When Cadillac announced it was building a manual-transmission sport sedan called the CTS way back in the early 2000s, nobody really knew what to think. This was a branch of GM that had become so antiquated that white hair (be it on your head or in your ears) was a prerequisite before a Caddy dealership would even talk to you. Now, The Detroit News reports that Cadillac will officially welcome the new CT6 V-Sport into the family as a proper V model, but it will cost us the CTS-V and its equally exciting sibling, the ATS-V. In an email statement, however, Cadillac tells us both cars will be replaced by new sedans that will slot below the CT6.
It’s not an exaggeration to say the CTS-V completely changed how the world viewed Cadillac. Initially offered with a 400-horsepower (298-kilowatt) version of the same LS V8 found in the Chevrolet Corvette, the CTS-V slowly wooed drivers to the brand who may have otherwise bought something from a German manufacturer. Today, the CTS-V wields a full 640 hp (477 kW) sledgehammer under the hood and can run to 60 mph in less than four seconds. The smaller ATS-V isn't as powerful, but it's equally as quick.
Blackwing is the word:
“Beginning with the debut of the CTS-V Sedan in 2004, the V-Series sub-brand sparked new life into Cadillac,” said GM Product Development Chief Mark Reuss, according to The Detroit News. “As a result of the overwhelming response the CT6 V-Sport received when revealed in early 2018, we’ve decided to formally make it a V-Series, signaling the expansion of V-Series.”
The CT6 V-Sport (soon-to-be CT6-V) isn’t any slouch, but it won’t pack the same punch as its forefathers. It carries a twin-turbo 4.2-liter V8 making 550 hp (410 kW) connected solely to a 10-speed automatic transmission. It also gets a limited-slip differential for the rear, tweaked suspension components, and big Brembo brakes at all four corners. We haven’t had a go in the new high-performance CT6 just yet, but if our experience is similar to the standard model, it’ll be a nice machine for eating miles but not terrifically inspiring from a driver's perspective. Honestly, we hope our early assessment turns out wrong because we really want to love this car.
Remember The CTS-V?
The CT6-V does expand Cadillac’s V lineup as the company stated. It will join the ATS-V and CTS-V in the high-performance segment through the 2019 model year, so if you still want to savor the fruits of either offering, there's time to make it happen. As for the new sedans replacing both them, we will have to wait and see what Cadillac has in store. The company has an ambitious plan to roll out a new vehicle every six months between now and 2021.
Still, we’ll be pouring one out this evening for the car that transformed Cadillac into the company it is today.
Source: The Detroit News
Gallery: 2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport
