2005 Cadillac CTS-V

No one can deny that GM's Cadillac Division has engineered an astonishing turnaround of its competitiveness and image, beginning with the edgy, stealth-fighter-looking CTS sedan, and continuing through the XLR roadster, SRX sport crossover and new-for-'05 STS sedan. Those who have driven them or read their reviews will agree that these are seriously good cars and competitive in every way. Even the hulky truck-based Escalade SUV has evolved into a cult classic among A-list athletes and celebrities.

CTS-V wears stainless steel mesh grilles, new aero rockers flowing into a new rear fascia, distinctive V-Series badging and dual oval exhausts.

For 2004, the automatic transmission CTS got even better thanks to an excellent new 255-hp V-6, which extends to all CTS models for 2005. Then this awesome 400-hp Corvette-powered CTS-V joined the party in mid-2004. Imagine, if you can, a defiantly American, ultra-performance sport sedan that goes, corners, steers and stops like a Corvette. And rides like, well, a slightly stiff-legged Cadillac.


First to arrive of Cadillac's high-performance V-Series and one of the first products of GM's two-year-old Performance Division, CTS-V wears stainless steel mesh grilles, new aero rockers flowing into a new rear fascia, distinctive V-Series badging and dual oval exhausts. Like the Corvette Z06, the CTS-V's 5.7-liter V-8 pumps 395 lb.-ft. of tarmac-tearing torque through a 6-speed manual transmission launching it from 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Also like the Corvette, the CTS-V's development engineers tuned its chassis on Germany's legendary Nurburgring racetrack—some 14 miles of 176 death defying turns through Germany's Eiffel Mountains. Unlike the Corvette, the CTS-V seats four adults in comfort (five in a pinch) and packs six airbags for everyone's safety and 12.5 cu.-ft. of trunk for their stuff.


Based on GM's rear-drive Sigma architecture, CTS-V is the most powerful production Cadillac ever built. Cadillac says it carries the division's performance credentials to a new level, providing high-performance driving enthusiasts "a serious, credible alternative to imports in the highly competitive, low-volume luxury performance segment, including the BMW M Series, Mercedes-Benz AMG-Series and Audi S-Series." It has a computer-limited top speed of 163 mph.

Standard are V-specific 7-spoke 18x8.5-inch aluminum wheels and Goodyear P245/45WR18 EMT run-flat tires.

Highlights of CTS-V's 400-hp 5.7-liter cam-in-block aluminum LS6 engine include improved air induction and enlarged dual exhausts for impressive V-8 sound. The engine's lightweight aluminum heads and block enhance the car's excellent power-to-weight ratio and chassis balance with 54/46 percent front/rear weight distribution. To develop and manage all this power and torque while reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the LS6 engine boasts performance modifications including a high-profile camshaft to open the valves faster and higher for more air flow, high-strength pistons for improved durability, especially during high-performance driving, and heavy-duty valves with stiffer springs for improved operation with the high-lift cam.