CTS-V Answers the Challenge
By Bob Lutz
GM Vice Chairman
Today, at the Monticello Motor Club in New York, the Cadillac CTS-V stood tall in the V-Series Challenge, a race pitting the CTS-V against several of the best production sedans on the market today — those that showed up, that is.
Here are the results from the track. There were no winners or losers today – the point was to have fun with great cars because that’s what they’re all about, and to show that GM vehicles can compete with the best in the world, in every class. It was a great day for the CTS-V, and an exceptionally fun day for me. I’ll have to issue another challenge so I can do this again sometime soon, although I wish I had started doing these when I was younger!
- Posted in Bob Lutz, Cars & Trucks
to this comment On October 29, 2009 at 4:20 pm Sheth jones said:
Its a shame Jaguar backed out instead of standing behind their product. MB should have fielded the new E63 as well but I suppose they don’t have any in the States yet.
to this comment On October 29, 2009 at 4:46 pm Matthew LaQuerre said:
Congrats Bob. The CTS-V is a very capable car, and it’s nice to see GM run this kind of challenge. Would be cool to see it more often. Good to know there’s at least one American automotive executive that knows how to drive!
to this comment On October 29, 2009 at 4:52 pm Dewey Cornell said:
…the point was to have fun with great cars because that’s what they’re all about, and to show that GM vehicles can compete with the best in the world, in every class.
Mr. Lutz,
You say in every class, and that you want to have fun. Now let’s see you go up against Alan Mullaly of Ford.
The Cars Volt v. Ford Focus BEV
The Place The back lot of NBC on Jay Leno’s “Green Car Challenge” course.
to this comment On November 1, 2009 at 6:36 pm SierraGS said:
That is a good idea and will get a some attention for the Volt but the Focus BEV is not a EREV vehicle like the Volt and how do you know Alan Mullaly would race against anyone?
I would like to see Jay replace the Focus for the Volt then challange guests to match the Volts capabilities in both the short “green car” curcuit and then one at the Pomona Drag Strip followed by a 10 lap race around Willow Springs.
The top 9 competitors for the year would then race the Volt cross country.
This will get attention and show the Volt’s multi-faceted performance capabilities in power, handling, range and overall MPG.
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 10:50 am Dewey Cornell said:
…how do you know Alan Mullaly would race against anyone?
I don’t know. That’s the point of a challenge. Put the challenge out there and see if they’ll man up and accept or not.
to this comment On October 29, 2009 at 5:18 pm Ned Winchester said:
// I’ll have to issue another challenge so I can do this again sometime soon…//
Why not a challenge using the Volt against some of the other electrics? The idea above of racing Ford’s Alan Mullaly on the Jeno Leno Show is not bad. You’d have lots of viewers.
to this comment On October 29, 2009 at 6:22 pm Andi Baritchi said:
Mr. Lutz,
Great show! I’ll bring a Viper if you do a ZR1 challenge next….
Cheers,
Andi
ps, i’ll bring my copy of Guts for you to sign as well.
to this comment On October 29, 2009 at 6:35 pm Chase said:
Very cool event Lutz. I can’t wait to see more CTS-Vs on the road! Please keep us updated on new Cadi sports cars — I can’t wait to hear more on the ATS and I have big hopes for an ATS-V!
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 12:02 am Allen said:
Isn’t there anyone else who sees a problem here? The top three finishes DID go to a CTS-V, but all done by professional drivers. Michael Cooper is some kid with an M3, and he managed to get rather close, beating the CTS-V in the hands of Baruth (who is a long long ago LeMans winner).
And of course, Cooper beat Lutz too.
I hate to say it but its hard to say the CTS-V wins hands down when to do it, GM had to pull three pros out of the stable.
I still think Siler had a shot against Lutz had Jaguar not pulled out.
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 10:06 am Sheth jones said:
The 21 year old has supposedly been trained at Skip Barber. The GM drivers are not professional racers, they just have some experience. One of the best times was by an engineer who helped develop the car- he is no professional racer.
How you you know the 21 year old couldn’t have beat his own time in the CTS-V? You don’t know for sure.
