The third generation Cadillac CTS-V Sedan 2016 with a 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine is the centerpiece of Cadillac’s growing product line, building on the V-Series legacy and leveraging the strength of the award-winning CTS architecture to deliver the most capable V-Series ever – a luxury sedan with sophisticated road handling and unprecedented performance, with true track capability straight from the factory. V-Series represents the very best of the Cadillac brand – the pinnacle of their design, performance and technology that merge in the most substantive products.
The 2016 CTS-V introduces a new supercharged 6.2L V-8 engine SAE certified at 640 horsepower (477 kW) and 630 lb-ft of torque (855 Nm). It’s backed by Cadillac’s paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission featuring launch control and Performance Algorithm Shifting. With more horsepower and torque than the Mercedes-Benz 5.5L biturbo V-8 and the BMW M-series 4.4L TwinPower (twin-turbo) V-8, the new CTS-V is capable of 0-60 performance in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 200 mph.
Track-honed design, chassis and suspension elements complement the supercharged powertrain and elevate CTS-V’s capability, performance and driver control to new thresholds, while enabling track driving without modifications or special procedures. The car is equipped with standard carbon fiber hood and available carbon fiber package, including carbon fiber splitter, hood vent, rear spoiler and rear diffuser for greater aerodynamic performance.
The 2016 CTS-V features Brembo high-performance brake system developed to provide durability, consistency and the capability for track-day performance straight from the factory. The car is fitted with Michelin Pilot Super Sport summer-only tri-compound tires offering excellent grip with extended tire wear.
An interior with high-performance seats and ergonomics focused on the driver’s interfaces with key features for performance driving. Additionally, the CTS-V’s available Performance Data Recorder allows drivers to record high-definition video, with data overlays, of their driving experiences on and off the track, enabling sharing on social media.
The power behind the new CTS-V’s capability is an all-new, more powerful 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine that makes more power more efficiently than the previous Cadillac supercharged engine. It employs a more-efficient, more-compact 1.7L supercharger and matches it with direct injection and Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation).
The supercharger’s rotors are smaller in diameter than the previous supercharged engine, allowing higher maximum rpm – and quicker spin up that enables power-enhancing boost to be generated earlier in the rpm band. That boost is achieved more efficiently via a more direct discharge port that creates less turbulence, reducing heat and speeding airflow into the engine.
The Cadillac supercharged engine also has several unique features designed to support its high output and the greater cylinder pressures created by forced induction, including Rotocast A356T6 aluminum cylinder heads that are stronger and handle heat better than conventional aluminum heads, and lightweight titanium intake valves.
The CTS-V’s complementing eight-speed automatic is tuned for world-class shift-response times. Smaller steps between gears keep the engine within the sweet spot of the rpm band, making the most of the output of the supercharged engine for exhilarating performance and greater efficiency.
The new 8L90 transmission offers full manual control via steering wheel paddles, and Performance Algorithm Shifting to deliver shift performance that rivals the dual-clutch/semi-automatic transmissions found in many luxury performance sedans – but with the smoothness and refinement that come with a conventional automatic fitted with a torque converter.
The CTS’s structure is highly mass optimized and designed to meet higher performance requirements, with enhancements to the V-Series developed to respond to cornering and torque loads that go significantly beyond the levels experienced by the non-V models.
The CTS-V shares the same 114.6-inch (2,910 mm) wheelbase as the CTS non-V-Series models, but features wider front and rear footprints that enhance grip, reduce body motion in turns and contribute to more direct-feeling steering.
Nineteen-inch wheels wrapped with specially developed Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires give the CTS-V its footprint and enable nearly 1g in lateral acceleration. The lightweight, forged aluminum wheels – measuring 9.5 inches wide in the front and 10 inches wide in the rear – are constructed of a low-mass forging that helps reduce un-sprung weight for greater agility and a more direct feel to steering inputs.
Almost every exterior panel on the CTS-V is unique, from the fascias and fenders, to the hood, rear spoiler and rocker moldings – and every one was designed to support the car’s capability, contributing to lift reduction, enhanced cooling or both. A lightweight carbon fiber hood features an air-extracting vent that not only pulls hot air out of the engine compartment, but helps reduce lift at speed by channeling air pulled through the radiator out and over the top of car rather than allowing trapped air to exit under the car.