Cadillac’s CTS was introduced as part of the luxury brand’s charge back to the circle of the automotive elite.  The CTS plugged a sporty gap in the lineup, offering an American challenger to sport-luxury sedans from BMW and Audi.  And just in case you have trouble taking the notion of a hot-rod Cadillac seriously, the CTS is going racing.  As the summer begins, the CTS-V race car is already mixing it up against BMWs, Dodges, Fords and Porsches in the Speed World Challenge series.

The V8-powered racer has also spawned a roadgoing version, the CTS-V.  The CTS-V looks unassuming at a glance, except for its special grille, but under the hood it’s packing a 400 horsepower V8 borrowed directly from Chevy’s Corvette.  It’s the most powerful production Cadillac ever.  With additional suspension enhancements, the CTS-V offers BMW-grade performance goodness combined with all-American noises.

Not surprisingly, the 5.7 liter V8 under the hood wakes the CTS-V’s performance right up, and the power on tap comes on with a healthy dose of delicious noise.  The LS6 engine is racetrack-proven, and offers an aluminum block, revised induction system for better breathing, and a re-tuned exhaust.  The result is 400 horsepower and a free-revving V8 that will spin past 6000 rpm.   The CTS-V uses a full dual exhaust system.  To keep things somewhat more Cadillac-like than the average Corvette, a special nylon cover on top of the engine mutes the mechanical noises from within–but not by much, and that’s a good thing.  A six-speed Tremec manual transmission is also borrowed from the Vette, and hooked up to a stronger driveshaft and CV joints, to keep the CTS-V from tearing itself to bits.   The result is a sedan that blasts off so strongly you’ll expect the windshield to peel off.  Like BMW’s M3, the CTS-V is docile in traffic, but feels like a wolf on a leash.

Forget any skepticism about the CTS-V being a performance pretender, Cadillac has done its homework and its track-work.  The handling is taut, and the reflexes are instantaneous. A thicker, hydroformed front suspension and engine cradle are there to handle the additional weight, and stiffer springs and stabilizer bars are used all the way around.  There’s a cross-car shock tower brace to improve vehicle stiffness.  The CTS-V hits the street with 18″ wheels, too.  A more precise steering rack and European-spec elastometric bushings improve the feel of the car on the road.  Behind the wheels are hefty Brembo brakes.  Traction control and stability control are included, with driver-selectable settings to increase or limit the level of electronic assistance offered.

The slightly tweaked design includes a stainless steel wire-mesh grille, which doesn’t do much for the CTS-V’s looks but instantly separates it from the Venetian-blind grille of the standard CTS.  The angular looks are familiar, but the CTS-V incorporates a bunch of subtle revisions, including a lower front air intake with brake cooling ducts, two-piece rocker moldings, and a lowered rear fascia.  What little chrome trim there was is blacked out, except for the grill.  The big seven-spoke wheels are flangeless, and look like racing wheels.  The CTS-V is available only in silver and black; would-be challengers are advised to look out for the black, red and gold “V” badge.

The only letdown is the interior.  The CTS-V gets cool suede-like inserts on the seats and aluminum trim on the steering wheel, but otherwise the avalanche-of-plastic dash isn’t much fun to look at.  The seats are heavily bolstered and comfortable, and there’s a unique instrument cluster with chrome trim, but it still doesn’t look much like a $50,000 car, which it is.

Cadillac hopes to market more “V-Series” models in the future.  If they’re anything like the CTS-V, we can’t wait.  The CTS-V is in production now, with a sticker price of $49,995.  That’s a significant premium over the $31,185 base CTS.  It’s worth it.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2004 Cadillac CTS-V, which we tested.
Length:     191.5 in.
Width:        70.6 in.
Height:        57.3 in.
Wheelbase:    113.4 in.
Curb weight:    3847 lb.
Base price:    $49,995
Engine:     5.7 liter V8
Drivetrain:     six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Horsepower:     400 @ 6000
Torque:     395 @ 4800
Fuel capacity:    17.5 gal.
Est. mileage:

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