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 1:47 pm Scott Dumon said:
Uh, I believe Audi, MB and BMW have access to a few professional drivers. Oh that’s right, they declined to show up…
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 11:25 am Sheth jones said:
Exactly. People are claiming the deck was stacked and other cars “may have” outperformed the CTS-V but we will never know since the other guys wouldn’t play.
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 2:53 am Shravan Kumar Gudur said:
I never thought I’d see a 77 year old man driving an AT Caddy CTS-V would blow the doors off of an BMW M5. As far as Jaguar and Merc goes sad to see them chicken out when a push became a shove….Great going Bob… Sorry “Maximum Bob”!!
Would like to see more such contests between everyday cars and their automakers.
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 8:04 am frank figueredo said:
Obviously the competition thought the deck was stacked. Nonetheless, independent sources have shown consistent results. The V is amazing and at the price, the fastest four dour sedan on the planet.
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 4:28 pm Sheth jones said:
I don’t think the competition thought the deck was stacked, I believe they didn’t want to lend any credibility to Cadillac by participating. They knew that lending their products to this event would’ve proven than an American automaker can build a super sedan on par with theirs and that’s the last thing they wanted. When you are charging $15k-$30k more for a car that offers slightly less performance than the CTS-V you don’t want to see any head to head comparisons that would make the Cadillac look like a bargain.
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 8:39 am Eric Planey said:
Nice job Bob! I would have liked to seen a G8 GXP in there, just for posterity’s sake.
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 9:32 am Ray Smith said:
Sheth, Not sure what you mean by Jaguar “backing out.” Unless I’m missing something — and according to the standings above–they finished 11th in an XF model.
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 10:09 am Sheth jones said:
No, they backed out. They said an XF-R would be provided to a blogger but then renegged because they had concerns about the brakes performing well enough over the course of 5 laps. The regular XF is obviously no competition for the CTS-V and Jaguar would never have sent that car to the challenge.
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 11:23 am Ned Winchester said:
Ray,
This is probably what he’s talking about: Jaguar Pusses Out Of Jalopnik Vs. GM Race
It’s true. Stuart Schorr, Jaguar’s main product PR man, told us flat out he expected the XFR would lose to the CTS-V, so it’s not that he’s afraid to lose to “Maximum” Bob Lutz.
Instead, they’re afraid the XFR can’t handle the strain. Specifically, the brakes. Without better brake cooling, Schorr tells us his folks are concerned the XFR just can’t put the necessary laps in without endangering the driver.
to this comment On November 1, 2009 at 8:59 am Archan Basu said:
Kudos to Cadillac for hosting such a fabulous event for car guys everywhere!!! For all of us there, it was a day in car heaven.
I drove the ‘09 Jaguar XF Super in this event. In the spirit of setting the record straight, concerns re Jaguar performance and brakes are totally misplaced.
This was my first time on a track. The car felt amazing. I ended up besting an Audi RS4, and finished within 30 secs of Nurburgring record holder and racing legend John Heinricy in his CTS-V. My brakes didn’t fade. The XF-R has superior brakes to my model.
The CTS-V clearly rocks. But Jaguars are no slouches. Anyone shopping a German supersport sedan, do yourself a favor and check out the Jag & Caddy.
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 9:59 am Tom Rutherford said:
Mr. Lutz, VERY COOL Challenge! How about this for the next one: Which vehicle, that gets over 30 MPG Hwy, is the most fun? Let the blogs determine the tests.
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 11:15 am bluebaby said:
Congrats Bob now just turn this into a t.v. commercial for the kool-aid drinkers here in so cal and wait for all the crying, awsome Bob!
bluebaby
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 12:55 pm JRvette said:
Frankly GM needs to do much more like this as it shows they are human and understand a car is just not for getting to/from a store.
Congrats to Bob Lutz as it showed how great a design comes from an American nameplate where someones grandfather can whip on much younger folks.
It also shows where other nameplates talk big in marketing that when push comes to shove they are a no show to doing down to earth compares as this CTS-V did.
As to the 21 year old, are you kidding me his reflects are much better then Bob’s is and the guy had track experience. In the end for little money GM got a lot of free press that most of us as customers could understand and root for.
