Definitely Not your granddaddy’s caddy
Sports sedan can go toe-to-toe with the big boys
• Let’s just cut to the chase: The answer to the question on everybody’s mind — is the new Cadillac ATS-V as fast as the BMW M3? — is yes. The final judgment on their performance is likely to be closely contested, but it’s nonetheless an affirmation of just how truly Cadillac sport sedans have advanced because there’s a good chance the Caddy will dust the mighty BMW.
And not just in brute speed. Oh, to be sure, the ATS-V’s 3.6-litre clearly outmuscles BMW’s iconic 3.0-litre inline six. Thanks to twin titanium-bladed turbochargers, there’s 464 horsepower on tap, 39 more than the M3 at its peak. The ATS’s maximum torque, 445 pound-feet, holds a similar advantage over the M Division’s finest Bimmer. Mated to the eight-speed automatic transmission, the 3.6L scoots the 1,680-kilogram Cadillac to 100 kilometres an hour in just 3.9 seconds, an advantage of 0.4 to 0.2 seconds over the M3 depending on its transmission (the ATS offers a rev-matching six-speed manual as well, but it is a tick slower than the autobox).
Yes, a torque-converted, planetary-geared, pretty much regular automatic. You’ll no doubt hear much decrying of Cadillac’s choice as “lesser.” There will even be claims of simple expediency, The General not yet having engineered a dual-clutch transmission, so Cadillac just raided the company parts bin.
But this is simple prejudice. I know this because prior to first testing a similar transmission in Chevrolet’s Corvette, I too was convinced that a dual-clutched manumatic was inherently superior. Actual testing, however, revealed that the quickest way around a racetrack was just to slap the transmission in Drive and let the computer do the shifting.
And, finally here’s something I thought I’d never say — for I too have a soft spot for the M3 — but Cadillac’s V6 sounds better than BMW’s sonorous inline six. It purrs on the boulevard, growls all the way to 5,800 rpm on straightaways and literally barks out hairpins. Critics will deride the Cadillac’s syncopation as artificial — some of the V6’s internal combustion soundtrack is piped in — but then so is the M3’s and countless other sports cars especially those turbocharged like the BMW and Caddy. If this be over-dubbing, then consider me a digital convert.
Of course, proponents of Teutonic superiority may be willing, even if begrudgingly, to accede to the ATS-V’s power, but I think they may also to have get used to being second place in the twisties. Because, if the ATS-V was a pleasant surprise down the Circuit of the America’s incredible 1.0 kilometre back straight (we were hitting 230 out of the ATS-V’s 289 km/h claimed top speed), it was positively a revelation through the track’s 20 some hairpins and switchbacks.
Delicate where it needed to be and responsive when called upon, the ATS-V’s steering is extremely well-weighted, the car making its way around the track as if every inch of Texas’ twistiest 5.6 kilometres had been GPSed into its hard drive. Whether it’s equal to the M3’s legendary feedback is a question requiring direct head-to-head comparison, but know that the Caddy is not outclassed in this scenario.
Those who shop by spec sheet numbers will note that the V’s Michelin Pilot Super Sports tires are smaller than many comparable sedans — they ride on minuscule-for-these-days 18-inch rims. Jim Knowles, from Michelin’s original equipment product marketing division, notes that this was a concession to comportment for more mundane everyday driving — these Michelins have a relatively taller sidewall, which makes the ride better in daily applications. But, the Pilots are just as wide as the M3’s sporting radials — 255 millimetres in front and 275 mm in the rear — and there was no lack of traction around the track.
Meanwhile, Cadillac’s rendition of GM’s Magnetic Ride Control adjustable suspension keeps roll to a minimum. Hustle the baby V into a corner and the suspenders just jack up the damping, the ATSV diving for apexes like a Kardashian spotting a camera. And GM’s Performance Traction Management — which allows tail-wagging oversteer in complete safety — is simply the best vehicle stability control system in the business, much better than the current M3’s M Dynamic Mode.
And for its final party trick, the ATS-V proves more civilized than the M3. The new Cadillac achieves its BMW-challenging racecraft without resorting to the M3-like suspension stiffness. Indeed, snick the suspension mode selector into Tour and the ATSV does a fair impression of, well, a Caddy. General Motors says Magnetic Ride Control — which sends electrical current to all four shocks to alter their viscosity — is the fastest adjusting suspension system in the world, altering its stiffness for every single inch of roadway even at 100 km/h. Such close scrutiny of tarmac makes for a smooth ride.
A few traditional Cadillac bugaboos remain. Though the newly configured LCD speed and tachometer gauge set is a delight, the Cue infotainment system still lacks the userfriendliness of Audi’s MMI or, dare I say it, Ford’s latest Sync system. Then there’s the piano black trim that Cadillac thinks is so classy. It needs to go. However, the leather is exquisite, the seats providing bolstering and the decor, piano black notwithstanding, well penned.
Throw in a price tag — $68,055 ($65,750 for the coupe version) — more than a few thousand dollars cheaper than the BMW and the bottom line is a sports sedan that is the equal of any. With no need to apologize for the badge on its hood.