTS Coupe that we proclaimed it the best Cadillac we have ever driven. What to do for an encore? Drop a take-no-prisoners version of the big V8 found in the Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 for extra impact. The result is one that leaves you punch-drunk with power – just as now-retired General Motors chief car guru Bob Lutz told us over and over.
Sometimes Maximum Bob was on the money.
Top shelf
Derived from the standard CTS Coupe, the CTS-V Coupe is chock-full of all the good we found in the standard version. The 2+2 interior returns with actually usable rear seats, as well as ventilated Recaro 14-way performance seats up front. Recaros in a Cadillac you ask? The better to coddle you with its pneumatic bolstering in the seat cushions and backrests. A new saffron-colored Alcantara insert helps to break up the black on black look of the anything-but-standard interior. The V-Coupe doors, like those found in the regular CTS Coupe, are electric as they are in a Chevrolet Corvette. But just in case, there are levers in each footwell, should it be necessary to pop the doors open mechanically from the inside.
Should you desire anything other than the dulcet tones from the two center-mounted, circular exhaust dumps, the Bose 5.1 Surround Sound audio system is up to the task offering concert-quality audio.
The CTS-V Coupe has some interesting rivals; traditionally, we’d put it against the Audi RS5 and BMW M3. But you might as well toss in Ford's Shelby GT500 and even a Dodge Challenger Sport8, you’re looking for V8-powered thrill machines.
A styling standard
We called the standard CTS styling a breakthrough, but the aggressive styling of the V makes it even more so. With its trademark V-mesh grille on the leading edge, replacing the larger appearing standard grille, the V-Coupe now has 100-percent more surface area with which to cool the big 6.2-liter engine and intercooler behind it.
The basis of the V-Coupe’s rear suspension is a multi-link setup with Magnetic Ride Control, which we have seen on the CTS sedan for some time now. The MRC makes for very adaptive driving in a wide variety of circumstances by constantly “monitoring” road conditions for optimal suspension setting. The V’s suspension options go further by featuring adjustable ride control. A button with shock absorber icon on the centerstack allows the driver to go from standard to touring to sport rides. Steering wheel mounted buttons allow you to disable the traction control for those track day events at your local raceway or motor clubs.
A power bulge in the hood offers more clearance than that of the regular coupe, and offers more room to plumb cold air to the intercooler of the big V8. Yellow painted Brembo calipers add a touch of high-performance cache to the whole package and help to set off the available black smoke 19-inch forged aluminum wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires.
Under pressure
Speaking of V8, the supercharged and sequentially fuel-injected 6.2-liter sends 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheel drive setup through a sequential Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic. Fully functional in normal drive mode, it really comes alive when moved over to the right side manumatic gate (+/-) where it remaps itself and tends to hold the gears longer. The driver can choose between banging the shift lever or using the wheel-mounted buttons (what? No paddle shift levers?). We totally enjoyed it in standard “automatic” mode as well as the manual gate for the remapped version. At that point we had the option to use the pushbuttons on the back of the wheel. After a while the Hydra-Matic reverts to normal automatic mode.
On the do-it-yourself side of the equation, Cadillac has sourced Tremec’s 6060 manual gearbox. In plain English, it’s one of the best in the business.
Offering direct and positive feedback to the driver, it’s a short throw arrangement that offers 1-4 bypass for better fuel savings. It was a pleasure to put through its paces both on the track and on the open road. With the automatic weighing in at a portly 4,237 lbs., and the manual checking in at 35 lbs. less, expect estimated EPA figures of 14/19 with the manual and 12/18 with the automatic – plus you’ll have to pay gas guzzler tax. You do not buy this car for its efficiency. Naught to 60 mph clicks off in 3.9 seconds. That’s why you buy this car.
Sorting it out
So well sorted was this V-Coupe, that the driver can essentially will it to where you want it to go next. In rush hour traffic, it made short work of laggards and “keepers of the speed” who tended to clog the Palisades Parkway for hours (much less days). Power-assisted rack and pinion steering helped keep you pointed the right way.
Get up too aggressively and the big Brembos are there to hold you in check.
And that engine!
There’s so much torque on tap that it continues to pull in sixth gear. Although sharing the same wheelbase as the CTS-V sedan, the V-Coupe is equipped with a wider rear track for a touch more grip in the rear. The end result was a car that handled beautifully and offered predictable handling at every turn. Even coming into a turn too hot while lapping at Monticello, lifting off the throttle shifted weight forward for a ton of road feel that enabled a quick exit from the turn a second later.
Leftlane’s bottom line:
We thought the Cadillac CTS coupe was the best Cadillac we have ever driven. Until now. It’s become the second best. With a powerful engine, great handling and excellent interior, it has all you could possibly ask for in a high performance coupe.
source:www.leftlanenews.com