2011 CADILLAC CTS SPORT SEDAN
11/01/2010
Cadillac
The Cadillac CTS is the cornerstone of the Cadillac product lineup and continues to play a vital role in the renaissance of the brand. The BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class are the primary competitors for the CTS.
The CTS family grows in 2011 to include the CTS Coupe, in addition to the CTS Sport Wagon body style added in 2010 - including supercharged V-Series variants for all models. Please see the separate releases for detailed information on the CTS Coupe and CTS Sport Wagon.
The Cadillac CTS Sport Sedan's signature exterior cues include vertically oriented "light pipes," horizontal spline lines and a dihedral-shaped hood - characteristic elements of Cadillac's Art & Science design language that have helped reinvent the brand in the 21st century.
CTS' athletic form is characterized by sculpted fenders. They feature side air extractors that recall a styling element from Cadillac's Sixteen concept car; as well as an available UltraView "double" sunroof spanning both the front and rear seats.
Seven-spoke, 17-inch wheels or available nine-spoke, 18-inch wheels surround the CTS' high-performance brake calipers and rotors. Both painted and machined finishes are available for the standard 17-inch wheels. The larger, 18-inch wheels are available in a premium multicoat finish or a high-polish finish.
In addition, a summer tire performance package is available on performance and premium trim levels of CTS. The package includes 19-inch polished aluminum wheels and Continental Conti SportContact2 summer tires, as well as unique performance suspension tuning and steering wheel shift controls when the vehicle is equipped with an automatic transmission.
The '11 CTS lineup features the following new equipment:
New front fender vent design with black inner fin detail
Available rear-vision camera system, with a display located in the inside rearview mirror or - if equipped - in the navigation system
Available heated steering wheel, which is included with ventilated seats and a wood-trimmed steering wheel on the performance trim level, when ordered with the performance luxury package and on the premium trim level
Available 19-inch wheel and tire package with new all-season tires available on selected rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models.
The CTS-V Sport Sedan returns for '11, offering a world-challenging combination of high performance and uncompromising luxury to serious driving enthusiasts.
Interior elements
The interior of the CTS emphasizes technical precision with elegant, hand-crafted details. An integrated center stack design - with a satin metallic finish - blends into the lower instrument panel that sweeps forward and away from front-seat occupants. The hand-assembled center console leads seamlessly into the center stack, providing a sportier "cockpit" feel for the driver and passenger without compromising space.
Available heated and ventilated seats incorporate "thin-seat" technology for maximum occupant comfort and enhanced rear-seat leg, knee and foot room. French stitching is used throughout the interior, including the upper instrument panel, door inserts, seats and the shifter boot.
The CTS incorporates the industry's best attributes, advanced technologies and electronics, including:
New rear-vision camera system
Integrated iPod/MP3 capability
Hard drive-based audio system
Navigation system
Adaptive forward lighting system
Available Bluetooth phone connectivity
Keyless Access and Smart Remote Start
Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround(TM) audio system
Ultrasonic park assist and more.
Efficient performance
Direct injection (DI) technology enables a great balance of performance and fuel economy. DI delivers fuel more precisely to increase the efficiency of combustion. This means less fuel is consumed and fewer emissions created; it also reduces cold-start emissions by up to 25 percent.
A 3.0L DI V-6 is the standard engine and is rated at 270 horsepower (201 kW). Along with direct injection technology, the 3.0L engine employs variable valve timing to optimize power and fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. Highway fuel economy on 3.0L-equipped rear-wheel drive models is 28 mpg.
A 3.6L DI V-6 engine that produces 304 horsepower (227 kW) is available. Both engines balance performance and efficiency while operating on regular unleaded gas - many competitors to the CTS require premium fuel. Hydra-Matic six-speed automatic transmissions back both engines.
Driving experience
The CTS chassis enables a great balance of performance and luxury. The hardware includes structural enhancements via a tower-to-tower brace; large, four-wheel disc brakes and a ZF steering rack. Four suspension tuning packages are available: base, performance (standard on 3.6L models and optional on 3.0L models), 19-inch performance all-season and the summer tire performance package with a summer-only 19-inch tire (RWD only).
All models feature an independent short/long arm (SLA) front suspension system, with performance characteristics optimized with low-mass aluminum for the upper and lower control arms, as well as the knuckles. A multi-link rear suspension, with a fully isolated subframe that delivers excellent kinematics, contributes to a superior ride with excellent handling. The CTS also features advanced chassis technology in the form of Cadillac's StabiliTrak electronic chassis control system. It is integrated with the car's standard four-channel ABS with the full-function traction control, as well as the hydraulic brake assist and engine control systems.
Safety features
CTS is designed to enhance Cadillac's reputation for providing safe occupant environments in luxury vehicles. Details include:
Dual-stage driver front air bag
Segment-first dual depth front passenger air bag
Driver and front passenger side seat-mounted pelvic/thorax side air bags
Roof-rail side curtain air bags with industry-first rollover protection technology that cover front and rear seating rows
Front safety belt pretensioners
Tire pressure monitoring system
Body structure with strategically placed high-strength steel
Active head restraints for front seat occupants.
