Cadillac CTS-V Overview

Taking a page from BMW M-Power cars and Mercedes-Benz's AMG division, the CTS-V takes Cadillac's standard luxury CTS luxury sport sedan and ups performance in every conceivable area. For 2011 the CTS-V is available in sedan, coupe and wagon body styles. Power, 556 hp and 551 lb-ft. of torque to be exact, comes from a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 closely related to the mill used in the world-class Corvette ZR-1 sports car.

Enthusiasts will be happy to note the inclusion of a 6-speed conventional manual transmission, with a 6-speed automatic with manual shift capability available as an option. Each are paired with rear-wheel drive. The standard features list is long befitting of the car's approximately $63,000 base price, including a suede-and-leather interior, navigation system with real-time traffic updates, 10-speaker Bose Surround Sound 5.1 audio system, GM OnStar safety and convenience services and a 40 GB hard drive. Fuel efficiency, as to be expected in a car of this performance caliber, is rather dreadful at 14 city/19 highway mpg with the manual transmission or 12 city/18 highway mpg with the automatic.