Keep it up Bob, next time do this with a ZR1 or Z06 Corvette
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 3:24 pm Raymond Joyal said:
This should be in future Cadillac advertising. You can even admit the BMW M3 is an awesome car, but there’s no way you’d ever put a 1999 Cadillac ANYTHING in the same list as a BMW M3 or M5.
I also like the ideas of doing tests like this involving other GM cars. They don’t all have to be about speed. You could do ecoTesting with a Volt, payload testing with a Silverado…. I’d like to see CORR style racing with GM’s answer to the Ford Raptor.
GM doesn’t need to be as good as the competition. GM needs to whip the competition. Why? Because if GM can’t… then the car needs work until it can. Why? So people know that GM cars are better, because at the end of the day, it’s still all about the product.
Ray
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 4:21 pm Stefano said:
Dear Mr Lutz,
I admit You have good PR in the U.S. But from perspective of European Cadillac enthusiasts it’s embarassing to watch this kind of advertising. Why? Because V-Cadillacs are not offered in Europe. And Cadillac as a whole is completely neglected here. Infiniti makes some advertising for example, Cadillac has done nothing for the last 3-4 years. Not offering the CTS-V was the biggest mistake.
Please make similar challenges in European cities. There’s also an opportunity of good PR move, in 2012 European Soccer Cup tournament will take place in Poland/Ukraine. Companies are able to become sponsors of soccer arenas. Make an offer, let the stadium in Warsaw be called ‘Cadillac Arena’!
to this comment On October 30, 2009 at 5:07 pm Redd Nuckles said:
Mr Lutz,
I just read that your CTS-V had an automatic transmission. How could a former Marine Corps fighter pilot opt to use a car with an automatic transmission instead of with a stick?
That’s not good for your image. You’ve let us down.
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 11:47 am Sheth jones said:
The car is faster with the automatic. When it set the record at the Ring an auto CTS-V was used.
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 12:02 pm Redd Nuckles said:
Nevertheless, it’s still disappointing to see a former fighter pilot use an automatic.
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 4:29 pm Sheth jones said:
Why is that? Airplanes come with manual transmissions?
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 7:23 pm Redd Nuckles said:
If you have to ask, I probably can’t explain it, but I’ll try:
Fighter pilots are stalwart individualists — rugged cowboys and resolute knights of the modern era who don’t take the easy way — just because it is easier. People who realize and believe that taking the time and making the effort to develop the skill to do things correctly makes them better and hardens them. People who believe that taking the easy way — such as driving a car with an automatic transmission — negates individual decision making and their finely-honed skill, and is something only a less stalwart and indomitable person would do.
to this comment On November 3, 2009 at 6:01 pm Gerry said:
No Sheth, airplanes don’t come with manual transmissions.
If Bob Lutz wants to pilot his CTS-V around a track to prove the car’s capabilities, good on him.
However, that doesn’t address the fact that a small, but vocal amount of people still prefer to have their cars equipped with a manual transmission.
I’m driving a 2006 Acura TSX. It is coming up on four years old. I’m not about to pay the Cadillac premium to get a CTS in any flavor, as it is significantly more expensive than a current TSX. Right now, the leading contender to replace my current vehicle would be a Volkswagen Jetta, which, wait for it, I can get with a manual transmission. Cheaper than a TSX too.
So, other than the CTS, which is priced higher than I care to pay, what GM sedan can be had for approximately 30K, will get me the same mileage as a TSX, AND can be had with a manual transmission.
Lets leave out the arguments that current automatics with paddle shifters are superior to a manual. Don’t care to drive an automatic, end of discussion.
to this comment On November 11, 2009 at 12:29 am Axel von Harmin said:
Sheth Jones,
It’s a well-known and widely-acknowledged truth that people who are truly confident in their skill as drivers prefer manual transmissions.
