Category Archives: Cadillac Models

US could get Diesel Cadillac CTS after all? Diesel saves the V8 Caddy?

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In Europe later this year Cadillac plans to incoporate the VM Motori designed 2.9L Turbo diesel engine  into the Cadillac CTS, CTS Coupe, and CTS Sport Wagon for European consumption.  It looks like a nice powerplant, and at 250hp output certainly will not be a slouch.

Here in the US we have a different market.  Here, diesel fuel is quite a bit more expensive than premium unleaded gas.   There is no tax benefit to use of diesel.   It has seemed unlikely that GM would bring the 2.9L Turbo diesel here to the US.

Motor Trend today brought us a new Rumor however — why not throw the 4.5L Duramax Diesel engine into the CTS, put the CTS-V hood on so that it would fit, and sell that in the US?  The new 4.5L V-8 diesel is expected to deliver more than 310 horsepower (231 kW) and 520 lb-ft of torque (705 Nm), while delivering a 25-percent engine fuel efficiency improvement versus comparable gasoline engines.  Note that is MORE hp than the direct injected 3.6L optional engine in the current CTS.

4.5L Duramaxx Turbo Diesel V8

4.5L Duramaxx Turbo Diesel V8

The new dual-overhead cam, four-valve V-8 diesel engine boasts a number of innovative design approaches that have enabled its compact size and mass, including integral aluminum cylinder head exhaust manifolds, integral cam cover intake manifolds and a narrow V-angle block. The new V-8’s compact size enables it to fit within the same space of a small-block V-8 gasoline engine and offers GM the flexibility to introduce it in a wide variety of vehicles to meet market demand.

“This premium diesel engine is expected to deliver the power, torque and refinement our customers expect,” said Tom Stephens, executive vice president, GM Global Powertrain and Global Quality.  Of course he meant truck customers, but I think this is a VERY viable engine for the CTS.

The new V-8 diesel will be GM’s first engine to use a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) NOx after-treatment system with a diesel particulate filter to help achieve Tier 2 Bin 5 and LEV 2 emissions, making it compliant in all 50 states. SCR was chosen for its proven NOx reduction capability and durability, and high efficiency while operating in optimal diesel combustion modes, making it a very attractive system to achieve high fuel economy.

The environmental benefits of the new engine include a 13-percent reduction in CO2 emissions and at least a 90-percent reduction in particulates and NOx compared to many diesel vehicles today.

Would the US Cadillac CTS customers be willing to get improved acceleration and performance at the expense of having to fill up with Diesel?  I would.

Clarkson on the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V: buy it and blast through the recession

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Someone at the Times of London has written a meandering but fundmentally positive review of the new Cadillac CTS-V and then signed Jeremy Clarkson’s name to it.  Jeremy Clarkson is an English Broadcaster, and one of three presenters of the British television show Top Gear.  Apparently he also writes for the Times.

Someone is in trouble.  Top Gear is a fun watch, and has a lot of character built up in the show.  They have great traditions on how they test cars and how they discuss them, so that the audience knows more or less what to expect at each step.  One of the things we have come to expect is that American cars will be pilloried by the program.

I liken it to a story I once heard of two brothers.  The older brother was a good sort.  The younger brother however was a natural athlete, quite good looking, someone who seemed to lead a bit of a charmed life.   The older brother missed no chance to suggest that the younger was perhaps a bit simpleminded, or stupid.  It was not true, but he was left with no other areas he COULD compete, you see.  The US and UK are great friends and allies, and especially these days we’re all in this together.  But I think someone with a heady sense of history and wistful for another time when Britain ‘ruled the world’ has little other way to compete than to suggest that Americans are somehow less cultured or more boorish.

Anyway, back on topic!  Here are some key descriptions of the CTS-V from the article by vehicle area:
The interior is a nice place to be.
The exterior is a good looking car.
It sounds more refined than an AMG.

So make no mistake: financially, the Cadillac smashes the M5, completely and utterly.
And here’s the next part. Round the Nürburgring, it smashes it again

First the markets go upside down, now Clarkson LIKES an AMERICAN car? I am losing my grip on how things are supposed to be.  I am not complaining, I am just stunned.  The entire Cadillac CTS-V release is very much that way though — this car is just BETTER than I expected.

The Clarksometer You’d be mad to buy anything else

[Speechless]

We can make it BETTER than it was — FASTER

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GM High-Tech Performance Magazine has very detailed coverage of the Katech Performance engine build for the Cadillac CTS-VR.  What is a CTS-VR?  The VR is the Cadillac CTS-V variant that competes in the SCCA SPEED World Challenge GT Racing Series.  Remington Racing runs the previously factory effort with the same factory drivers and cars.

Katech takes a stock, standard LS2 engine as used in the 06-07 CTS-V, and blueprints it for use in the racing car.  Blueprinting is the process of checking every tolerance in the engine and selecting values which favor performance.  So they basically take the engine apart and assume NOTHING.  Everything gets checked, and remanufactured if needed to the optimal values.

The result is an optimal but still technically stock engine.  The production CTS-V LS2 is rated at 400hp.  The LS2 engine once Katech is done makes over 500hp with a 40% restrictor plate on the intake.  Gotta love that.  As usual, great article by GM High-Tech Performance Magazine with lots of photos and details so be sure to check it out.

It will be interesting to see if Cadillac is able to race the new supercharged 2009 CTS-V in the series.