Cadillac CTS - WikiHQ

The Cadillac CTS is a luxury car, manufactured and marketed by General Motors from 2003 until 2019 across three generations.

Initially available as a 4-door sedan using the GM Sigma platform, GM offered the second generation CTS in 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe, and 5-door sport wagon, and the third generation as a sedan, using a stretched version of the GM Alpha platform. High performance sedan variants were offered for each generation, as the CTS-V—with wagon and coupe variants offered for the second generation.

In a 2003 report titled The 90 days that shaped Cadillac, Automotive News noted that the first generation CTS marked a $4B investment by General Motors to set a new course for Cadillac styling, introduce a new rear-drive platform, and importantly, re-establish the brand's relevancy.

Wayne Cherry and Kip Wasenko designed the exterior of the first generation CTS, marking the production debut of its "Art and Science" design language first used on the Evoq concept car and developed with key contributions from Thomas Kearns and Mike Torpey. John Manoogian II directed the second generation CTS design, as initially conceived by Robert Munson. Bob Boniface and Robin Krieg designed the exterior of the third generation CTS.

The CTS ended production in 2019 and was replaced by the CT5, which shared its platform with the third and final generation of the CTS in addition to the smaller CT4.

First generation (2003)

Introduced in January 2002 as a 2003 model, the CTS sedan used GM's new rear-wheel drive Sigma platform and a fully independent suspension. It was the first Cadillac offered with a manual transmission since the 1988 Cimarron. All models were manufactured at GM's Lansing Grand River Assembly in Lansing, Michigan.

The CTS replaced the Opel-based Catera, the acronym "CTS" standing for Catera Touring Sedan. Wayne Cherry and Kip Wasenko designed the exterior of the first generation CTS — the coupe variant having developed from a sketch drawn by Robert Munson, selected by Michael Simcoe and developed into a model by Paul Sciluna.—what noted automotive journalist Dan Neil described as a "fractal geometric style." Neil described the CTS, saying "the design is confident, distinctive and pure." Writing in the New York Times, Neil noted "this is a serious automobile, a car of consequence. In its 100th year and at the 11th hour, Cadillac made a brave investment in the supremacy of design, in the idea that cleverness should be cloaked in beauty." For 2010, the base engine changed to a 3.0L variable valve timing (VVT) V6 with and of torque. A 6-speed manual transmission was standard equipment on the second generation CTS and GM's 6-speed Hydra-matic 6L50 automatic transmission was available as an option on all variants. On-demand all-wheel drive was offered with both engines when equipped with an automatic transmission. Suspension, braking, and steering improvements from the previous generation CTS-V were designed into the new standard CTS.

The second generation CTS was wider and longer than the original, measuring long, wide and in height. Wheelbase remained unchanged at , but with a wider front/rear track of . Other changes included revised exterior, grille, headlights and taillights, side air extractor vents located forward of the front doors, nine-spoke 18-inch wheels, and high-performance brake calipers and rotors. Available features on the second-gen CTS included a Bose 5.1 surround sound system, GM's ESC system marketed as Stabiltrak, tire pressure monitoring system, navigation system with real-time traffic and weather data, integrated hard drive for music storage, swiveling headlights, and remote starting.

In 2008, General Motors anticipated relaunching the Cadillac brand in Australia and New Zealand with the second gen CTS, subsequently dropping the launch due to the 2008 financial crisis. As a result, the entire batch of cars, less one, which had already been shipped to Australia were transferred to New Zealand and sold via selected Holden New Zealand dealers. One dealer ended up buying the entire stock and owing to their popularity, sourced further UK market spec models while the model was still produced in RHD.

Midway through model year 2010, the small GM badges, used by the corporation company-wide, were dropped.

thumb|left|2012 Cadillac CTS sedan

For the 2012 CTS, the front grille used higher quality materials to give a more vertical design, and the Cadillac logo revised. Power was increased on the 3.6-liter V6, to produce while modified engine internals reduced weight. For 2012, GM also offered some new technology and option packages with the Cadillac CTS.

File:Cadillac CTS rear.JPG|European-spec Cadillac CTS

File:CTS Vegas.jpg|US–spec Cadillac CTS

File:Cadillac CTS Dash.jpg|CTS interior

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Coupe

General Motors unveiled a coupe concept version of the CTS, along with the new CTS-V performance sedan, at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

In November 2009, the production version was presented in a press release. The coupe went into production in spring 2010 for sale in August 2010 as a 2011 model. The design of the production model is very similar to the concept, still without a B-pillar. The standard engine was a 3.6L direct injected V6 rated at 304 hp. Like the sedan, both six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, in either RWD or AWD configurations, were available. A CTS-V Coupe was introduced, first shown at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The CTS Coupe was Cadillac's first coupe since the Eldorado, which was discontinued in 2002.

Along with the CTS sedan, the coupe received a light facelift for the 2012 model year, including a new grille design. The CTS Coupe was discontinued after the 2014 model year, while the CTS-V Coupe remained in production for the 2015 model year.

2011 Cadillac CTS-4 Coupe Premium in White Diamond Pearl, front left.jpg|2011 Cadillac CTS coupe (launch model)

File:12-14 Cadillac CTS coupe.jpg|Cadillac CTS coupe, facelift version

2012 Cadillac CTS coupe with Premium Collection, rear left, 08-27-2023.jpg|2012 Cadillac CTS coupe (facelift)

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Sport Wagon

thumb|left|2010 Cadillac CTS wagon

At the 2008 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Cadillac presented the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon. The wagon became available in late 2009 as a 2010 model. A CTS-V version was added for 2011.

