Wow, some of these replies are amazing!!!

First, congrats on your new purchase, it's ALWAYS exciting to get a new toy!


However, by some of these replies, it is obvious that some people don't think things through to well...

#1 and probably the MOST important issue: GM would have to be the STUPIDEST company on this planet to price the Caddy CTS-V in the $30K segment! PERIOD. There $50K price for the CTS-V is DEAD ON!

... The CTS-V is NOT meant as an upgrade for F-Body crowd! Somehow I always thought this was OBVIOUS since day one, but I guess not.
... The target market for the CTS-V is the M3 and AMG folks.
- THAT target market would NEVER consider a CTS-V if it was priced in the $30K segment EVEN if the CTS-V KILLED them in EVERY ASPECT (performance, fit/finish, etc.. etc.). Why? Well, first of all, people looking at M3's & AMGs will not STEP DOWN to a "CHEAPER" product! Yes, in the world of dollars are easy, the "image status" among that demographic would see it as a "cheaper car" and thus INFERIOR based on PRICE ALONE! Secondly, it seems that $30K is becoming a very affordable price these days even for "kids." Caddy is starting to move up again in the word and the last thing I would want to see is a bunch of kids swerving through traffic in CTS-V... Nothing would kill Caddy target market of upscale cars and trucks like giving a bunch of punks affordable killer cars that they can rice out!!!

#2 Wow, comparing EVO's, SRT's, WRX's to a Corvette. Definitely shows what the current generation thinks of an american legend. I guess I shouldn't be shocked as it's the same generation that believe that a 5" exhaust tip gives you performance and the leaf blower gone mad sound of the exhaust from these 4 bangers is music!
- Again, these are two TOTALLY different demographic targets.

In most cases guys that are hard core V8 people and love the V8 sound wouldn't be caught dead in a 4 banger that sounds like a leaf blower on steroids. I'm one of those people I guess, but then again, I've owned only V8's (fbodies & vettes). I have own 4 bangers as beater cars for winter transportation, etc, but they were just that... utilitarian, not a way to hop it up and get myself to "believe" I have a performance car.

Yeah, the new crop of 4 bangers, etc are fast and may corner well, etc.... but to compare, confuse and mix them with V8's??? I say bring it on!!! All the more to display what a V8 can truely do.

 

Considering most new FBody buyers were in their 40s, it is not as much of a stretch as you might think.

You are right, these are cars that will attract different buyers. It only makes sense though, to compare performance cars against the current benchmark. That someone would be shopping for one and the other at the same time, that is not likely the case. In terms of numbers though, it is in fact not an absurd comparison at all.

It is, however, absurd to lump these cars in with the trash you see running around on a daily basis. That they are four-cylinders is where the similarities end. If you look closely, you'll see a large number of tacky V8 third/fourth gen cars running around on a given day. I don't base my opinions of Corvettes on them though.

Which is what? Some of those in that new crop are more than capable of giving your ego a setback.

 

Jerry - As you pointed out, I should seperate the "high dollar" WRX's, EVO's etc, from the civic fart pipe crowd and I understand how you would demand this seperation. However, around here it is more common than NOT that even such a nice car as a WRX gets the "ricer" treatment. Sad, but I see it way more then riced out 4th gen F-bodies...

As far as a EVO or WRX setting my "V8 ego" back, those owners of these new crop of "performance cars" will have to spend quite a few dollars on performance mods all around instead of money for 5" pipes, etc before they hurt my "ego."

No offense Jerry, but do seriously see a WRX being a classic 30 - 50 years from now??? I just can't see it but you never know I guess, people didn't think that 5" inch + fart pipes would catch on years and years ago either!

Although, I do believe that history will record the WRX as the car that paved the AWD performance car market. I just don't consider it or any of the new runners as "sports cars"

 

I hate to tell u this but the new wrx sti will definitly give a stock ls1 fbod a run for its money.
dont think that im a 4 banger lovin kid, i love the sound of a nice v8 as much as the next guy ( cant wait to get the GTO running), but my cousin has a wrx and that thing is cool ( as much as i dislike imports) and frankly the new evo and sti get me excited.(although they can keep those ricer spoilers )

 

Hopefully the CTSv will come in the low $40Ks, if it does come out at $52K it will make the GTO look like a pretty good deal.

for $52K it better be LOADED, nav system, DVD and all.

