Autoblog

Top Gear is widely regarded as the best television show ever produced about cars. The production values are outstanding, the hosts are amusing and their tamed racing driver, "the Stig", is amazing to watch as he improves his mind while hustling cars around the test track. A few months back we all got wind that Jeremy, Richard and James had returned to the U.S. for another road trip. This time around they headed to the West Coast to drive a new Corvette ZR1, Cadillac CTS-V and Dodge Challenger SRT-8 from San Francisco to the Bonneville Salt Flats. Along the way, Jezza decided to stop at some desolate spot somewhere in Nevada or Utah to lay down some black lines on the pavement. Now while we generally love to watch Mr. Clarkson playing with fast cars, he doesn't quite seem to have mastered the art of the burnout. If you start about 9 minutes into the first clip after the jump and continue to the second and third videos, you'll see our favorite limey trio attempting to shred their tires during last night's second episode of Series 12 (Download via bittorrent here). Compared to Clarkson in the ZR1, Hammond and May were utterly hopeless in their Challenger SRT-8 and Cadillac CTS-V, respectively. After that, watch the last video with GM's Chris Berube showing us all how it's done properly in both the ZR1 Vette and Caddy CTS-V.

[Source: YouTube]

Over the past two decades, John Heinricy has probably done more to enhance the performance image of General Motors than any other single individual. From the perspective of a petrol-head, Heinricy has for many years held what is probably the coolest job at GM as the director of the Performance division and top-dog test driver. We found out today that Heinricy is retiring after 38 years as an engineer and test driver for GM. In his off time, Heinricy has raced a wide variety of cars at many different levels and captured 11 SCCA national titles. Much of his best known work has been at the wheel of the last several generations of Corvettes along with the Cadillac CTS, but this year he got the most attention for his exploits in the new CTS-V. Specifically, he became the first driver to record a sub-eight minute lap time at the Nurburgring in a production four-door sedan with the new Cadillac CTS-V. When we attended the first track preview of the CTS-V a few months ago, Heinricy was on hand with the record setting car to talk about the big lap. You can check out video of Heinricy's chat and the record lap after the jump.


[Source: Cadillac Driver's Log]

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Cadillac CTS-V

It's been over 60 years since the Americans have so thoroughly trounced the Germans, but Inside Line has the numbers to prove it. The Edmunds news service had a chance to take the new Cadillac CTS-V (which we're driving in upstart New York as we speak) and its supercharged V8 for a spin around GM's Milford proving grounds and brought along its testing gear. The resulting bombardment ought to have the Germans thoroughly embarrassed and rebuilding for decades to come.

The CTS-V ran the quarter-mile in a scant 12.5 seconds, besting the 12.7 it takes for either the BMW M5 or the Mercedes E63 AMG. Getting back to a standstill was another hit to the Bimmer and the Benz, with the Caddy stopping from 60-0 mph in 109 feet – five feet less than it takes the M5 and six shorter than the AMG. And if you're thinking that brakes and power are easy to upgrade and that the Cadillac couldn't possibly best the Germans on the handling course, think again: the CTS-V ran the slalom at 71.1 mph, while the M5 and E63 ran it in 68.5 and 65 mph respectively. Deutschland über alles indeed.

[Source: Inside Line]

Click above for a photo gallery of the Cadillac CTS-V

Last week, we reported on a Top Gear piece that indicated Cadillac would not be sending the CTS-V super-sedan to Europe. Cadillac contacted us with some corrections and clarifications, which we now deliver to you. First, the CTS-V is going to Europe. That fantasy matchup in the likes of Auto Motor und Sport that pits it against the likes of the M5, RS6 and the AMG E-Class is bound to happen after all. Top Gear's complaint centered around the UK-market's particular situation. You see, the CTS-V is not going to Blighty in right-hand-drive form. The V-Series car is only being produced with the steering wheel on the left side of the IP, though the company STILL can (and intends to) offer a limited number of CTS-V sedans in the UK in LHD configuration, according to Caddy spokesman David Caldwell. This could be duplicated in other RHD markets as well, save for Australia, where apparently, the regulations are such that left-hand-drive vehicles are simply not an option. We won't shed a tear for Australia, though. They have plenty of cool stuff that we won't see either.

So, to sum up: the CTS-V will be exported. Europe will see it, and so might the UK, but with the steering wheel on the "wrong" side (as far as they're concerned).


[Source: Cadillac]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V.

UPDATE: Never mind. Hunting season is very much back on. Click here for details.

