2016 Cadillac CTS-V
No matter where your car company hails from, if you build a sport sedan, you’ll ultimately get compared to the companies that have done it the best, for the longest time: The Germans! BMW, Mercedes, and VW/Audi. Whether that’s fair or not, is a topic for another day. Because right now, we’ve got a home grown contender to put through its paces, the Cadillac CTS-V!
American carmakers have been trying to catch up, and one-up the German sport sedan concept for over half a century. Numerous times critics, including us, thought they got close. But, it took the 21st century Cadillac brand to really close the gap, with the 2016 CTS-V aiming to fill it for good.
The CTS-V is the original V “for Velocity” of course, but just about everything that makes it go fast now, comes from the Chevrolet Corvette; making this essentially a four-door Corvette with a nicer interior.
That kinship start naturally enough under the hood with the Z06’s glorious 6.2-liter chunk of supercharged aluminum with pushrods, producing 640-horsepower and 630 lb-ft. of torque. The M5 and E63 AMG don’t even come close.
This thing is clearly not some mild-mannered pretender. Just hearing it rumble at startup will put fear into you; floor it and its “oh my gosh” awesome power!
It is still built on the ATS platform, but significant structural bracing had to take place; and like some of us around here, has stiffer joints all around. Oh yeah, it’s race car rigid.
Just as in some front-wheel-drive transaxles that feature unequal half-shafts to prevent torque steer; a similar arrangement in the CTS-V’s rear, works to quell axle hopping on hard acceleration. The results are, according to the factory, a blistering 3.7-seconds to 60.
There are Brembo brakes obviously; and topping it off, GM stuffed as much rubber into the wheel wells as possible; 265/35/19 Michelin Pilot Super Sports in front, 295/30/19s in back.
We’ve said it many times before about V-Series cars; you really need to get them on a race track for full affect. Tooling to the winery on the weekend or even slicing up your local back roads in this CTS-V does not reveal the true story of how competent it is.
So we jumped at the change to try it out a Road America! Yep, this Caddy is one awesome track machine. Between Performance Traction Management and the power distributing electronic limited-slip differential, you have no trouble getting all 640 horses to the pavement with little concern about being out of control.
More power than the Germans, and better use of it than hotrods like Hellcats and Shelby’s. And that very linear power delivery also works well with the 8-speed automatic transmission that comes with all CTS-Vs.
There’s plenty of mid-range muscle coming out of turns; with minimal weight transfer thanks to Magnetic Ride Control, even with a hefty 4,145-lbs. to manage. Brakes are all day long durable.
Driven hard it seems to move around on you a little, but it seems to catch itself and never get out of shape. You know there’s electronic intervention happening, but you still feel in total control.
There’s a more aggressive look to go along with all of that performance. Virtually every body panel is unique and purposefully designed to maximize downforce, minimize lift, or enhance cooling.
The air-extracting hood is made of carbon fiber as are the front splitter, rear diffuser, and spoiler if you opt for the carbon fiber package.
As for the interior, thankfully it does not appear like it was done on a shoestring budget; just an enhanced performance feel thanks to sueded materials, performance seats, Head Up display, and of course the Corvettes’ Performance Data Recorder.
And perhaps most important of all, it doesn’t feel any less Cadillac when you’re driving sanely.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 14-City, 21-Highway, and 17-Combined. So there is a gas guzzler tax.
Base price is $85,990. And if that’s too much, don’t forget that this big V has a little brother ATS-V which packs almost as much performance for $61,460.
Now, we know that many sport sedan aficionados will never be convinced that a four-door designed anywhere but Germany is worth a second look. But, if you have an open mind, then you’ll see where we’re coming from when we say that hands down, the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V beats all comers in the traditional European sport sedan category in every way! And we’re just ecstatic to be along for the ride.
Specifications
- Engine: 6.2 liter
- Horsepower: 640
- Torque: 630 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 3.7 seconds
- EPA: 14 mpg city / 21 mpg highway
2024 Toyota Land Cruiser
Toyota’s Go Anywhere Globetrotter Returns To U.S.
Every once in a while, we all need a reset. A time to get back to basics and prioritize the things that really matter. Well, for the Toyota Land Cruiser that time is now. So, let’s find out if that means bigger and better things for Toyota’s iconic off-roader.
The Toyota Land Cruiser’s status among the global off-road community is legendary, and it’s hard to imagine there’s any corner of the earth where a Land Cruiser hasn’t kicked up a little dust or mud. Well, 2024 sees the return of the Land Cruiser to the U.S. market after a 3-year hiatus, getting a major reset for the journey.
The reset comes mostly by no longer being based on the large three-row “300-series” chassis, but a new version of the smaller “200-series,” now known as the J250. As with the latest Tacoma, it uses the Tundra pickup’s full-size steel frame.
While the main Land Cruiser model, which goes by simply Land Cruiser, is packed full of luxury and convenience features, there is also a stripped-down model known as the 1958, honoring the first year the Land Cruiser made landfall here in North America. And it is that 1958 we have here, and we were glad to see it, as it also celebrates the original’s back-to-basics approach as a blank canvas for you to personalize as you tackle more and more adventures.
Not that it’s fully stripped down, as 8-inch touchscreen infotainment, a 7-inch full-color multi-information display, and automatic climate control are still standard. Plus, some seriously durable materials, and great heated cloth front seats that throw off some get serious 1990s Tacoma vibes.
But outside, there’s a definite lack of flashy trim and basic looking 18-inch wheels with Yokohama Geolander all-season tires; plus, big chunky bumpers and tilt-up back glass, which is a rarity that we appreciate. Though there is a little too much plastic in places that are sure to see some abuse if you do any significant off-roading.
It even feels a little rough around the edges, but for us it just adds to the rugged old-school utility vibe in a good way.
We did just that, both here in the Mid-Atlantic as well as in the California desert; and while there are some tech-forward driving aids, the actual hardware is in most cases plenty to get things done. That includes standard full-time dual-range four-wheel-drive, locking center and rear diffs, and 8.7-inches of ground clearance. A front stabilizer bar disconnect is also available to allow for increased articulation.
Who needs a V6 or even a V8 when you’ve got Toyota’s i-FORCE MAX setup at your disposal with 326 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque coming from a 2.4-liter turbo-four with an electric motor sandwiched between the engine and its eight-speed automatic transmission. Low speed torque delivery is impressive. It even feels a little rough around the edges, which may be a turn off to some, but for us it just adds to the rugged old-school utility vibe in a good way.
And it certainly feels quicker than an off roader needs to be, with an instant torque dump as soon as we eased on the throttle at our Mason Dixon test track; helping us get to 60 in 8.1 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 16.3 seconds at 86 mph. Considering the Land Cruiser’s terrain conquering mission, it behaved quite well in our handling course; it was plenty responsive to inputs, with less body roll than we expected and plenty of grip from the tires. The steering was light and quick but as expected didn’t provide much feel. Other than significant nosedive, braking performance was exceptional. Only 107-feet to panic stop us from 60 mph.
With the shift to the smaller size, there’s no more third row available, and cargo capacity now comes in at 46.2 cubic-feet with a max of a still healthy 82.1. Now, the best part of the Land Cruiser’s return is the entry price of $57,445. That’s about 30-grand less than what the last Land Cruiser went for back in 2021.
Whether it’s over the top fashion trends, mullets, or zombies; just when you think they’re dead, they come roaring back to life. Of course, we’re much happier to see the resurrection of this 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser than any of those things. Toyota is one brand that still recognizes the value of full-framed rugged rigs and has also acknowledged that sometimes less really is more. The Godfather of Toyota off-roading is back and better than ever.