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The AutoGuide News Blog is your source for breaking stories from the auto industry. Delivering news immediately, the AutoGuide Blog is constantly updated with the latest information, photos and video from manufacturers, auto shows, the aftermarket and professional racing.
AutoGuide Five-Point Inspection
When the second generation Cadillac CTS-V arrived, it featured a pair of new body-styles. Among them is the two-door coupe, which is the subject of this week’s Five-Point Inspection.
With its supercharged V8, the CTS-V is a serious performance machine, referencing the days of comfy, yet powerful American muscle cars – though with a decidedly more luxurious ride quality. At $64,515 the CTS-V Coupe already has a high price of entry. With the extras our tester was outfitted with, including diamond black tricoat, black rims, yellow Brembo brakes, Recaro seats, a sunroof, suede interior and the Ebony/Saffron interior color scheme the final cost was $72,200.
It’s been seven years since Andy Pilgrim captured a championship for Cadillac in the Pirelli World Challenge Series, but the drought is over for the American luxury automaker.
Preparing for an upcoming race, Cadillac drivers Andy Pilgrim and Johnny O’Connell were out testing on Sonoma Raceway, and Cadillac released footage of the practice complete with narration from both drivers.
D3 Cadillac has always impressed us with its Cadillac builds. Most recently, they captured our attention with a 1,000-hp CTS-V at the 2011 SEMA Show and now they’ve taken to the streets of Southern California to show off what that what the company builds is “not your grandpas Cadillac.”
With the Long Beach Grand Prix in town, the guys at D3 Cadillac grabbed IndyCar driver J.R. Hildebrand and Formula Drift driver Tyler McQuarrie and armed them with two of its creations, a 750+ hp ‘Legionnaire’ and a more street-friendly 560-hp or so CTS-V. Both vehicles featured in the video are 2012 CTS-V coupe models and shows off just how much fun a Cadillac can truly be.
Watch the video below.
With the advent of hybrids and electric vehicles, many skeptics thought the age of high-performance sports car would die out. Reality couldn’t be any more different, as America has more than 70 cars on sale today that make 500-hp or more.
The number of vehicles pushing out 500-hp or more has nearly doubled in the last five years. What is more remarkable is more than a decade ago, there were just two vehicles in the club: the Ferrari 575M and the Lamborghini Murcielago. Now Ferrari alone has four models pushing out over 500-hp.
The ability to pump out so much horsepower has been aided by the leaps and bounds that engineering and technology has made over the last decade. Automakers are now able to equip their vehicles with smaller, more fuel efficient engines, which thanks to forced induction, can reliably crank out plenty of peak horsepower.
[Source: Autoweek]
For those that don’t know what an MMO is, it stands for Massively Multiplayer Online and has become a huge genre in online gaming. Essentially any game that allows hundreds to thousands of people to coexist in a a video game environment is considered an MMO. One of the more popular MMO racing simulator games is iRacing, and the game recently added the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe race car to the list of participating vehicles.
To make the addition of the CTS-V racer into the game as realistic as possible, the iRacing team worked closely with Cadillac and Pratt & Miller Engineering. Pratt & Miller Engineering are the ones in charge of building the real race cars. By using iRacing’s standard “micrometer-precise” modeling system, high-grade recording of the CTS-V’s engine will make its way into the game.
You can check out more information about iRacing here.
GM has revealed a new Touring Package for the Cadillac CTS, designed to give the standard CTS a bit of its bigger brother CTS-V’s styling. The touring package will include HID headlights, sport-tuned suspension, spoiler for the taillight, 18- or 19-inch wheels, and interior accessories.
Two packages are available, one for the 3.0L V6 found in the CTS sedan and wagon, and another for the 3.6L V6 that’s found in the CTS coupe and optional on other models. The 3.0L V6-equipped CTS will get 18-inch wheels, dual exhaust tips, darkened front grille on the outside while the interior receives suede trim on the seats, steering wheel and shifter, dark wood trim, and metal sport pedals. The 3.0L V6 package is priced at $2,065.
The 3.6L V6 package includes the previously mentioned parts but upgrades them with 19-inch wheels and Recaro bucket seats. That package runs $2,810.
GALLERY: Cadillac CTS Touring Package
When we first heard about D3 Cadillac’s Le Monstre packing 1,001-hp in CTS-V Coupe form, we had pretty high expectations. Now we know that even the renderings were a little on the conservative side. The completed project made its debut in the Toyo Tires booth at this year’s SEMA Show in Las Vegas and it has exceeded our expectations. Simply put, this is one bad widebody Cadillac CTS-V Coupe.
As tired as we might be of seeing matte black cars at this year’s show, D3′s Le Monstre probably wouldn’t have the same impact if it was in any other shade. The widebody was executed perfectly, giving the CTS-V Coupe the aggressive stance that we’d expect from a 1,001-hp monster. Inside and out, the Cadillac features all of D3′s products, from suspension to power upgrades to drivetrain modifications.
