Couple of CTS Coupe Events coming up.
2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe
Tuesday morning will be a Press Event here in DFW, then later in the month Crest Cadillac is having their official CTS Coupe welcoming party.
The styling of the Cadillac CTS Coupe is very entrancing in person. It should bring some Buyers to the marque that might not have realized how much luxury, performance, and value one can find in a Cadillac showroom these days.
I have been shopping a 2008 Cadillac STS-V. This model has the V-Series performance and luxury features I want, and is coming into range of my budget. I would love to have a 2009 Cadillac CTS-V, but they will be more than I care to spend for a while.
Tires. I am what could be described kindly as a serial tire abuser. So today I am bracing for how much Tires for the STS-V will be.
The STS-V has 255/45 tires on 18″ wheels on front, and 275/40 tires on 19″ wheels on the back. This staggered approach allowed the Cadillac team to put heavier rubber on back and balance the overall handling.
Heading to http://www.discounttire.com, the least expensive all-around set would be a set of Hankook Ventus V12 Evo tires, at $958 installed. Next would be the Continental ExtremeContact DWS at $1,075 installed. Clearly buying tires will be a plan-ahead experience.
Now, the STS-V from the factory used run-flat tires, and does not include a spare or jack. A run-flat tire can actually be driven for a short distance with no air in the tire (hence can run flat).
The OEM tires were Pirelli Extended Mobility Runflat tires. The Pirelli Eufori Runflat is available at Discount Tire. With these tires the total slides up to $2,006 ($389 front each, $490 rear each). Yes, $2K in tires every year or so. Ouch.
Here’s what Pirelli says about the tires:
The Eufori@ Run Flat tire has a Limited Road Hazard Protection
According to recent customers surveys (JD Power in North America), seven out of eight consumers say run-flat tyres are No.1 amongst the features they most want from their next vehicles. It shows that consumers prefer safety-related features more than sophisticated entertainment systems or other conveniences in their new vehicles. Whilst consumers seek extended mobility after the tyre has been punctured, car manufacturers look for space gains, both in compact and sports vehicles, by dispensing with the spare wheel. Pirelli’s answer is Eufori@ Run Flat. Produced utilising revolutionary MIRS (Modular Integrated Robotized System) technology, Eufori@ is Pirelli’s first run-flat product, ensuring both Active and Passive safety.
Active safety Secure dry and wet handling, braking efficiency and resistance to aquaplaning.
The vehicle can be driven in total safety even following a sudden loss of pressure. Road holding, handling and steering precision are maintained. Passive safety Extended mobility, even when a puncture occurs: at zero pressure the vehicle is not immobilised and the driver can rely on a run-flat range of up to 80 km (50 miles) at 80 km/h (50 mph).
Tires. If you want to play, you have to pay I suppose. But, ouch.
F O R OVER 100 YEARS, CADILLAC HAS BEEN THE AUTOMOTIVE REPRESENTATION OF THE AMERICAN DREAM. A ROLLING HIGH FIVE. A TANGIBLE SYMBOL OF SUCCESS. BUILT FOR PEOPLE WHO KNOW THAT HERE, IN THIS COUNTRY, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHERE YOU CAME F ROM. IT ONLY MATTERS HOW FAR YOU WANT TO GO. AND HOW FAST YOU WANT TO GET THERE. IT’S AN OPEN ROAD, DRIVEN BY THOSE WHO HAVE THE COURAGE TO CHASE THE DREAM, CATCH IT AND LET IT GO. SO THEY CAN CHASE AN EVEN BIGGER ONE. BECAUSE THAT’S WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT. THE PURSUIT.
I actually ‘got’ the “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit” campaign. Unfortunately not enough people resonated with it.
The V-Series is the pinnacle of Cadillac performance luxury engineering. Relentlessly tested on Germany’s notorious Nürburgring racing circuit, the XLR-V and STS-V are engineered to deliver both adrenaline-pumping high-performance driving experiences, and the level of luxury required when endorphins are not on the menu. With each offering 440+ horsepower, track-tuned suspension systems, high-performance braking systems, traction-control technology, stiff chassis, top speeds of over 150 miles per hour on the track and luxury amenities that rival any world-class sedan, manning the cockpit of either of these vehicles is a transporting experience in so many ways.
Cadillac puts every performance item they have available into the V-Series. Or rather every item that would make that automobile better on a track, and better for touring. Why search out and buy a V-Series Cadillac? Because these are the ultimate examples of performance without compromise.
PLEASE BE SEATED.
Every STS-V interior is as unique and luxurious as the supple natural leather trim that covers it. Hand-wrapped top-grain leather seating surfaces bring a luxe feel into the cockpit, while perforated sueded-fabric inserts help keep you firmly in place during sharp turns and quick maneuvers. Olive ash burl wood and kinetic aluminum accents round out the handsome performance-oriented driver’s cockpit. Air bag seams on the passenger instrument panel are virtually undetectable. Ergonomically positioned controls and instrumentation were specifically designed to communicate driver information quickly and clearly while maximizing driver focus. This is demonstrated in the Head-Up Display, which projects a digital image of your vital stats right on to the windshield, so you can keep your eyes focused on the road. Lane Departure Warning is a helpful feature that will alert you audibly and visually if you stray from your lane and Side Blind Zone Alert can notify you with visual cues if it detects a vehicle entering into your blind spots.
The STS-V entered production in 2006, and closed out production in 2009.
THE BALANCE OF POWER.
When you’re talking about 469 hp, you want to make sure all that muscle is put to its best possible use. So Cadillac engineers created a balance of power in the STS-V that does just that. Externally, an elevated rearward-positioned spoiler creates balanced, road-gripping downforce. Structurally, an optimized low center of mass improves weight geometry, while 18-inch front wheels ensure accurate steering and 19-inch rear wheels deliver abundant power transfer. Expansive stabilizer bars and muscular spring rates harness massive braking and cornering forces. And corresponding to its substantial horsepower and torque, the driver-selectable four-mode StabiliTrak stability control system has been tuned to provide an exceptional degree of control in even the most demanding situations.
One of my favorite touches is that the exhaust manifolds were extrude honed for better flow. One does not do that on a production item casually, but only with purpose — to make the most power possible out of a 4.4L supercharged V8.
With the arrival of the new CTS-V in 2009 with a 556 Hp Supercharged 6.2L V8, the 469 hp Supercharged 4.4L DOHC V8 in the STS-V was no longer the most powerful Cadillac ever made. Certainly it continues as one expression of the best engineered vehicle a high performance team can produce.
And that is really what it is all about. the Pursuit.