Those who are less confident of their skill, who are slothful, who would rather have someone or something make decisions for them, and who don’t enjoy driving, tend to prefer automatics.
to this comment On November 21, 2009 at 10:19 am Wayde Northrop said:
Axel,
You forgot to add that as a rule, drivers who use manual transmissions are better people.
to this comment On November 11, 2009 at 10:15 am Doug Niedermeyer said:
Automatic transmissions are for people who aren’t really engaged in driving and who drive as though their brains are on automatic too. Automatics are for people who aim their cars instead of drive them.
to this comment On October 31, 2009 at 5:31 am Andrew Charles said:
I think GM aims to win that one with a CTS as well.
to this comment On November 1, 2009 at 6:44 am Mark Anderson said:
Bob,
Congratulations on blowing the competion off the road! Cadillac’s victory is strengthened by the fact that many “competitors” didn’t even have the guts to come to the race. I love James R. Healey’s comment in USA TODAY, “The European makers, who sell the most likely rivals to the CTS-V, have steered clear of the challenge. But not out of fear of losing, they say.” Yeah, right!
Mark Anderson
to this comment On November 1, 2009 at 10:39 am Sheldon Mills said:
While the cadillac may be a nice car this model is out of the price range of most consumers. Moreover, most are not ‘Rap’ stars and associate the brand with a different socioeconomic sector entirely. Two very definite stikes againest the brand. With the majority of the people I associate the only time they will be seen in a cadillac by choice is when it’s a hearse.
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 12:07 pm Sheth jones said:
Believe it or not some do not buy vehicles based on what they think others will say. Your inference that people wouldn’t buy Cadillacs because minority celebrities drive Escalades is insulting. If you look at the average person driving a Cadillac today they refelect the racial mix of other luxury brand owners. The idea that most Cadillacs are driven by “rap stars” is absurd and if if it weren’t I would question the relevance to someone who is tolerant.
You also note that the CTS-V is out the price range of most customers as if that makes it an anomaly. Have you priced the M5 or XF-R? Both are thousands more expensive than the CTS-V. These cars are not aimed at middle class people. If you cannot afford the CTS-V there are cheaper models available from Cadillac. If you can’t afford a Cadillac you can check out the other GM brands.
to this comment On November 3, 2009 at 9:59 am Sheldon Mills said:
Sheth – It is not my fault that GM has lost its market share and the confidence of the majority of the buying American public. The insult was not intentional simply a statement of fact. GM vehicles are now considered a step DOWN. This is the perception they should have changed (and/or worked to prevent). Now it is too late.
Government motors will never repay the ‘Loan” and we (the american taxpayer) are stuck with the dept. The illegal way that Obama let them screw over bond holders while handing control to the UAW speaks volumes.
I now walk away from this site, you and everything GM or UAW touched.
The bumber sticker on my LEXUS reads “GM = GOVERNMENT motors.
Farewell
PS. Are you sure that you don’t work for GM??????…………lol
to this comment On November 4, 2009 at 9:14 am Sheth jones said:
Sheldon,
Now the truth comes out so we can see how unreasonable you really are. The bailout is over but you continue to cry over spilled milk. When you can’t find fault with the vehicles being dicussed you shift to bailout talk because that’s all you have left. Everyone is entitled to an opinion on the bailout but that doesn’t change the fact that the CTS-V is a world class car. I don’t buy cars based on my political views- apparently you have a different perspective. Instead of talking about the vehicles you are using this blog to air your grievances with the government. Wrong place, wrong topic.
to this comment On November 4, 2009 at 11:24 am Charlie H said:
Sheth,
Sheldon is perfectly on-topic. GM is in the business of selling cars and Sheldon should want to be a customer; GM should want every body to be a potential customer. Building a CTS-V isn’t going to win Sheldon back and it’s on-topic for him to point this out and why.
You might not like Sheldon’s point of view but that doesn’t mean you can wave it away. There’s too may Sheldons out there.
The CTS-V doesn’t improve the odds of me buying a GM car, either, and I’m not particularly uncomfortable with the bailout. I’m uncomfortable with how GM went bankrupt and deeply dissatisfied with the post-bailout change in direction – or lack thereof. GM doesn’t seem to be doing what’s necessary to win me over; I’m not a halo-car kind of guy. The vast majority of the market isn’t halo-car kinds of guys, either, so this is very relevant. GM needs competitive small cars and solid mid-range hits. And they need to express confidence in vehicle reliability in a more tangible way.
