Cadillac STS-V, 0-60 in 4.8

[HarleyEarl]

American Dream Come True: Performance STS-V may be Cadillac's best yet
BOB GRITZINGER
Published Date: 12/5/05
2006 CADILLAC STS-V
ON SALE: Now
BASE PRICE: $77,090
POWERTRAIN: 4.4-liter, 469-hp, 439-lb-ft supercharged V8; rwd, six-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT: 4295 lbs
0 to 60 MPH: 4.8 seconds (mfr.)



General Motors Performance Division engineers will be the first to tell you that their pride and joy, the 2006 Cadillac STS-V, is more of an autobahn rocket than a hyperactive track star.


Unlike its race-bred sibling, the CTS-V, this latest model in Cadillac’s performance lineup is not intended for hard cornering, hard braking, hard accelerating or hard anything. That’s not to say the car can’t handle hard charging, or that it won’t match up well against the luxury performance competition; it’s just not going to beat anyone up, including, most importantly, the person behind the wheel or the passengers.

Performance Division resident hotshoe engineer John Heinricy, who has turned many a lap in pursuit of performance handling in everything from the Corvette Z06 to Chevy’s racing Cobalt, compares the STS-V’s performance to a base C6 Corvette. For those looking for a BMW M5 in Cadillac clothing, that might not be enough. But for those seeking Corvette performance in a well-manner­ed, full-size rear-wheel-drive American luxury sedan, STS-V is a dream come true.


Our drives support Heinricy’s assertion—the car proved virtually as quick as a C6 on GM’s Milford test track, with little body roll, solid consistent braking and enough wiggle room in competitive driving mode (same as that found on the C6) to allow you to steer the tail by flexing your right ankle.

Cadillac general manager Jim Taylor is quick to give props to the first hot rod Caddy from the Performance Division, the 2004 CTS-V, which established GM’s formerly ponderous and pompous division as a player in the performance ranks—and made a name for Cadillac on the racing circuit.

Next out of the gate is this STS-V, based on the highly touted, well-received new rear-wheel-drive STS. The V arrives at dealers this month, follow­ed early next year by the 2006 XLR-V roadster, completing Cadillac’s performance portfolio.


“Even though CTS outsells STS, the STS defines the brand,” says Taylor. “The STS-V casts a performance shadow over the entire Cadillac line, and gets rid of the perception that Cadillacs are big cars for old men. Changing that perception is No. 1 on our list.”

Make no mistake: These high-zoot Caddys are all fairly exclusive. Where CTS sells in the range of 70,000 cars per year and STS about 35,000, only about 4000 CTS-Vs go out the door a year—at a selling price in excess of $50,000 each. STS-V will likely halve that number, selling just 2000 copies a year to an exclusive clientele capable of handing over more than $77,000. (For those keeping score, Cadillac plans to sell about 1000 of its $100,000-plus XLR-Vs annually.) If you tote it all up, the V-car sales are the kinds of numbers that used to get people laughed out of GM boardrooms not too many years ago, or at the very least shipped over to Chevy to learn the ABCs of selling in volume.


So what exactly does $30,000 over a base STS buy in an STS-V? And more importantly, is the premium worth it?

For starters, that big bump in the center of the sheet-molded composite hood isn’t there for appearances. Underneath Cadillac stuffs a 4.4-liter supercharged Northstar V8—the first supercharged production Cadillac engine. It is also the most potent production Caddy powerplant ever, capable of producing 469 hp at 6400 rpm and 439 lb-ft of torque at 3600 rpm—with 90 percent of peak torque on tap from 2200 to 6000 rpm. GM engineers originally estimated output at 440 hp and 430 lb-ft, but new Society of Automotive Engineers testing rules bump actual output and place the STS-V engine in the select company of a very few V8s that pump out more than 100 hp per liter.


The aluminum engine, a smaller-bore version of the base car’s naturally aspirated 4.6-liter Northstar V8 that makes 320 hp and 315 lb-ft, is fitted with a GM-patented integrated supercharger/intake manifold that creates one seriously rigid piece of hardware. Inside the unit is a Roots-type blower producing 10 to 12 psi of boost, along with an intercooler comprised of four Swedish-made Laminova chillers that knock the intake temperature down from 300 degrees F to just 135 F before pumping the charge into the combustion chambers. The engine features unique four-cam continuously variable valve timing.

While the overhead-cam setup reduces valve noise and the clutchless supercharger and tubular intercoolers cut into booster whine and intake noise, GM engineers took some added steps to suppress noise from the engine bay. These are: automated exhaust port polishing to smooth airflow; oil cooling jets to damp piston, rod and pin noise; and a new accessory drive system using a single pulley to drive three belts, including the dedicated supercharger drive belt.

The overall effect is one of big-displacement power without all the usual intake and engine noise permeating the cabin. Instead, a heavy foot is rewarded with smooth power amid near-Lexus quiet, with just a hint of an exhaust thrum to make sure you don’t forget you’re at the wheel of a performance machine.


For some of our testers the refinement may go too far—they don’t think the engine feels quite as dramatic as 469 hp ought to feel. But all agree there is more than enough scoot under boot to make this unpretentious Caddy a sleeper on the street.

Power is routed to the rear wheels via a new six-speed adaptable automatic transmission—the first GM six-speed built for rwd, awd and 4wd applications. The gearbox operates in three modes: fully automatic, more aggressive performance algorithm shifting automatic, and sequential manual shift, in which the driver chooses gears via the intuitive center-console shift lever. The driver shift control system also allows the transmission to hold the driver-selected gear right up to the 6700-rpm redline without jumping to the next gear.


We’d like the transmission to be a little quicker in its shift response, especially when pushing the limit, but then we’re used to driving cars with manual gearboxes. For most drivers this gearbox will be more than responsive, while providing the ease and predictably smooth shifting of a Hydramatic transmission in everyday driving.

Chassis upgrades support the powertrain, with stiffer springs, bushings, wheel bearings and antiroll bars; a steering gear tuned for quicker on-center response without overreacting off-center; Brembo four-piston disc brakes, 14 inches front and 14.3 inches rear; and 10-spoke painted aluminum wheels, 18x8.5 inches in front, 19x9.5 inches in the rear, fitted with Pirelli Euphoria run-flat tires.

Cadillac stylists resisted the urge to hammer home STS-V’s performance credentials. Instead, design touches like the lowered front fascia and the wider mesh grille opening are functional, providing a 34 percent increase in engine bay cooling, while the taller rear spoiler and front chin spoiler reduce lift, and the lower rear fascia helps control airflow. Discreet V Series and Supercharged badges accent the exterior.


Inside Cadillac turned to Draexlmaier Automotive, the same supplier Mercedes uses for its Maybach, for the neatly stitched door panel and dashboard leather work. Etched metal accents the interior and the steering wheel spokes, while olive ashburl wood completes the ensemble (you didn’t think Cadillac would get away without some wood, did you?). The overall effect is inviting, functional and comfortable, without being fussy or hard to manage.

After a few laps around a track and a few days of pounding the urban/suburban pavement, we think the STS-V is one awesome Cadillac, possibly the best car the division has produced. Given that, the buying decision ought to come down to whether you prefer STS-V’s “elegant” performance formula, or the more rugged, racier edge found in more expensive competitors like the M5 (opposite page) and the Mercedes-Benz E55 AMG.

Isn’t it nice to have choices for a change?

[Paolino]

I tell you, I'm all about the olive ash burled wood. Gimme gimme gimme. Oh, and 469hp Supercharged Northstar is nice too LOL

[HarleyEarl]