Cadillac Claims Hardcore V-Series Vehicles Are Incoming

Cadillac seems to have realized that it screwed up with the new V-Series models it debuted late last week. When the CT4-V and CT5-V were revealed on Thursday, both came with specs that made us wonder why General Motors thought these should be the cars replacing the V-Series variants of the CTS and ATS sedan. Fans of the brand noticed and most automotive outlets were forced to write head-scratching articles about why the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 will be a suitable replacement for the CTS-V’s big, Corvette-sourced 6.2-liter motor — which makes oodles more power and torque.

Part of this cannot be helped. Environmentalism and an increasingly global marketplace are encouraging automakers to scale down displacement sizes and pair internal-combustion engines with more hybrid tech and forced induction. But it hasn’t changed Cadillac’s problem of delivering a pair of vehicles that appear much weaker on paper than the automobiles they’re essentially replacing. As a result, the company is attempting to reassure customers that these won’t be the only V-Series models on offer.

Unfortunately, the manufacturer provided no details on what these next automobiles might be like. Since GM is basically trying to calm an angry mob, getting the press release out in an expedient manner was likely more important than outlining technical specifications that have yet to be finalized.

In fact, all Cadillac said was that it brought a few V-Series prototypes to the Chevrolet Detroit Grand Prix over the weekend to hype up attendees. Driven by corporate executives Mark Reuss (GM President) and Ken Morris (GM VP of Global Product Programs), the cars were said to serve as a representation of “the next step in Cadillac’s V-Series performance legacy.”

Barring some unique wheels, aerodynamics and paint, neither car looked terribly different from the performance sedans we’ve already seen. We didn’t even notice an appreciable difference in ride height. However, the mere fact that Cadillac even bothered to parade them around means there will likely be hotter V-Series models in the future. The brand has previously mentioned that the introductory CT4-V, and its mid-sized counterpart, could be entry-level performance vehicles with something more hardcore to follow.

From a business standpoint, this makes some sense. Cadillac can now move V-Series models downmarket, possibly bringing in more buyers, while saving the high-output models for individuals with better finances. Without more coming from GM, all we can do is speculate about the later cars. But it’s a reasonably safe bet to assume Cadillac will furnish these models with additional suspension upgrades, breathed-on engines, and some amount of lightening to help bolster overall performance.

With the CT4-V making 320 horsepower and the CT5-V delivering an estimated 355 hp to the old ATS-V and CTS-V’s 464 hp and 640 hp, respectively, increasing output will be essential. Because, right now, it looks like Cadillac is rolling over and offering substantially weaker performance variants. But we’ve already heard rumors that the CT5 could eventually see the CT6-V’s Blackwing engine — which is a 4.2-liter, twin-turbo V8 good for an estimated 550 hp with 627 pound-feet of torque. While that claim has yet to be confirmed by anyone of substance, it does provide a likely pathway for Cadillac’s V-Series power problem, which it is assuredly trying to remedy as swiftly as possible. But we’ll have to postpone any further speculation while General Motors figures out what will be going into these vehicles and how it plans to differentiate them from the existing V cars without turning its naming strategy into a longwinded, alphanumeric mess.

[Images: General Motors]