2009 Cadillac CTS-V blisters Nurburgring
Source: GM Europe
May 13, 2008 - 12:37:42 PM
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In testing at Germany’s Nurburgring, Cadillac’s upcoming new 2009 CTS-V
completed a lap of the legendary Nordschleife in 7:59.32. This blistering time
appears to be the fastest ever publicly documented for a production sedan.
Cadillac is nearing the completion of testing for the highly anticipated
CTS-V, the limited-edition high-performance model based on the award-winning CTS
sport sedan. John Heinricy, director of vehicle integration and an acclaimed
racing driver, piloted the CTS-V through its sub-8 minute lap. The car itself
had no performance modifications outside of those planned for consumer
production, which is scheduled to begin this fall.
Estimated at 550-hp,
the CTS-V is at the moment going through the final stages of intensive testing
and development. One of the realistic objectives of the Cadillac team is to make
the CTS-V the world’s fastest production sedan, as a part of the overall goal to
make the V-Series Cadillac’s ultimate expression of performance and technology.
More updates will be released in the coming weeks as testing is finalized,
including the car’s certified power ratings and acceleration specifications.
Video documentation of the car’s breakthrough Nordschleife performance
will be posted online in the coming days at http://cadillac.gmblogs.com
The eight-minute mark has long
been recognized as a major Nurburgring milestone, reserved for race cars and the
fastest exotic sports cars. While there’s no single official repository for
Nurburgring data from private test sessions, numerous reputable websites and
publications report lap times from race teams, automakers and independent
sources.
The new 2009 CTS-V includes a suite of advanced performance
technologies, including a new version of Cadillac’s acclaimed Magnetic Ride
Control suspension and the LSA 6.2-liter Supercharged V8 engine. For the first
time, CTS-V will include the choice of 6-speed manual or automatic
transmissions, with the new automatic sporting steering wheel-mounted shift
buttons.
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