As with other Cadillac models, the 2011 CTS comes with the ninth generation of OnStar hardware, which now offers more flexible speech recognition, as well as Automatic Crash Response and Turn-by-Turn Navigation.
CTS-V Sport Sedan details
The CTS-V Sport Sedan has quickly established itself among the world's highest performing luxury sedans, becoming the first production four-door on street tires to break the legendary eight-minute barrier at Germany's famed Nürburgring.
It is powered by a supercharged 6.2L V-8 that delivers 556 horsepower (415 kW) and is backed by either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic. A suite of technical and performance elements complement the powertrain, including Magnetic Ride Control, Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 performance tires mounted on 19-inch forged aluminum wheels.
A unique grille that doubles front-end airflow to help enable its high-performance capabilities is one of the V-Series' distinguishing features, along with an aggressive front fascia and raised center section of the aluminum hood that provides clearance for the supercharger. It rides on 19-inch forged aluminum wheels available in silver painted or polished finishes.
Supercharged performance
The 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine powers the CTS-V is rated at 556 horsepower (415 kW) and 551 lb.-ft. of torque (747 Nm). It is the most powerful engine offered in Cadillac's history.
The engine features an intercooled Eaton Twin Vortices Series(TM) (TVS(TM)) supercharger. This unique supercharger design employs twin four-lobe rotors, twisted 160 degrees. Typical superchargers feature three lobes twisted 60 degrees. The fourth lobe and added twist, when combined with unique air inlet and outlet ports, create smoother, more efficient airflow into the engine. In addition to improved overall efficiency, this supercharger has superior noise and vibration characteristics compared to more ordinary designs.
A pair of six-speed transmissions is offered in the CTS-V Sport Wagon - a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual with a dual-disc clutch and a Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted shift controls. The steering wheel-mounted controls require no shift lever movement and allow immediate tap up/tap down gear selection. Performance Algorithm Shifting provides the automotive transmission with a performance-oriented shift pattern during sustained high-performance driving. As with many Cadillac models, the driver needs only to slide the shifter into the manual "gate" to put the transmission into a performance mode.
Torque is channeled through the six-speed transmissions to a high-performance rear axle that features a limited-slip rear differential within a cast iron housing for greater thermal management and asymmetrical half-shafts to smoothly manage the supercharged engine's incredible torque. The unique design includes alternately sized half-shafts that also help dynamically balance the oscillation of torque from side to side, effectively eliminating "power hop."
Magnetic Ride Control, Brembo brakes and Michelin PS2 tires
The V-Series achieves exceptional levels of road-holding performance, but also maintains the poise of a luxury car in "regular" driving conditions. The technical enabler of this dual-mode driving character is Cadillac's landmark Magnetic Ride Control. It is the world's fastest-reacting suspension technology. It uses shocks controlled by advanced magneto-rheological technology, rather than mechanical valves, to greatly accelerate response time and precision. Electronic sensors at all four wheels literally "read the road" every millisecond, making constant adjustments to damping to create virtually instantaneous and extremely precise control of body motions.
The Magnetic Ride shocks also enable a broader range of damping control to optimize the ride and handling for all driving conditions. In the CTS-V, an extra measure of control is offered, with two selectable modes (Tour and Sport), enabling the driver to tailor the suspension for grand touring or more spirited performance driving.
The CTS-V also incorporates sophisticated braking and tire systems, in partnership with two companies renowned for high-performance technology: Brembo and Michelin. Brembo brakes are at all four corners and include powerful, six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear.
Large, vented rotors enable strong initial braking force while optimizing heat resistance and eliminating fade. The brake rotors from Brembo are manufactured with "dual-cast" technology that combines cast iron and aluminum, resulting in superior performance and weight reduction.
Michelin partnered with Cadillac engineers to develop an exclusive Pilot Sport PS2 tire specifically engineered for the CTS-V. The tires support high levels of grip in track conditions, while also affording excellent performance on the road.
Comfort, style and technology
The interior of the CTS-V features streamlined instrumentation, LED lighting and hand-cut-and-sewn accents. It includes performance seats featuring perforated sueded microfiber inserts designed to hold the driver and front passenger in place during cornering. Recaro performance driving seats are optional and provide excellent support for spirited driving. These 14-way adjustable performance seats include pneumatic bolster controls in the seat cushions and backrests.
Complementing the performance seating are a thick steering wheel and a gauge package designed for easy, at-a-glance reference during performance driving. Large instruments have bold readouts, including an LED-lit "tracer" function in the tachometer that flashes as the engine nears the red line. The gauge layout includes a boost gauge and a lateral acceleration display.
Obsidian Black accents grace the center stack, console, steering wheel and door panels. The production steering wheel and shifter are available in Alcantara, providing the luxurious character of suede. These accents are elegant to the touch and aid the driver during high-performance driving.
About Cadillac
Cadillac has been a leading luxury auto brand since 1902. In recent years, Cadillac has engineered an historic renaissance led by artful engineering and global expansion.