Caddy bids farewell to CTS-V

500 cars in valedictory limited edition before new V Series CTS arrives

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 13 May 2014 / Loading comments

We've something of a soft spot for the

Cadillac CTS-V

round here. The shock of discovering from the first

UK drives

that it Wasn't That Bad was a pleasant surprise, all the more so with the availability of a manual gearbox. And

an estate

. Of course it makes plentiful smoke (insert Harris video

here

) but there was a degree of sophistication to the CTS-V also; Brembo brakes, magnetic dampers and some Nordschleife testing. In a Cadillac!

Make smoke, hide this

There's the thing with this generation of CTS-V. Flawed yes, but also possessing some real quality that enabled it to pass muster against European rivals. It looked pretty cool too, even if the coupe had a hint of Notre Dame hunchback to it.

So ahead of the next CTS V Series next year Cadillac has announced a run-out special edition. Using the same supercharged V8 as the old Corvette ZR1, it would have been nice to see the final CTS match that car's 647hp. Alas we're stuck with the measly 564hp found in every other CTS-V. Spoilsports.

Available in Black Diamond (for $700), Crystal White or Phantom Grey, the CTS-V is just a cosmetically enhanced special rather than indulging in any R26.R-style madness. So the interior gets some red accents, microfiber [sic] suede for the wheel and gear knob plus 'Midnight Sapele' wood adorning the dash. Outside the wheels are in satin graphite, the brake calipers red and the grille in a 'dark finish'. Menacing.

This prefers go rather than show

This CTS-V will go on sale in the US from the summer at a price of $72,195 (£42,845). The only option listed is a sunroof; why not at $700? Cadillac's chief marketing officer Uwe Ellinghaus promises this car "is a stepping stone to the next-generation V-Series, which will move to the next level with more dynamic design and technical sophistication". This time around we really are quite intrigued by that prospect.

[Source: Autocar]