Last year, the CTS-V 4-door sedan managed to generate quite a bitof interest among motorheads, especially since it was launched as the ‘world's fastest sedan'. The little monster is back now in the form ofa sports coupé.
Fussed about speed
I've often wondered why speed is emphasised to such an extent that it becomes the vehicle's only selling point. We often come across cars that manage the fastest lap times around circuits such as the Nürburgring, which according to a lot of enthusiasts, is a measure of how good a car really is. I hate to be a spoilsport, but I tend to differ in my opinion about how a car is to be judged.
I believe that speed is important, especially for performance cars, but I also feel that it shouldn't be the most important criterion, because we tend to overlook other aspects that contribute to fine motoring. It's like audiophiles who are so obsessed with how well their equipment performs that they forget the purpose for which it is intended in the first place - to enjoy the music.
There's nothing wrong in super-duper performance, but at some point the focus tends to shift away from enjoyment and the feel factor.
Feel to the fore
Coming back to speed, I think the reason it is so emphasised these days is because it's easily measurable. You can conveniently compare two cars using speed as a reference. But it's quite impossible to compare cars using ‘driving feel' as a factor because it's so subjective and there isn't an instrument to measure it. So when a bloke who loves his car says "I love the way my car feels like to drive", his friend, whose priorities are different, might just respond, "Yeah, but mineis faster".
Motoring is primarily about the way the automobile drives and handles itself. Not all great cars are fast andnot all fast cars are great. Which iswhy I liked the way the CTS-V coupé was introduced this year as a good sports coupé without all the emphasis on speed.
Power packed
The 2011 CST-V coupé comes with a supercharged 6.2 litre V8 engine in a rear-wheel drive configuration. It has 556bhp at 6,100rpm and 747Nm of torque at 3,800rpm. It's a killer spec in terms of performance and for its price tag, it can give most of its rivals a shiver. However, what I was more interested in was how well it drove with all this speed and with two fewer doors than its sibling.
A look inside out
The interiors look just like the CTS-V sedan and the steering wheel now comes with a more comfy Alcantara cover. The doors open up using a touch pad interface from the outside and with a button from the inside. Very electronic in terms of operation, but there is a manual override lever near the bottom of the seats just in case. It reminds me of the Caddy's cousin, the legendary Corvette.
The rear seats are spacious enough to accommodate two adults and the overall build quality seems good. The Bose sound system is not bad either - a little boomy, but it gets the job done.
In terms of exterior design, the car does look intimidating and aggressive - a ‘batmobile' kind of look at first glance. The tail lights especially look quite unique and add to the car's bold road presence.
The wheel designs could have been a bit more artistic if you ask me, especially with all the modern designs that most premium carmakers bring out these days.
The drive
One of the first things I noticed about this car is that it felt exactly how the CTS-V felt in terms of handling and acceleration. The V8's power and torque are so enormous that the two extra doors on the CTS-V sedan don't really make any difference in terms of practical performance and speed.
The 2011 CTS-V coupé is all about acceleration and 3.9 seconds is all it takes to do a 0-100km/h sprint.
The Supercharged V8 churns out so much power that the chassis feels like it may not be able to keep up with it. The car feels very stable and composed on straight roads, even at high speeds. The steering could have been a bit tighter for this type of car, because it gives the driver a heightened sense of control, especially when taking the car around curves.
The rear-wheel drive power train is well composed and tight and has the right amount of oversteer for a fun-filled ride. In addition, the Performance algorithm-driven six-speed auto transmission with paddle shifters really suits the rough-riding nature of this car. The CTS-V also comes with Brembo brakes and Michelin Summer Performance tyresas standard.
The suspension system in this Cadillac is something that the manufacturers are very proud of and it's called the ‘Magnetic Ride Control', which is a fast-reacting suspension technology. The ride adjustments can be chosen from among two options: Sport and Tour. The overall feel of the suspension was firm and sporty, although I did not really sense a difference between the two modes while driving. This is quite common in sports coupés where the prime characteristic of the suspension cannot really be changed to that of a luxury sedan with the touch of a button, but yeah, it might ease it up a little and the difference is not very obvious.
Final thoughts
Overall, I think the CTS-V coupé is a nice car to have. It's got most of the gadgetry and innovations that a modern car should have and it tops it up with performance. I'm not really sure how I would rate it in terms of reliability since it's a new entry, but in these segments, maintenance costs are usually not high and not really something to fret about.
The CTS-V coupé isn't just about speed. The above-average build quality and ride feel combined with a thrilling performance at this price point is what makes it an attractive choice.
- Philip Shane is a Dubai-based motoring enthusiast and a member of the Guild of Motoring Writers, UK
