What Cadillac is trying to do with their 2016 CTS-V, is tell the world that you’re not longer making a compromise choosing between their super sedan and whatever comes from those “pesky” German makers.
Yes, it was Cadillac Executive Chief Engineer David Leone himself who told Jay that before they went about building this car, they took a close look at the M5, the E63 AMG and so on, and made sure that every single box was ticked when the time came to launch such an important product.
It’s funny to think about how car manufacturers go and buy cars from their rivals in order to reverse-engineer them for their own benefit. Just imagine those Cadillac people being in awe of the M5’s agility and transmission and then doing their best to challenge it on the road and on the track.
According to Leno, who really enjoyed driving the CTS-V, Cadillac absolutely succeeded in creating a genuine M5-rival. On paper, it’s hard to disagree with that considering how the CTS-V has more power than its rivals – rated at 640 HP & 855 Nm (630 lb-ft) of torque.
It will also hit 60 mph (96 km/h) in 3.7 seconds and max out at around 322 km/h (200 mph), which also happens to be faster than what the M5 can manage (4.2 seconds).
And seeing how it’s cheaper to purchase, why wouldn’t the average super saloon fan buy the CTS-V ahead of anything else in its class?
Of course, some people might choose to stick with the M5 or the E63 simply because of their design. The Caddy’s boxy look might not be to everyone’s liking.