Cadillac XTS Virtual Dyno -ing was this afternoon’s XTS fun.

I have been experimenting with the Virtual Dyno software from Brad Barnhill.  Since I had the Cadillac XTS out for a weekend test drive, courtesy of Crest Cadillac of Plano, I did some instrumented tests on it.

First, the XTS was hot after our morning out, and it is hot here in Texas.  The 3.6L V6 was running intake temps up in the 150Fs.   On my supercharged Cadillac STS-V I would call that an intercooler cooling challenge, but on the normally aspirated 3.6L it is a normal sort of temperature.

The XTS is advertised at 304 hp at the crank, so we were hoping to see around 240 whp, or hp at the wheels.  Automatics are often characterized as having 20% drive train losses.

The Cadillac XTS pulled through the heat and put down 233 whp in the max run.  That either means the XTS has drivetrain losses of 23%, or it was hot today.  We know I live at 600 feet above sea level and its hot here, so it is close enough to the expected 240 whp to say that the XTS is putting the rated power down.

 Cadillac XTS Virtual Dyno

Since the XTS is new, Brad doesn’t have a file for it yet.  I created an XML file for Virtual Dyno to use with the XTS:

<?xml version=”1.0″ standalone=”yes”?>
<CarDataset xmlns=”http://tempuri.org/CarDataset.xsd”>
<CarParameters>
<CarMake>Cadillac</CarMake>
<CarModel>XTS</CarModel>
<CarSubModel>FWD</CarSubModel>
<StartYear>2013</StartYear>
<EndYear>2013</EndYear>
<Weight>3995</Weight>
<TransTypeManual>false</TransTypeManual>
<TransGear1>4.48</TransGear1>
<TransGear2>2.87</TransGear2>
<TransGear3>1.84</TransGear3>
<TransGear4>1.41</TransGear4>
<TransGear5>1.00</TransGear5>
<TransGear6>0.74</TransGear6>
<FinalGearRatio>2.77</FinalGearRatio>
<DragCoefficient>0.33</DragCoefficient>
<FrontalArea>24.94</FrontalArea>
<TireDiameter>27.68</TireDiameter>
</CarParameters>
</CarDataset>

The details probably don’t matter to most readers but are included for info in case someone else is repeating this test another day.

Cadillac XTS Virtual Dyno Summary

The 3.6L DOHC, VVT V6 in the Cadillac XTS is performing as expecting, and putting down the rated power.   It revs right up to 6,800+ rpm before shifting at wide open throttle, and is not pulling any punches with the transmission in sport mode.

The Cadillac XTS at Cars and Coffee Dallas fit right in this morning.  I have a Cadillac XTS out on a weekend test drive (Pickup) courtesy Crest Cadillac.  I headed over before 7 AM and was thrilled to see that the Cadillac guys had space and waved the Cadillac XTS right in.

Cars and Coffee is a fun, casual event. In Dallas it is hosted by Classic BMW. The event consists of people bringing out their fun or hobby cars (or daily driver if your daily driver is also a fun car), parking them in a parking lot, and walking around and chatting.

There is coffee and light breakfast available, with proceeds to charity.

It is fun to see Cadillacs of all years parked together.  It is really easy to see the family resemblance across the line and across the legacy of Cadillac production.

The great thing is the access — the cars aren’t roped off or behind glass, and usually the owner is nearby to tell you more about the car if you like.

I talked myself hoarse telling people about the new Cadillac XTS at Cars and Coffee.  It is fun to hear how other Cadillac owners are enjoying their Cadillacs, and to hear what people think about the new Cadillac XTS.

Lots of people stopped by to look at the XTS and take pictures or talk about it.  It was quite popular.

I wish I had gotten pictures of people with the XTS but I would stop taking photos and go chat instead.

Here’s a small gallery of other Cadillac photos from the event; enjoy!

Click on any of the thumbnails to zoom in to that image, then hit back on your browser to return here.

Thanks to Crest Cadillac for providing the Cadillac XTS for the weekend test drive!