The Meanest Cadillac to Date - the CTS-V

2009-10-22T10:35:00.000-07:00

The Cadillac CTS-V is 6.3 liters of Supercharged Fury! This luxury literally can blow the doors off almost any car on the road today. The CTS-V can get your to your business meeting in seconds.

The date was Dec. 22nd 2003 and General Motors was enjoying the pinnacle of the American Auto Industry; their stock was cresting over the $53 mark! Fast forward 5 short years and GM is barely making ends meet, and their poor stock has looked the worse for wear: under $5 a share. Although the bottom has recently fallen out, GM is ignoring, no challenging the 92% stock tumble with the New 2009 Cadillac CTS-V! That’s right; the General Motors Performance division has given us the fastest, most powerful, awe-inspiring Cadillac ever….the CTS-V.

Let me tell you that right off the bat this is no old people car. I remember the Cadillac’s of my youth; big, long, heavy, and slow! But yes they were super comfortable and loaded to the brim with options. Well the newest generation of Cadillac’s has all the goods. The first generation CTS-V came with the capable LS engine from the C5 Corvette and a six-speed transmission. The car also had a beefier drive-train, sporty suspension, 18-inch wheels, and a redesigned look. The totally redesigned 2004 CTS-V looked to challenge the reigning kings of the Super Luxury car world; the Mercedes C63 AMG, BMW M5, and Audi RS.

The 400-hp first generation CTS-V held its own pretty well in a sea of performance luxury sedans. Fast forward a few years and the new generations of the BMW M5 and Mercedes C63 AMG got some more power and grew a bit faster. With the long-anticipated release of the greatest American Sports car ever; the corvette ZR-1, Cadillac was looking to claim the top spot once again in the luxury world. The new that the New 2009 CTS-V would sport a detuned version of the LSA V-8 engine (still sporting over 550 hp), the same six-speed short throw transmission as the Corvette, some super high-tech magnetic tuned suspension that I can’t understand, and Recaro seats; this car was making waves in the auto community long before it’s shake-down runs!

Soon there was talk about a black demon making ridiculously fast lap times around the Nürburgring, a famed testing ground in Germany. This was in fact the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V. While on its way to posting a sub 8 minute time (the course is 12.9 miles long), this CTS-V set the fastest time by a Sedan on stock tires. Beating out the Mercedes CLK 63 AMG, the BMW M5, Audi RS4, Porsche 911 Carrera, and a Dodge Viper; this Cadillac is all business. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordschleife_fastest_lap_times)

There are those BMW motorheads that are so stubborn they will not concede the victory to the CTS-V. They argue the BMW M5 was a 2008 and this Cadillac is a year newer. They will argue that nothing can touch a BMW’s quality and reliability; even though Cadillac is #3 behind Lexus and Buick in terms of reliability. They argue that a BMW or Mercedes is the cream of the crop and knowledgeable car buyers (yuppies) only settle for the best. But the real kicker and moral of the story is that the Mercedes will set you back $80k and the BMW costs $85k. So how much is Cadillac charging for superior performance? How’s $65k sound? That’s right for a whopping $25k less than an M5, you can have an American car that will kick the piss out of anything on the road!

The Converj Electric Car from Cadillac

2009-10-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

The Cadillac Converj represents a forray into the realm of electric vehicles by GM. They believe that an electric luxury car is the future of high class automotive.

Due to the rising Global Warming issue, more and more people are “going green” with a rising interest in electric and hybrid vehicles. Manufacturers are working hard, with advanced ground breaking technology vehicles to meet that demand. The Cadillac Converj is a concept car with the unique world saving technology and engine people are looking for. It’s when luxury becomes electric.

The Converj is on the same platform as the Chevrolet Volt but has a completely different look. It has Cadillac’s “Art and Science” design theme throughout the car including its prime technological advances. The design of the Converj is dynamic and has sharp lines and edges that define an arching side; characteristic of a forward motion look.

Up front the Cadillac Converj features the signature shield like grille. Motor Trend claims the car as one of the most stylish concepts they have seen. The Converj is an extended-range electric vehicle called E-REV. E- REV vehicles are equipped with an electric motor as well as a gasoline engine. The electric propulsion technology (called Voltec), serves as the primary power source at all times and speeds. The gas powered engine functions as a generator that recharges the vehicle’s batteries. Voltec systems include 16kW lithium-ion batteries, an electric drive unit, and a range-extending four-cylinder engine-generator. The Cadillac Converj can travel up to 40 miles on electricity from its 220-cell lithium-ion battery pack before the four- cylinder flex fuel engine generator activates to produce more of the electricity that drives the wheels. While the primary feature is the electric Voltec system, the electric motor is 120kW and produces 161hp, 273lb.ft of torque.

The Cadillac brand is known for putting premium quality and materials in their vehicles, and the Converj is no exception. The Cadillac Converj is complete with unparalleled materials, advanced technology, and driving dynamics appropriate for the brand. The Converj utilizes GM’s Magnetic Ride Control suspension technology which uses magneto rheological shocks. These shocks use a silicone-based fluid with iron filings which allows the shocks to be electrically charged to immediately react accordingly to road conditions; assuring ride and comfort ability. GM quotes a top speed of 100 mph for the Converj.

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The Meanest Cadillac to Date - the CTS-V

The Converj Electric Car from Cadillac