Now if it was a 450HP V8 for $52K that would probably be worth it.

for the record these other cars start at:
M3 = $46,500 (bmwusa.com)
S4 = $45,000
C32 AMG = $51,120 (mbusa.com)

Pricing the CTSv over these Luxury hot rods would be a bad move, even if it is faster.

 

Thanks for the lecture on snob appeal. However, in the real world, Cadillac has about zero credibility as a luxury performance brand. They are starting at a lower image base than Lexus did when it was introduced in 1990. Would anybody pay more for a CTSv than a M3 or Audi S4? Perhaps a few successful pizza parlor owners.

Isn't it odd that the new $45K Audi S4 offers the same drivetrain as last years $80k S8? The European brands are offering greater performance with every model change, but they're also upping the stakes in technology. That's where prestige comes from.

Cadillac is offering a Corvette motor that bears a substantial resemblance to the V8 in my $25k Camaro. Cylinder heads aside, this alloy lump could be my very own LS-1. I don't see the prestige, and considering the decades of negative associations, I don't see the value in a $52k CTSv.

 

snob appeal? LOLs... you need to crawl out from under the rock your under. Seriously, WHY in your mind would Caddy price the CTS-V in the 35K? That's what the GTO is for.

That would be like saying, hey BMW, lets price the next M3 to compete with a 350Z or G35... sheesh

Okay, so you don't like the LS6, I guess in your eyes a Corvette is cheap and not worth the 44K-52K, that's your right also.... just like I don't believe that an EVO or STI is worth $30K+

Personally, if I was in the market for an M3 or AMG or Audi, I would now have to consider the CTS-V... why? If it's all they make it out to be, it'll put a kick some butt and because it has the LS6!!! Imagine a 422ci LS6 in that cruiser... Who needs Northstars complexity and added expense.

We'll agree to disagree I guess, but man, why would ANY manufacturer price a specialty vehicle cheap? I mean, heck if Mitsu can price the EVO at $30K and call it a day, then why would a CTS-V only be priced 1-5K above it's base model when it offers SO much more???

 

JAS_LS1--thought you made some good points.

I think Cadillac is predeterming the number of CTS-V cars. If they do that--then they wouldn't price it cheap. Less profit. When positioning their product in consumers minds against the BMW, Audi, Mercedes, price, like everything else must be close.

 

gt

 

Either LS-6 heads cost $15,000 to manufacture, or Cadillac has decided that the CTSv should have an Escalade-sized profit margin.

It looks like Cadillac's engineering staff is concentrating on performance while the marketing department is going to experiment with consumer proctology.

 

SO many people making oblivious rushes to judgement, based on what ONE uninformed GM representative may have said. And I can't really take anyone seriously who was considering a Cadillac but settled for a Mitsubitchy instead. Maybe it's a good thing if the CTSv's end up in the hands of more responsible people than that. I mean all of a sudden lately it's "52k oh my god!!" when none of us really have any idea as to the price. Is anyone in touch with reality? Reality is.. you don't know the price, so give it time. Put my guess down for high 40s, max. Jeez, give it time, at least, before you write off a car based on an unsubstantiated figure..

gt

 

41k, 44k, wherever....all too damn much for me

 

You must have missed the list of other things that are included on CTS-V besides the "LS6 heads" then, right?

 

Well, I picked up the EVO on Friday (couldn't wait for the blue on so I picke a white one off the lot) and it has been a fun weekend. No one around here (St Louis) really knows what an Evo is. Alot of people seem to think it is just another all show, no go civic. Well I want to put 1000 miles on it to break it in but I have already had 3 mustangs try me. 2 old LX 5.0's with the big tires on back, Big tack on the dash, and pizza cutter tires up front, and 1 newer mustang GT. None of them have kept up. I'm loving it.

Hate all you want, but this car is more of a sports car than than a mustang or camaro. There is already (this car went on sale like 6 weeks ago) a stage 1 kit with a video documenting a 12.5 1/4 on stock tires. It's pretty much just 3" exhaust and a K&N

 

Great arguement