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Detroit 2008: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V revealed with 550 HP




Our friends over at Jalopnik say the CTS-V is officially fair game now, so here we go. Now that the second generation Cadillac CTS is on the streets and garnering largely positive reviews for its looks, performance and handling dynamics, the time has come to turn it up a notch. The 2008 Detroit Auto Show will bring us the second generation high-performance CTS-V model. Just as the original 2004 version used an engine derived from the top Corvette of the time, so too does the new model. The 2009 CTS-V leap-frogs its chief competitor - the BMW M5 - with GM's new LSA V8 derived from the LS9 in the Corvette ZR1.


The goal of the CTS-V development team was to create a car with the poise and sophistication of the best luxury sedans melded with the outstanding performance of a high sports car. To achieve that they installed the supercharged 6.2L V-8 with an output of 550 horsepower and 550 lb-ft of torque into a heavily upgraded chassis and then went about dressing up both the interior and exterior to match. Read all about the new CTS-V after the jump.


Given that Cadillac plans to offer the new CTS-V in overseas markets for the first time, they felt they had to up their game in order to compete with the likes of the M5 and the AMG E63. The new engine offers so much more torque at all speeds than the V10 in the M5 that driveability should be much better regardless of whether the manual or automatic transmission is installed. For those who prefer to handle the gear selection process on their own, the same Tremec 6060 used in the ZR1 is paired up with a dual plate clutch. The dual plate clutch provides the necessary torque capacity with a lower pedal effort.


Drivers who spend more of their time stuck in traffic jams or who just prefer two-pedal driving will be able to select the Hydramatic 6L90 six-speed automatic. For those times when you feel like being a Schumacher, tap shifting is available either through the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters or with the console shift lever. The automatic also has driver selectable shift modes including a Performance Algorithm that changes the shift points and firmness based on the driving conditions that are measured from vehicle sensors.

Nineteen-inch wheels are used at both axles with 9-inch wide units used in front, 9.5-inch in the rear. The wheels are wrapped in customized Z-Rated Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires. Another place where the CTS-V borrows from the ZR1 (and before that the STS) is the use of Magnetic Ride Control. The dampers filled with magneto-rheological fluid are adjusted based on sensor readings that happen at 1ms intervals. Of course, all of this fancy hardware needs a stiff chassis to push back against. To help accommodate this, a massive aluminum cross-brace connects the front strut towers.

Any tire only offers its maximum grip within a narrow range of slip. Not enough and you don't move. Too much and the wheels just spin helplessly. To keep the tires working at their best, the Performance Traction Management uses the same sensors normally used for stability control, but the control is optimized to get the most performance out of the powertrain. The control algorithms used by the PTM were developed during the CTS-V race program over the last few years.



Sooner or later every car has to slow down and here Brembo again comes to the rescue. Like the ZR1, six-pot Brembo calipers do the work up front with four-piston units at the back. In this case, though, the 15-inch front and 14.7-inch rear composite rotors are made of steel with aluminum hubs and slotted surfaces instead of carbon ceramic.

Following the pattern of previous V-Series Cadillacs the CTS-V gets a mesh grille to set it apart visually, but it doesn't end there. That powerhouse engine and the cross-brace need some extra head-room, which is provided by a bulging hood. On the inside, 14-way adjustable Recaro seats keep the driver firmly planted in front of the steering wheel. Those seats, along with the shifter and steering wheel, are wrapped in a micro-fiber material that looks like suede but is easier to keep clean and isn't sensitive to moisture. As the top end CTS, the V also has all the expected luxury goodies including a Bose digital audio system with a 40GB hard drive and a navigation system.

The new CTS-V goes on sale this fall, but until then you can check out these pics provided by GM until we meet this crazy Caddy in person next week.