Category Archives: Site Info / News

Cadillac V-Series Turning it up to 11

Posted on by
1

At Cadillac, V stands for Velocity.

What happens when Cadillac takes one of their current sports luxury sedans and turns the volume up to 11?  A Cadillac V-Series Model.

What is the Cadillac recipe for the V-Series?

  • More Power — swap in one of the most powerful engines available
  • More Handling — Tune the Suspension &  wheels/tires.  If a ‘normal’ base Cadillac suspension is FE1, Luxury models get an improved, tuned FE2 suspension.  This brings different shock/strut tuning, and sometimes anti-roll bar tuning. Performance models get summer tires and the FE3 suspension.  The V-Series gets FE4 tuning, which tends to be a  road & track setup.
  • More Brakes — rapid, fade-free stopping power.  Most sports cars and sports luxury cars can stop rapidly.  But when are driving at the limit one is on and off the brakes frequently through the corners, and the brakes rapidly heat up, and begin to fade.  The V-Series receive high performance, cooled braking setups for maximum stopping power, lap after lap.
  • Unique branding, markings, and distinction.  This seems trivial, but when you care enough to purchase the best vehicle available, it is nice to have reminders of just what your vehicle is capable of.

Let’s look at the examples Cadillac has accomplished to date:

  • 2004-2007 1st Generation CTS-V:  Added 400 hp LS6 (04/05), then LS2 (06/07) V8 engine.  Tuned sport suspension (FE4), with a track suspension (FG2) available as a dealer-installed option.  Brembo 4-piston caliper brakes front & rear.  Only 6-speed manual transmissions.

    2007 Cadillac CTS-V

  • 2006-2009 STS-V:  Added 469 hp LC3 4.4L Supercharged Northstar engine.  The engine was actually lowered in the chassis in order to give a lower center of gravity when compared with the non-V STS.  Tuned sport suspension (FE4).  Although the MR suspension was available, the Sachs tuned shocks gave just a bit of an edge on the track at the time, and were selected.  Brembo 4-piston caliper brakes front & rear.  New 6-speed Automatic transmission introduced.

    Supercharged Northstar

  • 2006-2009 XLR-V: Added 440 hp LC3 4.4L Supercharged Northstar engine.  Tuned sport suspension (FE4).   Because the XLR already shared the Corvette chassis/platform, sporty handling was already in its DNA.  The XLR-V and the STS-V were both originally specced at 440 hp, but with a bit of additional room under the domed hood the STS-V was tuned just before certification to 469 hp.

    Cadillac XLR-V (left) and STS-V (right)

  • 2009 2nd Generation CTS-V: Added 556 hp LSA 6.2L Supercharged V8.  Tuned sport suspension (FE4). 6-piston Brembo brakes front, and 4-piston in rear. The 2nd Generation CTS-V premiered the newly sport-tuned multi-mode MR Magneto-Rheological Suspension, which can react within 10 milliseconds to changing road conditions.

    2009 Cadillac CTS-V

Overall the Cadillac V-Series has provided the custom coach, high performance livery of this period.  The 2009 CTS-V casually set the world record for sedans on production tires at the Nurburgring of 7:59 min:sec, (since contested by the Porsche Panamera).  The 2006 STS-V had a previous time of 8:15 min:sec.

When your new 2nd Generation production CTS-V has the same or more power than the racing version of the 1st Generation CTS-VR, you know that you are making a serious production vehicle.

What’s next for the V-Series?  This summer we will see the V-Coupe, and the V-Sport Wagon, both with the terrific LSA Supercharged 6.2L engine and the rest of the go-fast CTS-V kit.  Cadillac has said that we will not see a V-Series of every model.  So probably never a V-Series Escalade, or SRX, or XTS.  But other manufacturers have reversed course and offered performance-tuned sport utility vehicles, so we may yet see more diversity.

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

What is the best way to show Cadillac you want to see more of these terrific cars?  Buy one.

Changes in the Cadillac CTS Sedan in 2010, 2011

Posted on by
Reply

2008 and 2009 established the Cadillac CTS Sedan V6 and V-Sedan on the new, 2nd Generation platform.  Let’s look at the 2010 and 2011 changes for the CTS V6 Sedan and CTS-V Sedan:

In 2010, the big news was the arrival of the CTS Sport Wagon.  For the CTS Sedan changes (V and V6) included the 3L LF1 V6 replacing the 3.6L non-DI LY7 V6 as the base engine, and a new CTS Appearance Package for the V6s:

