2015 Cadillac ATS-V (spy photo)
Cadillac is lacing up its boxing gloves for the upcoming auto-show season as it prepares to deliver a one-two punch with new V-series performance cars. The 2015 Cadillac ATS-V, America’s first honest shot at the BMW M3, will debut at the 2014 Los Angeles auto show, which kicks off on November 19. Two months later, the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V will bow at the carmaker’s hometown auto show in Detroit. Both cars will go on sale in 2015.
Our spy photographers have already snapped a preview of what to expect with the ATS-V, but the official reveal will expose the full extent of the changes inside and out, as well as under the hood and at the four corners. We do know the V-series ATS will provide a massive injection of thrust to an already-excellent chassis. A twin-turbo 3.6-liter V-6—the same engine that’s used in the CTS Vsport—should turn out about 420 horsepower and 430 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic is a given, but it’s still not clear whether a manual transmission will be on the menu because the current do-it-yourself ATS box only has the torque capacity to handle the output of the car’s four-cylinder turbo.
One can only wonder how potent the ATS-V could be if Cadillac planners had stuck with their original powerplant choice—reportedly derailed by none other than former GM CEO Dan Akerson—the 505-hp 7.0-liter LS7 V-8 from the current Camaro Z/28 and previous-gen Corvette Z06. Regardless, the V-ified V-6 ATS set to appear in Los Angeles will be a four-door sedan, with the ATS-V coupe coming later.
- 2015 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe Spy Photos: Muscular Bodywork, Quad Exhaust
- Chassis Masters: 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray / Cadillac CTS
- 2016 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan Spy Photos
Our hopes are equally high for the CTS-V, as the performance experts on the V team had the advantage of starting with a 10Best–winning car. When the CTS-V debuts in January at the 2015 Detroit auto show, we’ll find a variant of the LT4 supercharged V-8 under the hood. That engine makes 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque in the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06. We anticipate that the CTS-V might have a slightly lower output, but we still expect roughly 600 horsepower from the king Cadillac. As with the ATS, an eight-speed automatic is guaranteed. In this bigger, more luxurious car, however, a six-speed manual gearbox seems less likely, although the versatile Tremec manual box would fit. Spy photos suggest that the CTS-V will adopt a vertical grille and a raised trunk lid along with the requisite beefy wheels and tires.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/1p2USce
via IFTTT