None of this is cheap or easy. Putting a giant pushrod engine in the CTS is probably not all that cheap but it was probably also relatively easy (as in, straightforward engineering changes).
But it’s biggest problem is that it’s not going to help. You know… at least the Corvette is shown off in the showrooms that Middle America should be visiting. Few are going to see a CTS-V when they’re out car-shopping.
to this comment On November 4, 2009 at 4:35 pm Sheth jones said:
Charlie H:
Let me clear: I really don’t care how you or anyone else feels about the bailout. If you dislike the bailout and dislike everything GM does one could ask why you waste time blogging on a GM run site. There are plenty of other vehicles out there so I suspect your presence here has nothing to do with your desire to consider a GM product and everything to do with you trying to find a forum to berate them with the SAME points over and over again. Since you have stated GM has done so much wrong in your eyes why would anyone who believes in logical thinking ever believe that GM has any chance of making you a convert? As I said, Sheldon’s comments were irrelevant to the blog entry. I would love to know what in depth knowledge you have about GM’s operations that qualify you as an authority on how much change has occurred over the last few months.
“The vast majority of the market isn’t halo-car kinds of guys, either, so this is very relevant. GM needs competitive small cars and solid mid-range hits. And they need to express confidence in vehicle reliability in a more tangible way.”
Please explain what any of this has to do with the CTS-V. Where did GM claim that it was abandoning the segments you mentioned to foucs on the CTS-V? Have you not heard of the Malibu, Acadia, Equinox/Terrain or LAcrosse? Those vehicles are all very competitive and priced between $21k-$40k. This idea that conducting the CTS-V challenge proves that GM is worried about lower end segments is absurd to say the least. GM already knows about its shortcomings in small cars which is why the Cruze, Volt and Aveo are on the way.
to this comment On November 8, 2009 at 5:08 pm Edwin said:
We’re pleased that the government helped GM. Its a plus for America. We’ll be more pleased when they complete the initial public stock offering and get the government out.
GM does have the high confidence among car buying public overall. GM has the highest quality and the best technology overall.
Recent polls in April and September 2009 show that 72% to 81% would consider buying an American car indicate high confidence in the American auto companies.
The disallusionment has been on styling mostly and the lack of choices in luxury and affordable luxury cars both sedans and coupes that seems to have frustrated Americans.
Luxury and affordable luxury car buyers are looking for V-8s in different categories, the prestige V-8, the performance V-8, the small fuel efficient V-8.
Some buyers are ok with a V-6 on account of price while some want a 4 cyclinder for economy. Buyers may chose a 4 or a V-6 because its the base model they could afford. But many really would like to have a V-8 deep down.
Top end luxury buyers expect the V-8 and expect the best from the car company.
The CTS-V is clearly among the world’s best,and arguably the best in class.
The 2010 Buick LaCrosse seems to have broken the styling barrier with upper end car buyers and has the appeal.
Buick should have a full- line of cars with style including a Park Avenue Ultra to take on the BMW 7 series on style and a Riviera sedan/coupe to take on the BMW 5 and M3.
Buick should have a small fuel efficient V-8 option (4.0 to 5.3L).
The American people want a wide range of vehicle choices, they don’t want the government telling them what to buy and that is going to become increasingly clear.
Even those who own a compact car, also have a variety of other vehicles from mid sized to full size to sports cars to SUVS and trucks. Compact cars are around as a second car, not the mainstay or a first choice.
All car companies know they have to please the luxury and affordable luxury demand in the market in order to survive and prosper.
Lexus spends its entire effort trying to go after the affordable luxury and luxury market in America. Lexus offers V-8 engines, high profile models, and puts on a show at the auto shows. They’ve become the competition. But Lexus falls short of the luxury styling of BMW or Cadillac.
Americans took opportunity to trade the old truck behind the barn for a cheap government give-away called cash for clunkers just like they would any coupon ad from store. Don’t read any sort of market into the cash for clunkers deal. Why not take a free-bee $4,500 when it pays about have the cost of a cheap compact. Americans still don’t want to buy compacts. They don’t chose them in the market place in general.