Deletions
Exterior color (51U) Gold Mist
Exterior color (58U) Black Ice
(QUR) P235/50ZR18 Y-rated summer only blackwall tires
(P62) 17″ x 8″ machined aluminum wheels
(KAE) Sueded shift knob (CTS-V)
(N45) Sueded steering wheel rim (CTS-V)
(B19) Wood Trim Package
(B20) Wood Trim Package
(PDP) CTS Luxury Collection RPO Code. Content now in 1SD PEG
(PDR) CTS Performance Collection. Content now in 1SF PEG
(PDQ) CTS Premium Collection. Content now in 1SH PEG
New Features
(WBP) CTS Appearance Package. Available on Sedan 1SF PEGs only.
(JF5) Metal accelerator and brake pedals. Included and only available in (WBP) CTS Appearance Package.
(E20) Chrome door handles. Included and only available in (WBP) CTS Appearance Package.
(TL1) Special color grille. Included and only available in (WBP) CTS Appearance Package.
(C8T) Clear tail lamps. Included and only available in (WBP) CTS Appearance Package.
(UHN) 18″ (45.7 cm) painted wheels. Included and only available in (WBP) CTS Appearance Package.
(AFM) Ebony and (AFN) Light Titanium interiors. Included and only available with (WBP) CTS Appearance Package.
(AAY) Light Titanium and (AFO) Ebony Recaro seat trims for model 6DG69, 1SF PEG only.
(CBG) LPO, Underhood Appearance Package
CTS Sport Wagon Model
New exterior and interior color codes
Exterior color (GGX) Tuscan Bronze ChromaFlair. Available at extra charge.
Exterior color (GIM) Vanilla Latte
(Q0M) P245/45ZR19 Y-rated summer performance blackwall tires
(PJ2) 19″ x 8.5″ polished aluminum wheels
(LF1) 3.0L V6 SIDI DOHC VVT Engine
(K14) Air filtration system, automatic cabin odor filtration
(53F) Sueded steering wheel rim and shift knob (CTS-V)
(03F) Wood Trim Package
Changes
(UJ6) Tire Pressure Monitor System RPO changes to (UJM)
(T96) Fog lamps RPO change to (T3U)
(TT6) Xenon HID headlamps RPO changes to (T4F)
(B19) and (B20) Wood Trim Packages RPO Codes change to (03F) Wood Trim Package.

And in 2011 the overall changes for the CTS Sedan were few; a lot of the excitement is centered around the upcoming Coupe and V-Coupe:

Deletions
Exterior color (GBO) Blue Diamond Tricoat
Exterior color (GIP) Black Cherry
New Features
Exterior color (GAR) Black Ice Metallic. Available at extra charge.
Exterior color (GGU) Evolution Green Metallic. Available at extra charge.
(UVC) Rearview camera now part of (Y40) Level One Luxury Package.

There are often small changes that are not mentioned.

Appeciating depreciation from the outside in

Posted on by
2

The 2008 Cadillac STS-V sold new for US$78,775.  A high price, but the vehicle was literally one of the zeniths of the Cadillac line, with every possible option in the STS family, as well as a hand-made Supercharged Northstar power train, track-tuned suspension, and Brembo brakes.

Now in 2010, the same vehicle in Good to Excellent condition would receive a trade-in offer from an average Dealer of around $28-29K.   That my friends, is depreciation.  Heartache.

[Note: values taken from the Kelly Blue Book, via cars.com, April 2010]

Now, if the owner chose to sell the vehicle privately, it would be worth somewhat more.  For a private sale in good to excellent condition the owner could expect to garner $31-32K.

On the other side of the table, after purchasing said car the Dealer would prep it then offer it for sale around $36K.

Although a 2008 model seems NEW, remember that this model would have been manufactured in 2007, and is almost a 3 year old vehicle  now in 2010, with the 2011 models on their way out soon.  Still, even at 3 years that is a sharp, sharp depreciation per year.  We all know the joke that a car depreciates as soon as you drive it off the lot.  Part of the reason for that is if you pay full retail for a vehicle, you could not possibly resell the same vehicle for full retail — you would only get the reduced, near-wholesale value.  So the difference between what you could sell the vehicle for and what you purchased it for is part of the depreciation, and happens as soon as you take possession.

Another cause for depreciation over time is the public perception of a vehicle’s reliability, appearance, and utility.  The STS-V did not sell as well as Cadillac had hoped it would.  It was always intended to be a limited production vehicle.  The looks of the new STS when released in 2005 never popped with the public.  It was redone visually in 2008, but by then too little too late.  I have always thought that the STS went wrong in the hood/front end treatments, and this is the key part that Cadillac addressed in 2008 as well, restying the grill, but leaving the flat hood lines.   The STS-V however gets a domed hood to help fit the Supercharger, which fixes the look of the front nicely.  But looks definitely effect depreciation, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder for resale.

In the case of the STS-V Cadillac during these years has had very good reliability.  However, the public’s perception of Cadillac reliability still has not caught up with the facts.  Buyers are shy to purchase used cars that they perceive as likely to require costly repairs.

Thirsty:  The 2008 STS-V is a powerful car.  It is also a relatively thirsty vehicle, scoring just 13 mpg city and 19 mpg highway in the current EPA measurement system.  It requires premium fuel only.  Those are both hard sells in the used vehicle market.

Comparison shopping:  Pricing a 3 year old STS-V alongside a new CTS is a very hard sales proposition at the Cadillac Dealer.  The average buyer would certainly prefer to have the new CTS.

From my point of view however, here is a jewel-like masterpiece of a Cadillac, largely hand made, with a unique, powerful engine and track tuned suspension.  And due to the magic of depreciation, it has almost fallen to a price point where it is attainable.  Yes, I feel bad for the Owners who wrote a check for $79K in 2007 and want a new CTS-V but are shocked to find that their prize STS-V is worth less than 1/2 as much now.

But be assured that these wonderful Cadillacs will find good homes.  At least if I can find one in my price range that one will.