Tag Archives: cadillac

I have met the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

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Cadillac’s Nick Twork was on his way through Dallas from Detroit in a new, pre-production 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe and was nice enough to slow down and spend some one-on-one time with CaddyInfo.com.  Here is a photo of me and the V-Coupe; looks like we would be a good match!

Bruce Nunnally of CaddyInfo.com and the soon to be released Cadillac CTS-V Coupe

I like to think *I* look better in person than in photos, but the CTS-V Coupe DEFINITELY fits that description. In photos the rear of the Coupe especially seems very tall vertically, but in person it seems very well proportioned.

This example has the CTS Coupe specific Saffron interior, which is a two-tone yellow and black interior.  It looks very good in person.

There is a button on the top of the back of the passenger seat that makes it easy to electrically move the passenger seat forward to make space to climb into the back seat.   Once seated, the back seats are comfortable but have reduced head room compared to the CTS Sedan.  If you need rear seats and frequently have people in them, you should really get the Sedan instead.  If you really love the look of the CTS Coupe and want a 2-door but need back seats occasionally, welcome to the Cadillac CTS Coupe.

Rear Seat Access requires some flexibility

The back seat is also well detailed once you get into it (I climbed right in back for a size check).  There is plenty of leg room.  Because there are no rear door grab handles in the Coupe, it has trick pop-down hooks for hanging a suit jacket or other garment on either side.   These are a very nice touch.  The detailing of the rear seating area is very attractive.

The View from the Rear Seat of the CTS-V Coupe

Beneath the skin, the CTS-V Coupe has all the super car gear from the CTS-V Sedan — 556 hp Supercharged 6.2L V8, MR suspension, Brembo brakes, the whole package.

Outside, the CTS-V Coupe is a rolling work of art.

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Rear

There is a group of Cadillac Buyers who want the room of a full-size, four-seat Cadillac, but who also insist on two-doors.   To some people that is a hallmark of a personal luxury car — the space of the Sedan, with the personal convenience and style of the Coupe.  I am glad that Cadillac is making this car and I hope that they sell a lot of them.

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Rear

With storms along the way, Nick’s travel time became harder to predict.  When he called to link up, I was out sitting by the pool at a friend’s house, so after we met I headed back to enjoy the tranquility of the afternoon.

Relaxing by the Pool

When Can a Single V6 work well in a Cadillac or a Camaro?

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When can a single V6 engine work well in a Cadillac or a Camaro?  When it is as good as the LLT V6.

2010 GM 3.6L V-6 VVT DI (LLT) for Cadillac CTS

What are the features one would need to fit these disparate platforms?  For the Camaro, you might might focus on maximum torque, and maximum peak horsepower.  For the Cadillac, you might focus on noise, vibration, and harshness while delivering maximum power in a fluid manner.  The LLT V6 manages to fulfill both bills with aplomb.

First, the LLT V6 is a 60 degree V-angle engine.  The ideal V angle for balance alone for a 6 cylinder is 120 degrees, to time when opposing cylinders fire and offset the secondary moment.  This is determined by dividing 720 degrees (2 revolutions for a 4-cycle engine) by the number of cylinders.   Due to packaging (width of the engine) and because it results in a very smooth running engine, 60 degrees is generally accepted as the optimal V-angle for a modern V6.

Variable Valve Timing: The LLT uses variable valve timing to optimize its power range.  Dual overhead cam (DOHC) engines such as the LLT have the advantage of different cams for the intake and exhaust.  VVT engines have the further advantage of phasing the input and output camshafts to provide the optimum low rpm Torque and high RPM power.

Cam phasing also pays big dividends in reducing exhaust emissions. By closing the exhaust valves late at appropriate times, the cam phasers create an internal exhaust-gas recirculation system. The 3.6L V-6 VVT DI meets all emissions mandates without complex, weight-increasing emissions control systems such as EGR and air injection reaction (AIR).

Direct Injection is a relatively new technology that directly injects fuel into the combustion chamber at high pressure.  This results in more complete and regulated combustion.  Traditional fuel injection systems inject a fuel air mixture upstream of the intake valve.  Further, the combination of DOHC, VVT, and DI work synergistically to deliver power, fuel economy, and low emissions.

What is next for the LLT V6? This engine family was originally designed to support displacements up to 4L, and to support Supercharging or Turbocharging.   We may see the 3L variant with a power adder instead of the 3.6L  variant, but the 3.6L will always be close to my heart; I have been driving these 3.6L’s in the non-DI LY7 version for six years now and they are very reliable, flexible engines.  With the addition of forced induction they will be even better.

Power versus MPG

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In selecting my next Cadillac, I am drawn the to highest performance models available within my budget.  More is always better right?

My model for the ‘right’ 0-60 time for a sport sedan is 5.5 to 6  seconds this year.   Performance of cars as a whole changes over time, as automobile performance improves.

The current CTS DI 3.6L will do 0-60 mph in 6.3-6.5 sec.  The CTS should be below 6 seconds with 304 hp, but it also gained a bit of weight with added features, and has fuel economy minded gearing.  Yes I recognize that is kind of in the same range, but let’s assume for this discussion that quicker is important.  So the CTS 3.6L is just on the upper edge of my desired performance envelope, and is right in the right zone for MPG.

Now, the 2006-2009 STS-V with 469 hp will go 0-60 in around 5 sec, or as Cadillac measured in under 5 seconds.  However, this model gets 19 mpg highway compared to the CTS DI 3.6L V6 MPG of 28 MPG highway.

One compromise candidate is the 2005-2009 STS 4.6L V8, with the 320 hp VVT Northstar.  This sedan gets very close to 0-60 mph in 6 sec in most tests, and has fair fuel economy at 24 mpg highway.

The new Gen2 CTS-V with 556 hp supercharged 6.2L V8 will do 0-60 mph in under 4 seconds with a Cadillac test driver, or just over 4 seconds with a magazine writer driving.  The new CTS-V is still outside of my budget however, and also gets 19 mpg highway.

The 2006-2007 Cadillac CTS-V with 6L LS2 V8 engines would do 0-60 in under 5 seconds, and are rated at 24 mpg highway.  So these are interesting, but they will soon be out of warranty.  I like to keep my daily driver under warranty, so if there is an issue I can simply drop it off for service, pick up a loaner car, and be on my way.  These are also only available in manual transmissions.  A manual is okay for me, but is challenging for other members of my household.

So this thought process leaves me wondering if I should change my target from “as quick as possible” to “as quick as possible and still get more than 24 mpg highway”, or similar.

In this range that 5 mpg costs around $1000 per year given my mileage per year and average gas prices.  So would you pay $1000 per year for another 150 hp, or 47% more power?  I suppose over the 5 years I plan to drive the car that is less than the cost of a Supercharger or similar power adder.

How many MPG is more power worth to you?