They might buy a compact for a college car, but then quickly change their mind and not want their son or daughter to risk driving a small car on account of safety, or utility. Small cars are not really desireable, comfortable, or practical. They are just for convenience.
to this comment On November 9, 2009 at 12:00 pm Charlie H said:
edwin writes, “We’re pleased that the government helped GM. Its a plus for America. We’ll be more pleased when they complete the initial public stock offering and get the government out.”
Government in is good? Or government out is good? Please make up your mind.
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 10:49 am Mike C said:
Congratulations on a very good showing. CTS-V shows that Cadillac CAN compete with highly-regarded luxury sedans, using a super-charged LS V8. This engine should appear in more of Cadillac’s future offerings, including the ATS and the future S-Class competitor.
Superior design, compelling interiors and strong performance must characterize Cadillac for it to return to greatness. And of course, Cadillac needs the Cadillac of warranties, with a win today and a commitment to tomorrow.
Again, congratulations for developing such a good CTS and showing the naysayers that Cadillac is (more than) competitive.
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 11:18 am Redd Nuckles said:
Mr. Lutz,
Next on your agenda: Go after the records Craig Breedlove set in 1968 with an American Motors AMX:
AMXs set 106 world speed records at a track in Texas
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 12:43 pm RD said:
The deck wasn’t stacked. Riiiiiight. I’d be willing to sell pro wrestling tickets to anyone who believes that.
to this comment On November 2, 2009 at 4:38 pm Sheth jones said:
RD:
How was it stacked? Independent testing has shown the CTS-V is faster around the track than the C63, M5 and M3. It has not been tested on a track vs the new E63 which costs about $90k without options. Motortrends has already determined the CTS-V is superior to the Xf-R and M5.
Face the facts, this $60k car can beat a $90k German super sedan.
to this comment On November 5, 2009 at 10:45 am Redd Nuckles said:
Sheth,
You, of all people, should know there is no direct correlation between cost and track performance.
If I could get my hands on a brand new 1968 AMX (which would have cost about $5,500) I could give a $60k CTS-V a pretty good run for its money.
to this comment On November 5, 2009 at 6:02 pm Kesley said:
You’re high if you think a stock AMX could finish within 30 seconds of the CTS-V. 0-60 in 6.5 (vs. 3.9)? 1/4 mile in 14.5 (vs. 12)? Skid pad of 0.7 (vs. 0.92)? Good luck.
btw – the “stock” record-breaking AMX were not stock. They were “…modified for power, handling, and strength by World Land Speed Record holder Craig Breedlove’s speed shop.”
to this comment On November 8, 2009 at 11:46 pm Redd Nuckles said:
We’ll never know will we Kesley?
All I said was that I could give Bob Lutz in a CTS-V a pretty good run for his money driving a 1968 AMX ~ and I could. And considering the money each cost to purchase when new, that would be a pretty good feat.
And also considering the AMX was made by a small company in Kenosha, WI without many financial resources, yet still won major awards for engineering with the AMX, plus set 106 world speed records, I’d say AMC did pretty good.
And yes, I know Craig Breedlove made mods to the pure stock AMX before making his record attempt.
to this comment On November 6, 2009 at 11:42 am RD said:
You can’t really be so naive as to believe gm used an unaltered production car for the race. I’m sure they had the cars checked out by journalists from car magazines who can find a dangling participle but wouldn’t know a piston from a radiator.
I’m glad gm is beginning to pull out of its financial woes but that doesn’t mean I have to believe their propaganda. I really do hope they succeed and improve sufficiently for me buy a car or truck from them someday.
to this comment On November 3, 2009 at 4:16 pm Josefina Hooker said:
Mr. Lutz,
This weekend I watched a documentary on Cuba and the survival of the great cars that were built in the 1950’s and that are still running in Cuba. As a Cuban-American and as a PBG Dealer what can we do to bring that love back today and reliability? It was great to watch these people and most of all how they made me feel about these old cars! Can we do some type of campaign to bring nostalgia back and sell ourselves again?
to this comment On November 4, 2009 at 2:55 pm Dewey Cornell said:
It’s curious that GM has never used the durability of that 1950’s Detroit Iron to their advantage in a marketing campaign.
