www.infinitinews.com

Pretty impressive. I wonder if it will drop into the 13s @ 100+.

I also wonder what sort of enhancements will be possible with the HFV6.

With the weight of the CTS, it would need an LS1 to keep up (the LS2 would put it ahead, of course). Personally, I think Cadillac needs a smaller sedan than the CTS to compete against the small Japanese and German RWD sport sedans.

 

Caddy doesn't need a smaller car. That is what Chevy, Pontiac, SAAB, and Saturn are for.

What they do need is a high performance V6. From what I remember reading the HF V6 can go up to 3.8L. Make a high compression of that engine putting out 300HP and you have a nice H.O. V6 to fit in between the base V6 and V8.

My 2006 Caddy engine lineup:

3.6L V6 = 260HP
3.8L V6 = 300HP
4.6L V8 = 350HP

 

Well, maybe Saab, though it's not their traditional market. I don't think that Chevy, Pontiac, or Saturn can realistically compete with Mercedes, Lexus, and BMW. Btw, while Buick aims at Lexus, Lexus is retargeting BMW with new IS and GS models next year.

I have a coworker who likes the CTS styling but considers it too big. He doesn't want anything bigger than about 180" long (about C/3/IS/A4 sized). I think Cadillac or Saab need to be there with a RWD option. To me, it makes more sense for it to be Cadillac and to leave Saab with FWD/AWD. If Pontiac wants to be there, that would be fine, too, though it would be more on the sport than the lux side.


300hp 3.8HFV6 would be good. Of course, the G41 with 330ps (325hp) may be just around the corner :-)

 

Cadillac isn't going smaller than the CTS.

 

wow...they are completely chopping off the 350Z at the knees...this car needs a bump in perfomance (turbo) FAST!! I know it's not coming for 05, so they better be cooking up something for 06 because the bloom is coming off this rose fast

 

That is absolutely great! A car that is priced same as CTS but offers much better performance and a 6-speed!

Does this mean that 350Z will also get a bump? And so will G35 coupe? I would expect both of those cars to cross 300 HP number, and come to think of it, it's "just" a V6 - probably the most powerful N/A V6 produced for a mass-produced car (save Porsches)

 

CTS has a 6-speed manual as the base tranny for 2005, if you need more than 260HP they make the 400HP (soon to be 500HP) CTSv

 

I've read that, and it may make sense in the midwest. I think it's a mistake though.

Bigger isn't always better, when it adds 300 lbs., forcing you to go to a V8 to match the performance of a smaller V6 (or I6) sedan, which then adds another 200 lbs. and a bunch of cost, etc. At the small end of the lux sedan market, there's going to be a ~265hp C350, a 250hp 330i, this 298hp G35, and a 250+hp IS330. GM has nothing to compete with those, and there doesn't appear to be anything on the horizon. At least Ford has the Jag X-type, which is not a strong competitor, but perhaps will be in the next iteration.

Smaller is also better when you have to drive and park said car in crowded California parking lots (or on street parking).

 

Yeah, but $15000 or so more money.

The CTS 2.8 is really competition for the GS300 and 525i, while the 3.6 is competition for the 530i (and forthcoming GS330, if rumors of a 3.3V6 of 250+hp are true).

Pricewise, it competes against the 330i, but only if the buyer is pretty flexible on the size of the car.

 

Or the G35, even though it is bigger than the 330i. It's not much heavier.


The CTS 3.6 will also be a direct competitor for the new M35.

 

I'd like to see Caddy make a 3 series sized sedan priced in the upper 20s myself. Unfortunately, Cadillac sees the larger CTS as a 3 series competitor. Go figure.

 

So they're closer to getting it, but they still haven't quite got it.

Force a GM exec to live for a month in SF and park on the street. Maybe that would help.