2011 Cadillac getting ready to roll with Michelin's Pilot Sport 2 tires
Cadillac’s 2011 CTS-V Coupe, set to make its debut at the 2010 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, will come factory-equipped with Michelin Pilot Sport 2 performance tires mounted on proprietary 19-inch cast aluminum wheels with a choice of painted or polished finishes.
“Michelin partnered with Cadillac engineers to develop its acclaimed Pilot Sport PS2 summer tire for CTS-V and its exclusive 19-inch alloy wheels,” reports Cadillac General Manager Bryan Nesbitt. “The tires support high levels of grip in track conditions while also affording good performance on the road,” he says.
“The CTS-V Coupe marries our most potent and sophisticated technology with our most dramatic production design,” Nesbitt continues. “This combination of visual and technical attributes is designed to create a very compelling choice for luxury sports car consumers.”
The car is to begin production this summer. It includes Magnetic Ride Control, racing-bred Brembo brakes and an automatic transmission with paddle-shift control.
“The CTS-V Coupe’s rear track is nearly an inch wider than the CTS-V Sport Sedan, adding to the car’s aggressive stance and enabling an extra measure of handling capability,” says Nesbitt.
“The current 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 8-minute barrier at Germany’s famed Nurburgring. The new V-Series Coupe's sleeker shape and slightly lower mass ensure a similarly high level of performance.”
Inside, “the 2+2 cabin combines performance and luxury,” he notes. A new Saffron interior trim color is offered, with contrasting microfiber seat inserts and stitching on the upper trim areas.
The Coupe has the same wheelbase as the CTS-V Sport Sedan, but its overall height is about two inches lower and its overall length is two inches shorter. The two models share only the instrument panel, console, headlamps, front fenders and grille.
Other key design features include:
• Hardtop styling with no conventional B-pillar
• Touch-pad operation for the doors that removes the need for conventional door handles
• A faster windshield angle (62.3 degrees) and a nearly horizontal backglass to enable an aerodynamic profile
• Vertical lighting highlighted with LED light pipes
• A center high-mounted stop lamp that functions as a rear spoiler
• An aerodynamic roof-mounted antenna for OnStar and XM Satellite Radio
The car employs the LSA 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine also found on the CTS-V Sport Sedan.
“Rated at 556 horsepower and 551 pound-foot of torque, it is the most powerful engine offered in Cadillac’s history and propels the CTS-V Coupe from 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds,” says Nesbitt.
The LSA engine has an intercooled Eaton supercharger system, premium aluminum-alloy cylinder heads “and numerous details designed to ensure it makes its power as quietly and smoothly as possible. The supercharger, for example, has a unique, four-lobe rotor design that enhances quietness while also optimizing the performance parameters of the engine.”
A pair of six-speed transmissions is offered: A Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual with a dual-disc clutch and a Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic with paddle shift control. “As with many Cadillac models, the driver needs only to slide the shifter into the manual ‘gate’ to put the transmission into that more aggressive mode.”
The paddle shift requires no shift lever movement. Steering wheel thumb controls allow immediate and quick tap-up/tap-down gear selection.
“The V-Series reaches elite levels of road-holding performance, but also maintains the poise of a luxury car in ‘regular’ driving conditions,” Nesbitt says.
“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. This is of particular benefit for a high performance car because it helps keep the car very composed during hard cornering, acceleration, braking and other dynamic maneuvers,” he explains.
For more information, visit www.michelinman.com and www.cadillac.com.
