First Impressions

BMW has M; Mercedes-Benz has AMG; for Audi, it’s RS. And now, finally, Cadillac’s V series is fully realized…bolstered in part by the new ATS-V. But the gourmet bread and butter has always been the bigger, nastier CTS-V. And 2016 sees its third generation hammer the pavement like never before.

The pounding starts, naturally, under the hood, where a new 6.2 liter supercharged V8 rockets 640 horsepower through an 8 speed automatic. Magnetic Ride Control gets revamped, keeping things rock solid in corners. A Performance Traction Management system allows track junkies to dial in – or out –however much assistance they desire.

A carbon fiber hood shaves weight off the front end, and an optional carbon fiber package further sheds it throughout the body. Caddy claims a 0-60 time of under 4 seconds, putting the CTS-V more in competition with a Hellcat than an M5.     

But inside, you’ll see that the CTS-V hasn’t forgotten its true luxury aim. Well-bolstered Recaros hug you close, but the rest of the motif is ultra-plush. Apple’s CarPlay system debuts here, as well, but we’ll need a full test for a proper ruling on that.

On sale now, the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V stickers around $85,000.