The subtle yellow accents do a fantastic job to contrast the matte black body and a perfect choice and fitment of wheels and tires. We can’t wait to see this thing hit the track.
GALLERY: D3 Cadillac Le Monstre
Toyo Tires recently announced three of their four 2011 SEMA booth vehicles, choosing to keep the fourth one a secret… until now. Toyo Tires has teamed up with D3 Cadillac to show off a special edition 2012 CTS-V Coupe dubbed “Le Monstre” packing in excess of 1,001-hp and 1,001 lb-fts of torque.
D3 Cadillac is well-known for their Cadillac tuning programs, having the world’s only full line of products from power kits to competition track ready suspension kits to fully functional aerodynamic components. Le Monstre features D3′s competition proven powertrain, competition suspension package and complete wide body conversion.
The nickname pays homage to the 1950 Cadillac Coupe Series 61 that was built to compete in the 24 Hours of LeMans. 2011 marks the 61st anniversary since that historic 1950 event.
D3 Cadillac looks forward to putting Le Monstre onto the track in 2012, competing in various Time Attack events and showing off what they can do with the Cadillac platform.
Harold Martin’s V1000 Cadillac CTS-V is one menacing, luxurious coupe. Martin classifies it as an Extreme Elegance vehicle, stating that they focused on new styling and aerodynamics, a tuned exhaust note, acceleration that commands respect from the quickest sports cars in the world, and still offer a refined highway romantic cruiser. We chose to ignore the majority of that gibberish though, opting to only read “1000-hp”.
Best of all, we’ll be able to admire the beauty in person at the upcoming SEMA Show where Martin’s V1000 Coupe will be shown off. The Martin V1000 package outfits the Cadillac CTS-V with a supercharged 7.0L V8 with 1000-hp and 900 lb-ft of torque. Other modifications seen on their display car will be a custom intercooler setup, a full but subtle body kit, a stainless steel high-flow exhaust and 22-inch wheels.
Harold Martin right now is claiming their CTS-V Coupe does 10.9 in the quarter mile and goes 0-60 mph in just 3.5 seconds. They’re currently taking orders for their entire line of custom Cadillac vehicles.
Check out the video of Harold Martin’s 1000-hp CTS-V Coupe after the break.
Cadillac has just released a new commercial, shedding some light on what it feels might be a popular misconception about its new CTS-V Coupe. The car features what are known as “magnetorheological shock absorbers”, which essentially work by having metal particles in the fluid, allowing the onboard computer to control the stiffness of the shocks by adjusting a magnetic field at each end. As a result, they’re the fastest reacting shocks on the market.
As the ad suggests, this technology, while touted as an incredible performance advantage in cars like the Ferrari 458 Italia, was actually invented by Cadillac – and used in cars like the new CTS-V Coupe. That’s really only partly true, however, as magnetic ride shocks first made an appearance in the Corvette, and were later adopted by Ferrari for the 599.
GALLERY: Cadillac CTS-V Coupe
Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe review and watch the video after the jump:
The upcoming Cadillac ATS is expected to slot below the mid-size CTS, and compete with upcoming compact luxury cars. In order to differentiate itself from the CTS, the ATS will get a series of smaller engines, with an Ecotec 4-cylinder or a small V6 (much like the high feature V6, seen above) among the possibilities.
According to sources, the Cadillac CTS-V’s LSA V8 may fit under the hood of the ATS, but with the next BMW M3 getting an inline six engine, the ATS-V will likely get a twin turbo V6 making 380 horsepower, with a choice of 6-speed manual or automatic gearboxes. Unfortunately for Cadillac, their last effort with turbocharging on the SRX crossover was poorly received by everyone but critics. Hopefully the ATS-V provides some redemption, and with current gas prices, the idea of yet another blown V8 is unfathomable.
[Source: Car and Driver]
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What do you do if you’re a bored, successful race driver for an equally successful racing team in between races? You could go fly-fishing, maybe, or you could start practicing early for the next SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge behind the wheel of the Cadillac CTS-V coupe race car.
That’s what Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim, mounting their camera low in the front and taking us for a spin round Utah’s Miller Motorsports Park while they narrate the ins and outs of this tricky track. Perfect for aspiring Gran Turismo obsessives! It’s cold as hell, apparently, but they’re keeping warm inside their Nomex race suits. And that 535-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V8 should heat things up a bit.
The Grand Prix of Utah just wrapped up this past weekend; Andy and Johnny attack Mosport on May 20th at 3pm. For more information, check the Speed World Challenge website.
Cadillac is dropping the option of a 6-speed manual gearbox on their 2012 model year CTS Coupe and Sedan models equipped with the 3.6L V6 engine.
While the high-performance, V8 powered CTS-V range will still give buyers the option to change their own gears, regular versions of the CTS will now have a sole transmission choice, a 6-speed automatic. Interestingly, the base model CTS with the 3.0L V6 will be offered with a stick shift, but this configuration will only be available as a 4-door sedan.