Cadillac's wicked new CTS-V may have the likes of the BMW M5 in its sights, but it appears that it won't be hunting down the best that Munich, Stuttgart and Ingolstadt have to offer on their Autobahn home turf. According to Top Gear, Caddy's U.S. minders don't think the V's blown V8 is good for Europe, so the car apparently won't be making the boat trip across the Atlantic. Unfortunate, as it would have been interesting to see how America's ultimate muscle sedan would have fared when euro journos pitted it against all the hometown favorites. Sure, we'll see comparos done Stateside, but it would have been fun to see Cadillac put on the "away" jersey to try and add some luster to that long-tarnished "Standard of the World" mantle against Europe's top performance machines -- including the ones we don't see here, like the new Audi RS6.


[Source: Top Gear]

Click above to view video after the jump

The message was somewhat short and therefore cryptic: "This is video we shot of the CTS-V driving some hot laps at the GM Proving Grounds in Milford, MI." Our curiosity sufficiently piqued, we clicked the link and watched the vid. What we saw was the new 2009 Cadillac CTS-V being manhandled around Milford. With a running commentary by the driver, the new mid-size supersedan can be seen blasting around Milford at quite alarming speeds. The deep bellow of its 556-hp supercharged 6.2L LS9-derived LSA V8 is amazing. The video is perhaps not as inspiring as the 7:59.32 run around the Nordschleife, but is still quite the spectacle. Actually, it might not even be as exciting as our own video of a recent ride in one at Milford, but it's always fun to see the CTS-V move in a way that belies its bulk and reminds us that American automakers really can build world-class cars. Check out the full 3-minute YouTube video after the jump.


[Source: GM]

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

We thought Bentley's announcement earlier today that it's adding a Speed model to the Continental Flying Spur lineup was exciting news for sedan fans. After all, a 600bhp saloon that can hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and reach 200 MPH is pretty exciting, no? Not really when compared to Cadillac's news that the 2009 CTS-V will officially be rated at 556 horsepower, hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and run the quarter mile in 12 seconds flat. No offense to Bentley, but a sub-3-second sedan is about as exciting as it can get on a Monday. For the record, the Edmunds' Straightline Blog reports that the sport sedan's 6.2L supercharged V8 will produce 556 hp at 6,100 rpm and 551 pound-feet of torque at 3,800 rpm. That engine is the LSA, derived from the new Corvette ZR1's LS9 motor and detuned for duty in the CTS-V. Fortunately, the LSA wasn't detuned too much and the '09 CTS-V should destroy its German competition, specifically the BMW M5 with its - can't believe we're saying this - relatively meager 500-hp 5.0L V10.

UPDATE: Official press release added after jump.

[Source: Edmunds' Straightline Blog]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Cadillac CTS-V at the 'Ring.

GM is pretty pleased with the Cadillac CTS-V's 7:59.32 run around the Nurburgring, and the crew on the ground had the foresight to strap a few video cameras to the supercharged sedan to capture every second of John Heinricy's sub-eight-minute lap. The General is quick to point out that no modifications were made to the CTS-V to aid in its domination of the Green Hell. The tires were stock and the only bits not available on the options list through Caddy are the fire-suppression system, harness bar and six-point seatbelt . While the additional equipment added a few more pounds, it's obvious that it didn't hinder performance. Hit the jump for proof.

Click above for more shots of the CTS-V on the 'Ring

The badassery going in inside the supercharged LSA V8 stuffed under the domed hood of the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V appears to translate well on the Nordschleife's graffiti-marked tarmac. GM announced today that John Heinricy exercised his right to life, liberty and the pursuit of a record time by wheeling a CTS-V with production-spec performance mods around the Nürburgring's north loop in 7:59.32, which is believed to be the "fastest documented lap time" for a production sedan. Even if that turns out not to be the case, it's pretty freakin' fast. GM shot video of the whole thing, which should be released in the coming days. Somewhere, Nissan engineers with furrowed brows are shoving the GT-R's 3.8L V6 into a G35 sedan...


[Source: GM]

From the Mustang to the Viper and Veyron, Hennessey Performance has spread its abilities across the performance car spectrum. And with hi-po vehicles like the IS F, ZR1, and GT-R on their way to buyers' garages, John Hennessey says he is working on packages to make all of those cars even higher-po.

The IS F looks to be the first in line, with the experiment subject arriving at Hennessey's shop next week. The car will be a test bed for "headers, exhaust and air induction systems first. Then maybe a blower." He's also got his eye on the baddest boy Corvette ZR1, for which his website advertises "700+ HP coming soon!" The physics-defying GT-R is in the crosshairs as well, and if he can make it better than it already is, that would be among the best testaments for his services.

Coming down just a notch -- but still up there -- the Cadillac CTS-V and Camaro will get their chances for glory as well. While all of this sounds great, what we really hope is that none of this extra work causes Hennessey not to give us the Venom. That's the package we are truly dying to see.

[Source: Inside Line]