All-New Cadillac CTS Drives Challenging Nurburgring
Cadillac took its all-new 2014 CTS midsize luxury sedan out for a few laps on the famed Nürburgring in Germany and delivered some impressive results.
Notably, the 2014 CTS Vsport, featuring Cadillac’s first Twin-Turbo engine and eight-speed transmission, recorded a lap time of 8:14.10, almost six seconds faster than the first generation CTS-V recorded 10 years ago with a larger V-8 engine.
By doing the testing, Cadillac hopes to bolster the reputation of the CTS as a performance vehicle capable of handling the extreme conditions and unlimited speeds of Autobahn driving. CTS development included Autobahn and track calibrations of the steering system, shock absorbers, chassis controls and powertrain cooling.
“The Nürburgring’s extreme conditions allow us to push cars to the limits of stability, steering, braking, ride and handling,” said Dave Leone, CTS executive chief engineer, Performance Luxury Vehicles. “The new CTS models had a lot to live up to considering the nameplate’s history of outstanding performance, and we were not disappointed.”
Measuring 20.8 km (12.9 miles) and including some 154 turns, the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife (“north loop”) is widely considered the world’s most-demanding course for vehicle validation. Cadillac vehicle dynamics performance engineer Kevin Zelenka and Jeff Grabowski drove full production models of CTS and CTS Vsport with no performance modifications.
“The new CTS was an absolute riot to drive on the Ring,” said Zelenka. “It’s more athletic and refined, and the Vsport proved extremely capable. If a car performs well on the Ring, it will perform well on any road in the world.”
The CTS has been the centerpiece of Cadillac’s portfolio for more than a decade. The third-generation CTS is 2.54cm (1 inch) lower, 12.7 cm (5 inches) longer and more than 90 kg (200 pounds) lighter than its predecessor. The new car also has lower curb weight, greater structural stiffness and more horsepower than its primary competitors.
The 2014 CTS will be available in three collections of option packages – Luxury, Performance and Premium – and will be offered with either the 2.0T turbocharged four cylinder or 3.6L naturally aspirated V6 engine in either rear- or all-wheel drive. The CTS Vsport model features the new Cadillac Twin-Turbo 3.6L V6 (420 hp) in RWD only with an eight-speed transmission.