The 2009 Cadillac CTS-V is raw power.  Drastically stronger than the previous model years, the 2009 CTS-V takes the Corvette ZR-1′s 6.2-liter engine and pops it under the hood of this sedan.  Oh yeah, but it can hold five people and is on the affordable side of the hefty ZR-1 price tag.

Here is a nice track test video from RoadFly:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiPKcCKolj0&hl=en&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999]

Performance-wise, the CTS-V finds itself in the company of the Mercedes E63 AMG and BMW M5, both quick sedans which run around $85,000, but it is a significantly better deal.  The CTS-V will be priced in the mid-60K range even when loaded out on options.

And don’t let the lower price tag fool you.  The CTS-V will go 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, has 100 more horsepower than the Mercedes E63 AMG and outran the BMW M5 at The Ring.  Cadillac added nice touches to the CTS-V’s steering wheel and shifter, giving them a comfortable suede-like feel.  The car has Brembo brakes to keep it reigned in, given its 191 mph top speed.

Calling it “unforgettable”, Car and Driver named the CTS-V to its top ten cars this year, and I know why.  I had the opportunity to get behind the wheel of one at a Cadillac dealer in Chicago about a month ago.  My experience could be summed up by the following two sentences:  Wow.  WOW.

I wish I could go into a long description about what it was like to drive it.  Unfortunately, I enjoyed myself so much, and the drive went by so quickly, I didn’t really catalog much in the way of specifics.  Anyway I wouldn’t do it justice with the written word.  My best advice is to test drive one for yourself at a Cadillac dealer in Chicago.  Certainly, nothing was glaringly wrong or I would have noticed.  Yes, that’s what I noticed–that nothing with this car was wrong, including me being behind its wheel.  (That was incredibly right.)  I’ve been in other high-performance autos, but this one really stands out.  Maybe it is because the CTS-V is so unassuming, but it’s probably because it’s so amazing.  To say that every car I’ve driven since then seems on the clunky side is no exaggeration, and I’ve driven a couple of V-8s since.  They can’t seem to keep them in stock, but the next time I’m out at a Cadillac dealer in Chicago I’ll be asking to drive one.

I love the CTS, and I’ve blogged about the CTS Sport Wagon before.  But the a chance to drive the CTS-V is the car guy’s equivalent of a date with Jennifer Aniston.  It’s just as beautiful, after all, and is better in several ways:  it has nothing to do with Brad Pitt, it’s attainable, and it could actually make David Schwimmer look cool.

If the CTS sedan didn’t convince you that Cadillac is anything but slow and bulky, the CTS-V should leave no doubt that Cadillac is a top maker of performance automobiles.

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