Nissan's GT-R recently raised some eyebrows by lapping the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife in a tidy 7 min 29 seconds, just barely missing the record held by the Pagani Zonda F. And now Cadillac, once known for its bewinged boulevardier behemoths, has stepped into the Green Hell. Caddy's 542 hp CTS-V emerged with a 7 min 59 second lap time, a feat claimed as the best ever for a production four-door car. Of course, everyone knows production-spec cars are strictly for suckers. So what's the fastest four-door to ever lap the 'ring? According to Wikipedia's list of Nordschleife times, it's a BMW X5 LM: a limited edition sport ute with a Le Mans racer V12 shoved under the hood. Back in 2005, that bad boy clocked a 7:50 lap. For reference, the CTS-V's 7:59 is the same as a Viper SRT-10, Carrera 997S, R33 Skyline GT-R, and STi Spec C. Quite what all this has to do with luxury cars is not clear, but it's good to be King. Isn't it?
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Hopefully they can build off of this achievement and use it as a stepping stone to becoming the “Standard of the World” once again. Although I have heard that they don’t even have a new V8 in the pipeline so hoping Cadillac once again becomes the Standard of the World is extremely wishful thinking
Now if GM will allow the engineers of their other cars/trucks/suvs to make improvements without penny-pinching them to death and invoking the marketeers at every decision…
Good for GM. This represents one small step in the right direction while the company keeps leaping backwards.
An X5 has the record?
Maybe someone should slip the LM engine into a 5 or 3…
Aside from the tacky chrome trim and mesh GM festooned this car with it looks to be a complete knock-out.
This just goes to show you that Detroit does have some world class engineers! I’v always liked the CTS.
But I can’t help but think that the CTS-V (and maybe the CTS, for that matter) would be better off under the Pontiac marque? It seems to make more sense, since the CTS and CTS-V are engineered toward performance (i.e stronger chassis, tighter brakes and stiffer suspension) and that is what the Pontiac brand (supposedly) about.
But I can’t help but think that the CTS-V (and maybe the CTS, for that matter) would be better off under the Pontiac marque? It seems to make more sense, since the CTS and CTS-V are engineered toward performance (i.e stronger chassis, tighter brakes and stiffer suspension) and that is what the Pontiac brand (supposedly) about.
I’ve always thought Caddy should be BMW with attitude and Pontiac is cheap power.
That’s exactly what GM is doing with Cadillac, pitting it against BMW and BMW’s M cars with Cadillac’s V cars.
Props to Caddy – the lap was also not done by a professional race drive but an excecutive with the GM performacne division. Nice to see that some of their excecs still know how to drive.
A $60,000 Pontiac? Yeah, that would sell like hotcakes… the Phaeton would be a runaway sales success in comparison. Using their own tagline against them, Pontiac seems to be more about “attitude” (i.e. tacked-on plastic) than real performance. Aside from the Aussie-derived G8, which could just as well be sold as an Impala, is there any justifiable reason to maintain the Pontiac brand?
I would love to see Cadillac put the energy they devoted into defying physics to make a world beating sports saloon into enough energy to make a world class luxury car that simply out does every other brand there is (or at least matches Rolls/Bently at an Audi price).
Does anyone care what time a Rolls Royce posts on the Nurburgring?
That’s what Cadillac used to be.
That’s why this is a travesty.
WTF does making a car that can lap the Ring in under 8 minutes have to do with the mission that Cadillac is saddled with?
BMW & MB may be able to convince folks that a 5000lbs car that car attain a top speed of 180mph is luxurious but come on folks Cadillac’s future success will totally be determined by how it does in the USA luxury car market. Like it or not outside of the opinions of a few pistonhead that review these cars the target consumer for Cadillac of any age bracket does NOT care about how fast their car can lap the Ring.
What we DO care about is how well constructed the car is and how luxurious it is. For Cadillac to win this game GM needs to produce cars that are “nicer” than the competition. No one will care if the CTS is faster than a Lexus if the Lexus looks and feels richer than the Cadillac. Which is the case today.
just when gasoline is hitting $4 a gallon. fabulous timing indeed.
interesting, i guess caddy has chosen bmw instead of lexus as their primary competition. i’m not sure that was wise, as several folks have said, caddy has always been more a cruiser than a cruise missile. and ed, kinda harsh on the DTS, can you imagine piloting a DTS at 10/10 around the ring? it would take some might large huevos.
http://www.cadillac.com/09ctsv/
Look at the car inside and out, if you’ve driven one you know the new CTS is well trimmed, well built, well behaved and a great all around car.
There’s no way I would take a Lexus IS over a standard CTS and the IS-F wouldn’t even be on my radar compared to the CTS-V.
It’s one American car that requires no apologies and takes no prisoners. Like the TTAC caption says, it makes America proud again.
It’s called a halo car. It is a serious performance sedan designed to bring attention to the Cadillac division. Exactly what it is doing!
Hopefully they can build off of this achievement and use it as a stepping stone to becoming the “Standard of the World” once again.
This slogan was derived from the fact that Cadillac motors had been assembled using interchangeable parts.
That was a big deal back in 1908, when Cadillac won the Dewar trophy for this then-impressive degree of technical innovation. Today, not so much.
the lap was also not done by a professional race drive but an excecutive with the GM performacne division. Nice to see that some of their excecs still know how to drive.
Look for him to be forced into early retirement. Most companies, not just GM, are good at that.
All joking aside…wicked sedan.
That GM executive was John Heinricy, multiple SCCA National Champion in all sorts of cars with big V8’s driving fat rear tires…..
In my opinion Cadillac is on the right track to be an American BMW or Audi and not follow the more sedate path of Lexus. Either path is difficult but GM is actually making great strides with Cadillac. The DTS can carry the flag for the remaining traditional buyers, but following the performance path with engaging products will differentiate Cadillac from old school American luxury, which really should be Buick. So, kudos for Cadillac. Just keep the GM Cheapness department at bay. Everything the driver touches must be of top quality. If you have to charge another $100 bucks, do it. It is always disappointing to read about how great the car is but how this or that is cheesy. GM, hold the cheese please and keep Cadillac on this track. Set your sights on Audi…even if you get to 9/10’s of that goal you have succeeded…
The DTS can carry the flag for the remaining traditional buyers, but following the performance path with engaging products will differentiate Cadillac from old school American luxury, which really should be Buick
The problem with this line of reasoning is that only GM automotive fans will buy this arguement yet for the most part will NEVER buy a DTS! Before GM can assign a marketplace role to a product they need to have consumers to buy it! The fact of the matter is, for the price a DTS hase very limited appeal and value. Come on, the DTS is a freakin livery cab/ rental car and the entire Buick brand is also rental fodder.
Cadillacs problem is that it has forgotten what American luxury actually is/was. When the majority of Americans shop for a luxury car that first and foremost priority is “luxury” NOT sport. Caddy will NOT win this game if their cars are faster and handle a curve better than a lexus but feel less luxurious on the inside and out compared to a Lexus (Lexus is just a general example).
IT IS EASY TO MAKE A CAR FAST! Not so to make a serious luxury car. Cadillac can use all the wood, leather, and chrome they want but if they do NOT get their act together about how they ASSEMBLE their cars they will continue to be an also ran selling cars that look like crap in 3 years and are all but worthless.