Five-Point Inspection: 2012 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

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.

What do the Nissan GT-R, Audi R8, Lamborghini Gallardo, Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Porsche 911 all have in common? They make less power than the Cadillac CTS-V.

With a supercharged V8 engine, the V makes a whopping 556-horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to deliver a 0-60 time of just 3.9 seconds. With every tap of the throttle, it lets loose a storm of acceleration and sound, and gets moving in a way that’s unbelievable for a car of its size.

It overwhelms with the thrill of the power and the noise it brings, and is a truly exciting experience. Put your foot down and it feels like a time machine, as every car around you seems to slow down while you sprint ahead of them.

There are a few details on the CTS-V Coupe that stand out in a beautiful way, like the gorgeous black rims with yellow brake calipers, or the bad-ass looking center-exit rear tailpipes. Of course there’s also the cool looking mesh front grille that’s associated with past V-series Cadillacs.

However, it’s impossible to ignore the CTS-V with its obnoxious fender flares and hood bulge, like a championship bodybuilder, all oiled up and showing off its muscles.

It may be a luxurious coupe, but all those outside the car will see is your need to show off.

Yes the CTS-V has more power than many other supercars, but it also can handle pretty well, on the track. Make no mistake, the CTS-V features a pretty sophisticated magnetic ride control suspension, which makes the ride soft, or stiff at the drivers whim.

While the suspension is good, it can’t make up for the overall mass of the CTS-V. At more than 4,000 lbs, the CTS-V has a lot of juggling to do with the cars massive weight and tons of power. It’s not very inspiring on city streets, but the CTS-V can hustle on the highway.

While all that power can easily get away from you in an urban environment, there’s no doubt that the Cadillac can handle a track. Many of the same suspension and power-train bits are at work in the (still 4,000lb) Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, which we competed to a second overall finish in a SCCA time-attack series, proving that GM knows how to make a street-legal racecar.

When it comes to vehicle controls, the CTS-V is confused. Despite having keyless entry, and ignition, there isn’t a push-button start. Instead, it has a little nub (and a cheap looking one at that) that represents a key in the ignition. You twist it and the engine roars to life. While this does maintain the analogue experience of starting a vehicle, matching other raw aspects of the V like the heavy clutch and shifter, it’s completely unlike other vehicle traits.

For example, the parking brake is handled by a dainty little button that you push or pull to operate. The door handles are again, little buttons hidden behind a pocket of sheet-metal. This odd combination of future-forward and old school bits makes for a strange package.

If you think a Cadillac CTS-V Coupe might be right for you, visit the AutoGuide new cars buying page.

To jump right to the options available from Cadillac, and to spec out a ride specifically for you, click here. If you want to go straight to the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, click here.