When you think about it, that really says a lot of positive things about how those cars were built, and that they are still running over 50 years later in Cuba is a great tribute to General Motors.
to this comment On November 17, 2009 at 11:34 am Angus Bohannon said:
You have to wonder if a 2010 car would still be running in 2060? Those 1950’s Detroit cars were purely mechanical, and anyone with an aptitude in mechanical and metal machining skills can keep them running.
Today’s cars require much more than mechanical and machining skills to repair, and it’s doubtful that a 2010 car will be fixable 50 years down the road because the software and computer code will have evolved so much.
to this comment On November 17, 2009 at 4:47 pm Blue Flame Six said:
That’s an interesting question. If our society were to ever collapse, which would we better off with?
1. A 1950’s-era car that is purely mechanical and that almost anyone could keep running if they put their mind and energy to it.
2. Or a modern car with computers and sophisticated electronics that no shade tree mechanic could possibly keep running in some future dysfunctional world.
I guess my choice would be something like a VW Beetle or a WW II-era Jeep that one can keep running with not much more than a pair of pliers, a set of wrenches, ViseGrips and a couple of screwdrivers.
I recall in high school keeping a 1953 Chevy with a straight-six running with only the limited mechanical skills I possessed. I even did my own valve and ring jobs. I doubt few high school kids can do that today on a modern car.
to this comment On November 4, 2009 at 5:29 pm 1487_GM_SALES said:
kudos to Lutz and GM for showing the world that GM is THE WORLD STANDARD! in performance along with quality, reliability and dependibility (Witness the POS Jag which is the laughing stock here). It also shows how sickeningly overrated any German vehicle is when you look at the facts. The Germans are 30 thousand dollars more expensive, 100 times more ugly, 100 times cheaper and woefully unreliable. Now has been proven that they aren’t capable of beating good ol GM American Iron.
Long live the CTS-V and long live Cadillac. The Standard of the World
to this comment On November 12, 2009 at 7:06 pm Eric Planey said:
Bob-I just saw on a video chat that there was a new Pontiac G6 in the works before the axe dropped. I bet its an Epsilon II like the new Regal. Just curious if you can throw us sad Poncho lovers a bone, and post the design pics of the next gen G6? Just wanted to see if Pontiac was really heading it the right direction that it seem to have been.
Thanks!
Eric
to this comment On November 16, 2009 at 12:24 am SierraGS said:
Mr. Lutz, Cngratulations on a the CTS-V proving it is a class leader.
As far as the mainstream CTS market goes, is there any chance GM will put a V8 into the CTS to compete against the BMW 550i?
GM already matches up against the rest of the 5-Series with:
CTS 3.0L V6 vs 528i
CTS 3.6L V6 vs 535i
and the
CTS-V vs the M5
How about a CTS DI 5.3L V8 vs 550i
A V8 powered CTS would attract luxury buyers who prefer V8 power for their cars and the 5.3L with Direct Injection will easily surpass the 550i’s MPG of 15/23 and could match the 528i 18/27 rating, but with V8 power.
GM can offer the 5.3L Di V8 on the new CTS Coupe where many in the segment look for V8 performance and spread it across the CTS lineup the next year, this will also give buyers who would like a CTS-V but cannot afford the price for all of the world class performance features it offers.
Of course there are 6.0L and 6.2L V8’s available for GM but I think a DI 5.3L with AFM will give space between it and the CTS-V while producing more than adequate perfomance with class leading MPG.
to this comment On November 16, 2009 at 10:24 am Travis Hatfield said:
Congratulations on a the CTS-V proving it is a class leader.
A ‘class leader’ for anyone that wants to take their new car off the showroom floor and run it in circles around a race track. But is it a class leader for the more mundane things for which the vast majority of people use their automobiles?
to this comment On November 17, 2009 at 11:37 pm SierraGS said:
Travis, Many owners of cars with capabilities similar to the CTS-V do exactly that (at least out here).
