The thought of Cadillac challenging BMW M and Mercedes-AMG used to be preposterous as the brand was focused on turning out luxury barges for your grandfather.
That started to change with the introduction of the CTS in 2002 as it gave the company a foundation on which to base their performance aspirations. The V-Series sub-brand was launched two years later and the rest they say is history.
However, that’s getting ahead of ourselves as the CTS-V.R made its competitive debut at Sebring in March of 2004 and won the race. The company says this “forged a transformative legacy at Cadillac, driven by a symbiotic relationship between the brand’s championship-winning motorsports program and the road vehicles it influenced.”
More: Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Debuts With 6-Speed Manual And More Power Than The BMW M5 CS
The race car was accompanied by the road-going CTS-V, which featured a 5.7-liter V8 developing 400 hp (298 kW / 406 PS) and 395 lb-ft (535 Nm) of torque. While those numbers seen quaint today, the engine was connected to a six-speed manual and this allowed for a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) time of 5.3 seconds.
The V-Series lineup would grow and evolve over the years and the “first-generation” consisted of the CTS-V and STS-V as well as the iconic XLR-V. Today, the lineup consists of the CT4-V / CT4-V Blackwing, CT5-V / CT5-V Blackwing, and Escalade-V.
Since Cadillac has already started to introduce 2024 models, the brand is gearing up to pay tribute to the V-Series. The company is keeping details under wraps, but hinted “new products and features commemorating the 20th anniversary of V-Series are planned over the next 12 months, with more information to be announced throughout this period.”
That isn’t much to go on, but spy photographers recently caught an updated CT5-V Blackwing undergoing testing. The facelifted model is expected to benefit from the usual styling tweaks, but adopt a significantly improved interior that draws inspiration from the Lyriq.
We’ll have to wait and see what the company has up their sleeve, but Cadillac Global Vice President Rory Harvey said “From the racetrack to the road, V-Series has transformed Cadillac and helped redefine performance luxury for thousands of enthusiasts. Over the next 12 months we will celebrate V-Series with a number of significant moments.” Among them will be the brand’s return to Le Mans.
