Get Ready To Welcome Two New V-Series Cadillacs

Next week Cadillac will reveal not one, but two new high-performance V-Series models as thelong-awaited CT5-V and CT4-V will break cover on May 30- although we're a little surprised Cadillac isn't revealing the base CT4 first. Little is known about the two sports sedans, but the CT5-V is rumored to use a detuned version of the 4.2-liter twin-turbo Blackhawk V8 found in the CT6-V, which produces 550 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque and is mated to a 10-speed automatic. It's great timing too because this year marks the 15th anniversary of Cadillac's first V-Series model, and the company is looking back at three-generations of the series.

"From the very beginning, Cadillac's V-Series represented the ultimate expression of our design, technology, and performance," said Mark Reuss, GM president. "It introduced an entirely new breed of performance-minded customers to Cadillac showrooms and helped transform the brand's traditional image into one with different facets for customers' varying driving tastes."

Introduced in 2004, the original CTS-V was the most powerful car Cadillac had ever built at the time thanks to its 400-hp 5.7-liter V8 (and later a 6.0-liter V8) that enabled the sedan to do 0-62 mph in around about 4.6 seconds. It also had sharper handling as a result of extensive testing at the Nurburgring, while some of its design elements, such as the mesh grille and darkened exterior trim, still feature on Cadillac's current V-Series models.

In 2006, the XLR two-seat grand tourer was also given the V-Series treatment and became one of the most powerful cars at the time thanks to a supercharged V8 rated at 443 hp. It established the legacy of forced induction, whether by supercharging or turbocharging, employed on every V-Series model that followed. The same year also saw the launch of the STS-V, distinguished by its staggered 18-inch front and 19-inch rear wheels, Performance Algorithm Shifting, and ZF Servotronic II steering, which was one of Cadillac's first applications of electric power steering. Power came from a 469-hp version of the supercharged V8 found in the XLR-V.