CADILLAC CTS-V
Determining the competitors for a car Cadillac says is the fastest V8 production sedan in the world is a task for the ages. BMW’s M3 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG come immediately to mind; but they’re so terribly outgunned in terms of outright power and size that the direct comparison fails. One size up, the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG are plenty powerful (although still not as powerful as the Cadillac) but stretch the boundaries of potentially comparable pricing.
And there you have the CTS-V’s claim to fame. Not only is it outrageously fast and ten times better-looking than its predecessor, it also happens to completely lack competitors. A class of its own? Now that carries extra connotations. The CTS-V is a worthy car without the value equation; its low price just helps to make the case.
Complaints The Good Car Guy directed at the regular CTS were laid at the feet of basically one item and one item only: the interior. Not enough has changed in this department, but the $58K CTS-V nearly manages to make the $38K 304-bhp CTS look like a bad deal, anyway. BMW’s M cars and Mercedes’ AMG sedans never managed that feat before.
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Engines: 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque from a supercharged 6.2L V8
City Mileage: est. 15 mpg
Base USD Price: $57,920
Anything Else? Cadillac set a Nurburgring time of 7:59.32, believed to be the fastest ever time for a production sedan around the 12.9-mile German circuit.
scarsi