The CTS Sport Wagon is available in either rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive layouts, and is powered by either a 3.0-liter DOHC V6 engine or a 3.6-liter V6 with variable valve timing. The 3.0-liter engine produces , and the 3.6-liter produces .

With the third generation, Cadillac ceased production of the CTS wagon.

CTS-V (2009–2014)

thumb|left|Cadillac CTS-V (second generation)

The second-generation CTS-V is based on the new GM Sigma II platform. The rear-wheel-drive platform is the basis for the 2008 to present Cadillac CTS base model with which the CTS-V shares most of the body work. The suspension features coil springs front and rear. The front suspension is a control arm arrangement while the rear is an independent multi-link suspension. To improve the handling and comfort, the 2009 CTS-V uses BWI Group's MagneRide technology. The dampers, filled with magnetorheological fluid, are adjusted based on sensor readings that happen at 1 ms intervals. The sedan has four-wheel disc brakes similar to the first generation. The front brakes were increased in size to ventilated discs with six-piston Brembo fixed calipers. The rear brakes are ventilated rotors with four-piston calipers. Steering is speed-sensing hydraulic-assist rack-and-pinion. The steering ratio is 16.1:1. Tire sizes are 255/40ZR19 front and 285/35ZR19 rear on 19×9.0 inch and 19×9.5 inch wheels front and rear.

The second-generation CTS-V sedan, coupe and station wagon was marketed through 2014, concurrent with the third generation standard sedan, until the third-generation CTS-V was ready. The car was discontinued and replaced by the CT5–V Blackwing in 2019.

Engine

The powerplant in the 2009 CTS-V is a supercharged LSA V-8, based on the LS9 V8, producing and of torque. The choice to use a pushrod engine (OHV) arrangement is unique in the luxury performance sedan market where competitors typically use dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) engines. The engine is produced in GM's Silao, Guanajuato, Mexico engine assembly plant. The LSA engine has a bore x stroke of .

CTS-V sedan

Production of the CTS-V sedan began in the summer of 2008 in the Lansing, Michigan GM plant. Total production of the CTS-V for the 2009 model year was approximately 3,500 out of approximately 59,716 CTS model production. The 2009 CTS-V has a base price of US$59,995, and was available for purchase as of November 1, 2008.

Standard features include: leather seats, lateral acceleration gauge, 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels, Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, a built-in 40GB hard drive to store music, and LED flash tracers to tell the driver when to shift.

Options include polished wheels, sunroof, navigation system and, for the first time, Cadillac offers 14-way adjustable performance Recaro seats.

The official 0- time for the second-generation CTS-V is 3.9 seconds, while the quarter mile is run at 12.0 seconds at . These numbers were duplicated by Road and Track magazine (0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds for the automatic and 4.1 seconds for the manual).

Coinciding with the release of General Motors' Viability Plan, the automaker has disbanded its High Performance Vehicle Operations team, the crew responsible for the line V-series Cadillacs, the Chevrolet Cobalt SS, the HHR SS, and the V8 version of the Colorado. According to Vince Muniga, a spokesman for GM, "All high-performance projects are on indefinite hold. The engineers are moving into different areas of the organization, and they will work on Cadillacs, Buicks, Chevrolets and Pontiacs." Muniga went on to say that there are no plans for high-performance versions of upcoming plans, but once GM is in a better financial position, the team could be reinstated.

For the 2010 model year, GM badges were dropped from near the doors, although earlier models still had the badges.

CTS-V Coupe

alt=|left|thumb|Cadillac CTS-V coupe

thumb|right|Cadillac CTS-V coupe

The CTS-V Coupe debuted at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, and entered production in summer 2010 as a 2011 model. It has the same engine and transmission choices as the CTS-V sedan. The CTS-V Coupe features unique centered twin exhausts, a larger grille for air intake, and an optional "saffron" interior trim color. Like the CTS-V sedan, it comes standard with 19-inch aluminum wheels, Brembo brakes, and Magnetic Ride Control.

CTS-V Sport Wagon

alt=|thumb|Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

left|thumb|Cadillac CTS-V Wagon at the [[2012 Paris Motor Show]]

When asked in 2009 about the possibility of a CTS-V wagon, the GM Vice Chairman at that time, Bob Lutz, replied, "... should sufficient demand materialize, there is no reason why we couldn't do a V-Series wagon, and I would be standing in line for one, just ahead of you." GM decided to move forward, introducing a 5-door sport wagon body style to the CTS-V vehicle line at the New York International Auto Show on March 29, 2010.

The CTS-V wagon shares the engine and 6-speed manual or automatic transmission, Magnetic Ride Control, Brembo brakes, 19-inch aluminum wheels and performance tires and a dual-airflow grille also used in the CTS-V sedan and coupe. The United States Environmental Protection Agency lists the 2014 CTS-V Sport Wagon as the least fuel efficient small station wagon on sale in the United States with a combined EPA fuel economy rating of .

Performance

General Motors states a 0- time of 3.9 seconds for the CTS-V Sedan and 4.0 seconds for the CTS-V Coupe and Wagon.

The quarter mile time is reported to be 11.97 seconds at with a 60-foot at 1.76 seconds.

In May 2008, a 2009-model CTS-V sedan achieved a lap time of 7:59.32 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife, which was the fastest documented time for a production sedan on factory tires, until the Porsche Panamera Turbo clocked a time of 7:56 in July 2009. The vehicle was driven by John Heinricy during the attempt. The record breaking vehicle was sold in 2009 at the Barrett-Jackson Palm Beach auction.