That didn’t take long.
Cadillac launched its new CT4-V and CT5-V sedans on Friday, and performance driving enthusiasts let out a collective groan. A grand total of 320 and 355 horsepower respectively? While Cadillac representatives said their research found that their customers want an in-between product that’s less intimidating than track-ready – and stated more than once that there would be more to come – the lack of concrete evidence that such cars are planned for sooner than later set the haters to hating.
Well, it took all of 24 hours for Cadillac to make good on their promises.
On Saturday, at the temporary race circuit on Belle Isle in the Detroit River that played host to the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix this weekend, attendees were surprised by two camouflaged Cadillac cars doing hot laps with General Motors president Mark Reuss and vice-president of product Ken Morris behind the wheel.
A closer inspection leaves no doubt that these are indeed the current versions of the CT4 and CT5. (There are decals on the doors that clearly say so, but a peek through the camo at features like the headlights and the side window lines confirms it for conspiracy theorists.)
Not a single thing more has been said about these cars except this, from a Cadillac press release: “The cars you see in the attached photos take the V-Series to the next level and will offer customers a track-capable experience.”
Here’s what we can extrapolate: Cadillac is taking a page out of the German playbook and turning its V-Series line-up into a two-tiered system. Think M Sport versus M from BMW, or S versus RS from Audi.
Ladies and gentlemen, start your armchair speculating. Will we perhaps see the twin-turbo V6 in the higher-powered CT4-V? A V8 in the CT5-V? If this is indeed the internal combustion engine’s last hurrah for the brand as Wheels.ca was told on Friday, what would make for a suitable send-off?
For now, we’ll just have to stay tuned.
Keyword: A Day After Launching Non-Track-Ready V-Series, Cadillac Teases Track-Ready V-Series