Road Test
You knew GM had finally gotten serious in 2004 when it offered a Cadillac that only came with a manual transmission.
In a move that probably cost the company quite a few sales to the gridlock-challenged and performance poseurs, the first-generation CTS- V (2004–07) came exclusively with a six-speed stick. Think about that for a minute. The last time a Caddy was offered without an automatic option was in 1942.
What had Cadillac wrought? In our initial road test [March 2004], we informally pitted that first-generation CTS- V against the contemporary BMW M3 and M5. Although that CTS- V lacked refinement and had its share of warts, we were suitably impressed with the GM luxury division’s first serious attempt at building a bona-fide Bavarian-style supersedan. A later comparison [“Executive Adrenalators,” November 2004] placed the CTS- V ahead of a Mercedes-Benz C55 AMG but behind an Audi S4.
Since that first CTS- V, Cadillac has rolled out other V-series products, and each one has solidified and legitimized the future of the very young performance brand. As the first of the V-series products to enter its second generation, the 2009 CTS- V is 4292 pounds of proof that the days of GM letting ordinary cars languish for years and discontinuing performance models just as they achieve a whiff of greatness seem to be in the past. The General now appears committed to evolving product, amellorating flaws, and creating competitive vehicles.
Built upon an evolution of the same Sigma architecture as the original, the CTS- V rides on the same 113.4-inch wheelbase but is fractionally larger in track, width, and length. Despite a couple of weight-saving measures—an aluminum hood and forged aluminum wheels—curb weight is up by a considerable 385 pounds, to a grand total of 4292 for our giant-sunroof-equipped, fully loaded manual-transmission test vehicle. (Fun fact: That’s a mere 109 pounds lighter than the Toyota Highlander in this issue’s SUV comparo.) And yet, like the nearly 4000-pound Nissan GT-R, the Cadillac somehow suspends the laws of gravity.
A big part of the Newtonian bitch slap is the 556-hp, supercharged 6.2-liter V-8. Dubbed LSA, the Caddy engine could be considered a slightly detuned version of the ZR1’s 638-hp LS9, but its titanium-free valvetrain and connecting rods and its conventional wet-sump oil system actually make it more akin to a supercharged version of the standard Corvette 6.2-liter.
Transmitting the power to the road is a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual gearbox that exhibits crisp low-effort shifts and rights the wrongs of the previous generation’s shifter that had the grace of a shoulder popping in and out of its socket. The two-disc clutch offers excellent modulation and light effort that escaped the previous CTS- V. For those who’d rather let the car do the work, there is now an optional six-speed automatic with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
