Sportiness hasn't really been a big part of Cadillac's tradition. However, since the late 1980s, Caddy has become more and more interested in incorporating "sportiness" to its cars.
From 1986 to 1993, Cadillac offered the stylish Pininfarina-designed Allanté convertible. It was supposed to compete with Mercedes' SL convertible rather than BMW's road racing M3. The Allanté was front-wheel-drive, and until the addition of the fantastic Northstar V8 in its last year of production, it wasn't all that quick.
In 1997, Cadillac tried again with the Catera sedan. From the beginning, Cadillac hoped the rear-wheel-drive sports sedan would be able to compete against Germany's Big 3. It was even marketed as the "Caddy that zigs."
The Catera was based on GM's German-market Opel Omega sedan. In fact, the Catera was built in Germany alongside the Omega. Unfortunately, the Catera wasn't the critical and sales success Cadillac had hoped for. But it was certainly a move in the right direction.
The Catera spawned the first-generation CTS sedan. It was the first Cadillac in a long time to be available to with rear-wheel drive and a manual transmission! The company even launched its first BMW M3-fighting CTS-V sedan.
Cadillac pushed even further into the performance realm with the Corvette-based XLR. It looked cool and was powered by Caddy's highly capable Northstar V8 engine, but wasn't particularly well received. It was killed off after a couple of years.
For the second-generation CTS and CTS-V, Caddy added a coupe and Batmobile-esque styling. With a 556-horsepower supercharged small-block V8 under the hood and more polished packaging, the second-gen CTS-V was a critical success.
As a result, the third-generation CTS-V got bumped up a weight class and is now set to take on the BMW M5.
Cadillac let us borrow this Crystal White ATS-V Coupe for a few days. We escaped Manhattan as soon as we could to search for some open road. Looking at the car's spec, I knew this thing had some serious performance hardware, but I didn't expect it to come together this well.
First, the engine. It's a 3.6-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 that pushes out 464 horsepower. It's mated to either a 6-speed manual or an 8-speed automatic. Our test car came with the stick. Working in tandem, the ATS-V's powertrain and transmission performed like champs.
We found an open stretch of road, dropped a down a couple of gears and let the ATS-V stretch its legs a bit. What emerged was a confident beast of a sports car. Power delivery was smooth and immediate. Stomp on the gas pedal and acceleration just happens. It's a highly enjoyable sensation.
The 6-speed's crisp and precise shifts effectively tapped into the V6's meaty torque band with no whiff of turbo lag.
Then there's the suspension. In the corners, the ATS-V felt planted and perfectly at home. Thanks to Caddy's magnetic fluid filled dampers, advanced traction management system and stiffened body structure, our test car remained confident even when equipped with winter tires, which provide less-than-ideal grip.
Cadillac spent plenty of time putting this car through its paces at the Nürburgring track in Germany. And it shows.
Ultimately, poor weather and road conditions prevented us from pushing the ATS-V's performance as far as we would have liked, but what we did experience, we loved. Unlike many high-horsepower speed machines, the ATS-V doesn't have to be driven at law-breaking speeds to be enjoyable. I had a tremendous amount of fun putting the car through its paces on winding roads at 40 mph.
Cadillac claims the ATS-V is good for a 0-60 mph sprint in just 3.9 seconds and can achieve a top speed of 189 mph.
For V-duty, Cadillac made some cosmetic changes to the ATS coupe to give it a more muscular and aggressive image.
Up front, Cadillac beefed up the ATS-V's looks with a mesh front grille, redesigned air intakes and a carbon-fiber splitter.
The side profile is much less busy. The slab-sided look has long been a fixture in the Cadillac ATS/CTS design vocabulary.
The rear end of the ATS-V is punctuated by large quad exhausts, a carbon-fiber diffuser and a large deck lid spoiler.
Cadillac's signature narrow vertical taillights are present as well. Just in case other drivers aren't sure who makes the car that just blew past them on the highway.
Overall, the ATS-V's styling is striking and aggressive. Not in a quiet, brooding manner like the M4. More like a refined take on the souped-up street-racer look, like the many of Mercedes' AMG cars.
Open the door, and you are immediately met with a V-Series kick plate to remind you this isn't just any ATS.
Inside our test car was black with black accents. Cadillac did not cut corners here. The materials look and feel top-notch. Carbon fiber and Alcantara dominate the interior.
The center stack is highlighted by Cadillac's CUE infotainment system and haptic feedback climate control. Here's where the Caddy showed some weakness.
First, the haptic feedback controls. Instead of buttons or knobs, occupants adjust the car's climate control, seat heaters, and radio volume by touching various sections of a reactive panel. Notice the silver bumps on the panel below the screen? They aren't buttons. They are meant to guide you to the area right above them.
Frankly, the user experience is too slow, too inaccurate, and plain irritating. Buttons and nobs may not be as sleek and stylish, but they work. And they certainly have a role to play in a world-class center console. Just ask BMW and Audi.