I know of a few enthusiats who go to the local road course on the weekends to let off some steam and enjoy the capabilities their Corvette, M3 or CTS-V offer them. The CTS-V and M3 are not volume market cars they are made to demonstrate that the platform is capable of very high performance levels and that if you own a lesser model the basic “DNA” is in your car. This is something that owners of “prestige” cars look for and demand in their cars, and if you are lucky enough to live in Germany you can enjoy the virtues of the CTS-V on the sections of the Autobahn.
Personally I would be happy with a 5.3L V8 equipped CTS, the hard part is whether to pick Coupe, Sedan or Wagon.
to this comment On November 18, 2009 at 10:55 am Travis Hatfield said:
Sierra,
It’s about balance. There are literally a hundred million or so commuters in the United States. People whose primary concern is a reliable, economical car that will get then to work and back safely and with some degree of comfort..
On the other hand, how many car enthusiasts are there in the country who actually care about how fast a CTS-V or M3 can go around a race track? 10,000? 50,000? I don’t know for sure, but whatever the number, it’s only a very small fraction of those whose primary need for a car is as basic transportation.
Bob Lutz and his CTS-V challenge appeals to only a small fraction of the auto consumer market. That’s not balance or a smart allocation of resources.
Lutz and GM need to focus on the vast majority, not the small fraction.
to this comment On November 19, 2009 at 7:08 pm SierraGS said:
Travis, This thread is discussing the CTS-V and how it performs against it’s direct competitors and proving that the CTS-V is a world class sports sedan that is worthly of serious consideration from buyers in this premium segment.
Mr. Lutz created this challenge to dispell the perception that Cadillac cannot make a true sports sedan and is only capable of producing oversized, overweight, softly suspended and inefficient cars. Cadillac may have produced cars like that in the distant past, but the current and future Cadillac lineup is quite different; capable of giving drivers all of the performance they desire along with efficiency matching or exceeding competitors from BMW, Lexus and Mercedes. GM is producing a sports sedan because there is a profitable market for it just like major competitors Acura, Audi, BMW, Infiinti, Jaguar, Lexus and Mercedes Benz have been doing for as long or longer than Cadillac.
GM makes a broad lineup of vehicles that are competitive or superior to other manufacturers “reliable, economical cars”, pehaps you are famliar with the Malibu and upcoming Cruze, or the game changing Volt? I am sure GM would like to hear your views on these vehicles on threads where they actively being discussed.
I would appreciate it if you could maintain focus on the topic at hand, specifically whether the results of this challenge will change market perceptions of the Cadillac CTS enough to increase sales from buyers currently considering BMW 3 and 5-series, Mercedes C-Class or E-Class and Lexus GS 350 to name a few.
The full CTS lineup is as “reliable and economical” as all of these competitors and superior in some areas, GM could make the CTS lineup even more competitive with the addition of the 5.3L V8 with AFM and a “XFE” style “programming” that would match or exceed many competitors 6-cylinder offerings in both performance and MPG. GM also has the world class 2.0L Direct Injected Turbo 4-Cylinder that could be added to the CTS – again matching or exceeding all competitor’s offerings and GM does offer efficient Turbo-Diesel powered CTS models in Europe, there is even the Two-Mode Hybrid system that could be modified for use in the CTS.
to this comment On November 21, 2009 at 10:31 am Travis Hatfield said:
I would appreciate it if you could maintain focus on the topic at hand…
Sierra,
Why don’t you stay focused on the topic at hand — the survival of General Motors and the American auto industry?
Bob Lutz’s CTS-V challenge may have stroked his ego and provided him personal satisfaction, but it only nibbled at the edges of GM’s bigger problem.
You mentioned the Cruze. The Cruze will necessarily play a much larger role in GM’s survival than the CTS-V. Why isn’t Lutz issuing a “Cruze challenge?” Or why isn’t he issuing a “Volt challenge?”
to this comment On November 17, 2009 at 11:23 pm CarZ said:
The CTS-V has always been a classy vehicle. You just upped that a notch and that’s going to make it a hot seller.