Cadillac Goes Back to the Track with Its Hotrod CTS-V

Caddy Takes on the Best in the North American SCCA Championships

Over the past few months many automotive manufacturers have been introducing new racing cars in an attempt to gear up for the upcoming racing season. The usual suspects include Ferrari, Porsche and BMW, while Lamborghini is finally getting competitive and even Maserati is back in the game. All have some sort of highly-tuned race prepared vehicle to hopefully dominate their respective classes in the months to come.

What about Cadillac? Since the GM brand left sports prototype competition it hasnt seen any notable visibility on the track. Still, no one outside of racings inner circles could have guessed GMs luxury division would put out a competitive CTS-V. Of course enhancing the marques sporting image is definitely a good idea.

As you may already know, the CTS-V is the super-high performance version of Cadillacs premium import fighter, the CTS. With 400 horsepower under the hood and the ability to out-pace the now legendary M5 at the famed Nürburgring, theres really no better way to get a positive buzz on the street than by stomping all over your most revered competition.

This Caddy will do battle on the track in the North American SCCA championships. GM has signed Max Angelelli and Andy Pilgrim to pilot the car at events such as the Twelve Hours of Sebring, and others.

This isnt the first time GM has hit the touring car scene however, with its Oldsmobile Aurora running in IMSA during the 1996 season. GMs European Opel/Vauxhall and Australias Holden compete in sedan-based series as well.

The CTS-V race-spec car shares little more than a similar exterior shape with the road-going production vehicle however. This is nothing new in motorsport though, with NASCAR and Trans Am entrants following the same format. Though it still features Caddys vertical headlights and tail lamps, plus the wide, deep mesh grille, extended fenders now house wide racing slicks on feather-light alloys, as well a lengthened front lip and high-mount adjustable rear spoiler in order to keep the car stuck to the ground at high-speed. Massive intakes on the hood feed the engine, while side-mounted exhaust tips provide free breathing.

A modified 5.7-liter V8 resides under the hood. Constructed of aluminum and using Caddys best performance know-how, the race team has managed to extract in excess of 500 horsepower, which should be more than enough to propel this domestic sedan to a top speed of 168 mph.