While GM declined to give a reason for nixing the manual, take rates were likely so low that the company couldn’t justify continuing to offer it.
[Source: Inside Line]
Cadillac is back with their web series highlighting the CTS-V Race Car and its quest for victory in the World Challenge series. We’ve already brought you the first 3 episodes and now we have the 4th installment ready to go.
This episode shows the team gearing up for its first real race, and we’re about as excited to watch as the team is to hit the track.
Hit the jump to watch the video
After bringing you pictures of the Cadillac CTS-V Race Car tearing up Sebring Raceway in Florida, we finally have some video to show you. The images are cool, but what you’re really after is the noise from the LSA V8 engine at full blast, sans catalytic converters or mufflers.
In case the 60 second video isn’t enough small-block V8 for you, the car makes its race debut at the World Challenge GT opener on March 25th. We’ll be watching.
Hit the jump to see the video
Lingenfelter is world-renowned for pushing the limits on horsepower and their new engine package for the 2009-2011 Cadillac CTS-V (and new CTS-V Coupe) is no exception to the rule. Providing a turnkey package to CTS-V owners, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering offers 623-rwhp and 617 lb-ft of torque at the wheels in a manual transmission CTS-V.
The performance package is as comprehensive as one can get which includes removing the stock powerplant from the vehicle and overhauling it for extreme power. Much of the work is done in the head, with Lingenfelter’s CNC port & polish while swapping in new valves, valve springs and retainers. Helping aid in producing high end horsepower is Lingenfelter’s GT9 camshaft.
Lingenfelter then focuses on providing additional fuel to go with the extra boost thanks a 2.55-inch diameter steel supercharger drive pulley. New injectors are installed and the entire package is tested to perfection on a dyno with extensive ECM tuning.
The complete package comes with Lingenfelter’s 2 year, 24,000-mile warranty.
Official press release and video available after the break.
Less than a week after the Cadillac CTS-V Race Car took a bow at the Detroit Auto Show, it’s already had its first shakedown at Sebring International Raceway in Florida, and the all-black paint job looks even meaner than the Cadillac livery we saw in person.
Alas, there is no video, but it won’t be long before we can see the CTS-V in person or on television, as the car will be campaigning in the SCCA World Challenge GT championship, with the season opener kicking off in St. Petersburg, Florida on March 25th. The sound of an LSA V8 is already demonic, and we will sacrifice a bit of our hearing if it means listening to the beast roaring at wide-open throttle, sans mufflers.
[Source: Cadillac]
Gallery: Cadillac CTS-V Race Car Test Session
Cadillac‘s entry in the SCCA World Challenge GT series broke cover at the 2011 North American International Auto Show early Monday morning, looking very much like a proper race car.
Sporting Cadillac’s supercharged LS9 V8, the CTS-V Race car looked to have a full rollcage, a proper bucket seat, massive Brembo brakes and steamroller sized wheels and tires.
We expect to know more shortly, but in the mean time, check out our gallery of Cadillac’s CTS-V Racer.
Gallery: Cadillac CTS-V Race Car
Even though we brought you the news nearly a month ago, Cadillac has officially announced that they are campaigning a CTS-V Coupe in the SCCA World Challenge GT series.
With the cars prepped by Pratt & Miller and piloted by Andy Pilgrim and Johnny O’Connell, the CTS-V coupes should give stiff competition to the dominant K-PAX Racing Volvos.
The CTS-V Coupes will make their debut on March 25th at the season opener in St. Petersburg, Florida.
[Source: Cadillac]
Hit the jump for the official press release
We regret to inform you that the subject matter behind the enticing title won’t live up to whatever thoughts are circulating in your head. Rather, Forbes’ list of “Americas Dirtiest Vehicles” has to do with pollution and gas mileage, and is mostly comprised of cars we ourselves would want to own.
Forbes used a variety of factors to determine what qualified for the list, with both carbon emissions and fuel consumption factoring in to the economy. “Heavy Duty” trucks were left off the list, as well performance cars that only get driven on special occasions, like the Ferrari 599 GTO (and, apparently, Mercedes’ AMG lineup).
Hit the jump to see the list for yourself
[Source: Forbes]
Cadillac will return to racing with a two car team in the SCCA World Challenge, echoing previous efforts at LeMans and the former Speed World Challenge series.
The new team will be a factory backed effort fielding two CTS-V Coupes. Drivers and other personnel haven’t been announced yet, but top drivers such as Andy Pilgrim previously piloted the CTS-V sedans that appeared in World Challenge a couple years ago.
GM will also be supporting various teams in the rival Grand-Am series, including those running Camaros in the GS class against their arch rival, the Ford Mustang.
[Source: AutoExtremist]
Cadillac is recalling their 2009 and 2010 CTS and CTS-V models due to a possible leg injury that could be sustained. Dealers will replace the glove compartment piece or even modify the instrument panel structure to make the vehicle compliant.
GM estimated 20,000 cars are affected. The recall is set to begin on or before October 20th.
[Source: NHTSA]