Cadillac has revealed the official power and performance figures for the 2009 CTS-V high-performance sport sedan, which aims to be the fastest in the world when it goes on sale this year.
Having just completed a record lap around Germany's famous 13.9-mile Nürburgring race course, the CTS-V's supercharged V8 is now certified to produce 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque, Cadillac chief engineer Dave Leone said Monday.
"Our goal was to build the fastest V8 sedan in the world, and we think we've achieved that," Leone said.
Ace GM development driver John Heinricy recently circled the track in 7 minutes and 59 seconds, establishing what General Motors Corp. said it thinks is a record for a production car. A video of the lap is posted at
www.gmnext.com.
The famous track runs through hills and forest about 40 miles south of Cologne, near Germany's western border. Constructed in 1927, it was the site of many high-profile races for decades until Formula One racing abandoned it as too long and dangerous.
Anyone can pay a fee to race around the narrow, twisting course today. Porsche and BMW have used it as a benchmark for their highest-performance models for decades. Cadillac began testing there a few years ago when it launched a new family of cars to compete with top European luxury and performance models.
GM now tests regularly at Nürburgring, which provides handling challenges no course on Earth matches.
The 2009 CTS-V features a supercharged 6.2-liter version of GM's small-block V8 engine and six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.
GM also developed a new version of its adaptive magnetic ride control suspension to provide the CTS-V with a soft and comfortable ride in day-to-day driving and maximum road-holding when pushed to the limit.
The 2009 CTS-V goes on sale in October. No price has been announced.
Detroit Free Press
By Mark Phelan
June 10, 2008
