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Just drove a CTS-V! :D

3794 Views 13 Replies 11 Participants Last post by  jpapa
I had the opportunity to spend some quality, although all too brief, time behind the wheel of a CTS-V today :D ; it was definitely a thrilling experience!

Curiously, the Red Line Ion gave me a bit of a head-start when starting up the Cadillac. The CTS-V clutch has almost the same engagement and take-off points as ours, so no embarrassing stalling or non-intentional rough gear changes. The shifter throws are a little longer, but the transitions seemed pretty smooth. Slipping into the 6th position felt a little weird without a collar, and it seemed a little unnatural to find reverse in the top right position (luckily, there's an indicator on the DIC). I prefer the location of our parking brake, as I accidentally popped the Cadillac's hood while trying to disengage the brake.

The V-8 engine noise was pretty cool; deep and throaty, with a bit of an edge, but nowhere near uncomfortable in terms of volume. Performance wise, the CTS-V seems to have endless torque available, even at the far left of the tach. On the highway, passing vehicles was completely effortless, with no planning or forethought required at all. The car really seemed happier at higher speeds (which I won't post) and maneuvers that would have left me a little skittish in the Red Line seemed completely controlled in the Cadillac.

Inside, I was amazed by all the electronics. Navigation, although not a touch screen, was pretty cool and it was fun playing with the g-meter (even though it was tough to see with the steering wheel cranked). The seats were definitely not Recaros and didn't have the same cradling effect in the bolsters, but the suede inserts did just as good a job, if not better, in holding me in the turns (a good match for the massive tires and tremendous grip).

I drove a supercharged Cobalt SS later in the day, which was fun, but it did not feel as solid. It had some interesting differences from my Ion (A-Pillar mounted Boost Gauge, much smaller trunk opening), but I couldn't help thinking back to the great package of power and sophistication of the CTS-V; if I need to upgrade from the Red Line in the future (and have the available resources) I know what to get now! With 400HP, a 4.5s 0-60mph, all the the electronic bells and whistles, luxurious style, and the ability to seat five, I think that I would be pretty content. Well there's my $.02 (only another $70,699.98 [CAD] to go). It was a real blast and if you have a chance, I recommend going for a test drive! :)
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I'm jealous, I love that car. Maybe someday I will be able to afford one.
MMM, V-type. That's hot shit; I had an opportunity to drive one, however, my father foiled my efforts :( Oh well, good review, but I have this feeling that you've ruined yourself for other cars!
I just switched jobs from working at Saturn to working at Cadillac. Give the CTS another year. There is talk about putting a s/c on that. That should be really cool.
Supercharger?

rlinbatonrouge said:
I just switched jobs from working at Saturn to working at Cadillac. Give the CTS another year. There is talk about putting a s/c on that. That should be really cool.
Are you suggesting a supercharger on the 5.7 Z06 V8, the 3.6, the 2.8 or one of the Northstars? A superchardged V8 would be amazing! I've heard rumours of 650HP (too much?)...
I really like alll of the new Caddies... some of the mags have yet to give them their dues against Mercedes and BMW. Personally I can't stand the way Mercedes look, they pretty much all look the same. BMW's are GREAT cars, but the new styling direction they're going is dissapointing to me...
there will be a supercharged northstar V8 in the XLR-V and the STS-V.
I never thought I'd like Cadillacs as much as I do recently. I mean, I've always liked them, but their demographic used to be "older people": now their cars just kick ASS and are turning the heads of much, much younger people like myself (20). I wouldn't hesitate one second picking a Cadillac over its German competition (Benz have become boring, and BMW's are getting uglier each year (except the M3)).
Icon said:
Are you suggesting a supercharger on the 5.7 Z06 V8, the 3.6, the 2.8 or one of the Northstars? A superchardged V8 would be amazing! I've heard rumours in 650HP...
MMMMMMMMMMMM, Horsepower! :eek:
Icon said:
Are you suggesting a supercharger on the 5.7 Z06 V8, the 3.6, the 2.8 or one of the Northstars? A superchardged V8 would be amazing! I've heard rumours of 650HP (too much?)...
The 650 hp one you've heard about isn't quite a rumor, it's a reality - I actually, hand to god, saw one on the road a couple months ago, doing some on-road testing outside of the proving grounds in Milford.. I believe it uses the C6-R Corvette's 427-ci race engine, makes in the neighborhood of 6-700 horsepower, and is set apart by huge fender flares, massive wheels with even more monstrous tires, a hood scoop, and a dropped suspension. Friggin' kick ass. They should be making about 1000 of them. I'm going to hunt down the spy shots my dad brought me & try to scan them.
The XLR-V that is slated to come out in '06, uses a supercharged 4.4L Northstar.... 440hp...
I dynoed a 2005 CTS-V a few days back. it had 342whp/331wtq. not bad for the good 'ol LS6.
Yep they are fun. Got to drive one WOT 1st and 2nd gears. Corvette has a bit more pickup. But the Vette cannot beat the lexurious interior. Very nice, very nice.
urbanmonkeygod04 said:
The 650 hp one you've heard about isn't quite a rumor, it's a reality - I actually, hand to god, saw one on the road a couple months ago, doing some on-road testing outside of the proving grounds in Milford.. I believe it uses the C6-R Corvette's 427-ci race engine, makes in the neighborhood of 6-700 horsepower, and is set apart by huge fender flares, massive wheels with even more monstrous tires, a hood scoop, and a dropped suspension. Friggin' kick ass. They should be making about 1000 of them. I'm going to hunt down the spy shots my dad brought me & try to scan them.
Are you sure it wasn't the crazily modified Touring race car version of the CTS-V you saw?
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