Cadillac CTS-V Challenge: Follow along on Twitter
If you're looking for live updates from the Cadillac CTS-V Challenge, a variety of spectators are tweeting from the Monticello Motor Club. Get the lap times and more information by clicking here to follow along on Twitter.
UPDATE: Top lap times after the jump. We'll continue to update with the best times if you're Twitter-averse
UPDATE 2: Lutz pulls off a 2:58:072 lap on his first run
UPDATE 3: Lutz' best time is 2:56:321. Hired guns and factory hotshoes up next
UPDATE 4: John Heinricy posts a 2:46:560 in the CTS-V
UPDATE 5: Final times added to the list below the fold
UPDATE 6: Video of "The Challengers" added.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
dukeisduke 2:09PM (10/29/2009)
Is John Heinricy there, and if so, is he going to do some laps?
Reply
2buck 2:43PM (10/29/2009)
How about they let him do some laps in the M3 or M5? It would be funny to watch him best his time in the Caddy in a different car.
Jei 3:55PM (10/29/2009)
You know what? That would be interesting. It would be crazy to see how well Heinricy does in a different makers' performance vehicle.
Sal Collaziano 5:06PM (10/29/2009)
2buck, I suppose it's possible he'd beat the CTS-V times in the BMW - but I wouldn't be too sure about it. It wouldn't be all that surprising, to me, to see the M3 do better as it's lighter, smaller and handles better. I doubt he'd beat the CTS-V in the M5, though.
Sal Collaziano
http://www.cadillacowners.com
some1 5:24PM (10/29/2009)
soooo.... 7 CTS-V's
WTF? whats the point of having a challenge if you fill all the ranks with the same car. There should have been 1 CTS-V, and the rest all different models...
John H. 6:23PM (10/29/2009)
@some1: If the other OEMs (Mercedes, Jag, etc.) hadn't begged off, there would have been only 3 CTS-V times: Lutz, JH, and owner Chris from Ann Arbor.
Nice to see that Chris turned a better time than the Jag.
some1 8:43PM (10/29/2009)
they were taking applications from people, not other OEM's
Out of the tons they recieved, i find it hard to believe there werent a few extra's in there aside from CTS-V's
it was rigged to be caddy heavy... greater chance one would be the top dog...
GM wimped out on this one.
ofsoundmind 2:10PM (10/29/2009)
looks like the Caddy hauls around the track quite well.
I recall back many years Chrysler bringing a slew of consumers to a test track and having them run a car (I think it was the Sebring) around head to head against an Accord and a Camry. All declared the chrysler product the winner.
The problem, in my opinion, was that the car was not designed to autocross or track, the target audience was school teachers and librarians, which would then deem the vehicle harsh and uncomfortable..
I wonder if the 'new' Caddilac customer is really going to want to drive a race car?
Reply
HotRodzNKustoms 2:17PM (10/29/2009)
V drivers yes
UCJR 2:18PM (10/29/2009)
For those in the market not for a vanilla CTS, but for the hot-rod CTS-V, yes. They will indeed want to drive around a car that can beat nearly anything else on the road OR track, and still haul the kids to soccer practice after stopping at the grocery.
montoym 2:20PM (10/29/2009)
The ones buying a CTS-V probably won't mind. If you want a cushier ride, don't buy the V.
On the contrary, if you wanted a sportier Sebring, you had no such option.
notYou 2:28PM (10/29/2009)
As an '06 CTS-V owner (FTW! 'cept my boss has an '09 V which is [sigh] better) and an enthusiast in the V community, I can say that your average caddy CTS shopper isn't going to accidentally wind up in a V. It's more than likely going to be purchased by those who want that specific vehicle for all the reasons that it's wearing that V badge.
That said, since the gen2 (09+) came out, there have been the occasional used models turning up for sale with lines like "the wife said it was too fast for her."*
*(hey, _my_ gf romps my '06 and would put the extra 150hp of the '09 to perfectly good use, but unfortunately for the rest of y'all, there's only one of her...)
Dave 2:28PM (10/29/2009)
@montoym
"sportier Sebring"... I LOL'd
Cypher09 2:31PM (10/29/2009)
Right. Just like everyone that buys an M3 buys it for the performance, not because it's perceived as a top of the line 3 series. Come to Long Island and you'll see housewives and realtors driving around in V's, RS6's & M3's. Ask them how they like their car and the 1st thing out of their mouth is that its too rough or too loud.
ofsoundmind 2:31PM (10/29/2009)
I guess it's like my Grand Cherokee SRT-8, or my old Impreza STi.. You don't accidentally buy a hod rod..
But.. My wife loves driving the Jeep.. something about it being fast.. ;-)
Go Caddy!
Tool 3:02PM (10/29/2009)
Automakers hire firms like AMCI to develop test tracks/driving scenarios that will show off the strengths and downplay the weaknesses of the hero vehicle. This is done for both consumer events as well as events for dealership personnel.
I suspect that GM new exactly what it could expect with this competition. I'm glad to see that the BMW M3 did so well.
zamafir 4:15PM (10/29/2009)
@ofsoundmind
so the is-f is designed for school teachers? the rs4? the m3?
just because a lot of people (especially M3 owners as it's now a significant volume seller and not a niche car) buy the top model for bragging rights doesn't invalidate all those who buy cars like this and drive them like they stole them. As evidenced by the cars which showed up.
Chris 4:36PM (10/29/2009)
@Cypher......are you saying that those wealthy women on LI are putting themselves in V's, RS6's & M3's and are complaining about the ride and sound????? Ummm....that doesn't happen....unless their husbands are forcing them to drive it......sorry.
ofsoundmind 4:51PM (10/29/2009)
I was not implying in any way that the Caddy was intended for school teachers, nor saying that top range vehicles can't be performance models. Just commenting on the expectations of the stereotypical caddy buyer and his opinion of a true hot rod version...
As you state, based on the popularity of the M3, RS4, IS-F, it's clear that buyers are indeed after significant amounts of performance.. and I personally couldn't be happier!
The example I gave about the Sebring, based on the perceptions of my fellow AB readers isn't applicable in this situation.. simple enough..
Cypher09 5:17PM (10/29/2009)
@Chris
The evolution of the M3 is proof positive that's whats happening. There are a decent amount of people who buy "performance" variants because they're the most expensive model in the range and therefore since they're more money they must be better at everything. The complainers are the ones that go out an buy an X5M or X6M the next time around.