2013 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan Highlights

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What's New for The 2013 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan

Source:  GM Media

  • Two-piece front brake rotors
  • Available red Brembo brake calipers
  • Exterior color: Glacier Blue Metallic

The CTS-V Sedan was the first production four-door on street tires to break the legendary eight-minute barrier at Germany's famed Nürburgring – a feat that established an unqualified reputation as one of the world's highest-performing luxury sedans.

A suite of sublimely coordinated technical and performance elements, including Magnetic Ride Control, Brembo brakes and Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 performance tires mounted on 19-inch forged aluminum wheels, form the foundation for the CTS-V Sedan's exhilarating driving experience, while a supercharged 6.2L V-8 provides the thrust. It delivers 556 horsepower (415 kW) and is backed by either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed automatic.

All CTS-V models feature a unique grille that doubles front-end airflow to help enable its high-performance capabilities, along with an aggressive front fascia and raised center section of the aluminum hood that provides clearance for the supercharger.

For 2013, the CTS-V family adds new, two-piece front brake rotors and Glacier Blue Metallic exterior color. The two-piece rotors are now standard, offering greater resistance to warping and potentially longer rotor life, as well as reduced weight. The design features a separate cast iron rotor brake ring mounted to an aluminum "hat" that attaches the brake assembly to the wheel hub. The hat and brake ring cool at different rates, which helps the rotor dissipate heat more effectively. This racing-style disc design enhances braking performance under track operating conditions.

CTS-V Sedan design

The CTS-V Sedan exterior incorporates a number of unique cues that blend function with aesthetics. The dihedral Cadillac grille, for example, is larger to enable more air intake and features a satin finish, while the raised hood encompasses the supercharged engine beneath it. The front and rear fascias, as well as a rear spoiler that houses the center high-mounted stop lamp, are specific to the car, as are its standard 19-inch wheels.

Additional exterior features include:

  • High-intensity discharge headlamps with Adaptive Forward Lighting System are standard
  • Fog lamps are standard
  • Heated and power-adjustable outside mirrors are standard
  • Rainsense automatic windshield wipers are standard
  • Nineteen-inch painted aluminum wheels are standard
  • Nineteen-inch high-polished aluminum wheels are optional
  • Nineteen-inch aluminum wheels with satin graphite finish are optional
  • Exterior colors: Radiant Silver Metallic, Black Raven, Black Diamond Tricoat, Crystal Red Tintcoat, White Diamond Tricoat, Thunder Gray ChromaFlair, Opulent Blue Metallic and Glacier Blue Metallic.


CTS-V Sedan interior

The CTS-V Sedan interior features streamlined instrumentation, LED lighting and hand-cut-and-sewn accents. It includes performance seats featuring perforated sueded microfiber inserts designed to hold the driver and front passenger in place during cornering.

Recaro performance driving seats are optional and provide excellent support during performance driving. These 14-way adjustable performance seats include pneumatic bolster controls in the seat cushions and backrests.

Complementing the performance seating are a thick steering wheel and a gauge package designed for easy, at-a-glance reference during performance driving. Large instruments have bold readouts, including an LED-lit "tracer" function in the tachometer that flashes as the engine nears the red line. The gauge layout includes a boost gauge and a lateral acceleration display.

Obsidian Black accents grace the center stack, console, steering wheel and door panels. The production steering wheel and shifter are available in Alcantara, providing the luxurious character of suede.

Additional features include:

  • Audio system with navigation, including AM/FM stereo, CD/DVD player, MP3 playback, Bose Surround Sound with 10 speakers, 40-gig hard drive and USB with audio connectivity, is standard
  • Bluetooth phone connectivity is standard
  • Keyless entry and keyless start features are standard
  • Ambient lighting package is standard
  • Ultrasonic rear park assist is standard
  • Rearview camera system is standard
  • Adaptive remote vehicle start is standard
  • Heated front bucket seats with power eight-way driver and passenger adjustment, articulating head restraints and driver memory feature are standard on all trim levels
  • Recaro performance seats are optional and include heated/cooled feature and leather trim with microfiber suede inserts
  • Leather-trimmed steering wheel with auxiliary controls is standard and includes paddle-shift controls when the vehicle is equipped with the automatic transmission
  • Steering wheel with microfiber-trimmed rim is available and is packaged with microfiber-trimmed shift knob and Recaro performance seats
  • Power sunroof is available
  • Interior color and trim choices include: Ebony seats with Ebony microfiber suede inserts and Light Titanium seats with Light Titanium microfiber suede inserts.

Supercharged performance

The CTS-V Sedan's 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine is rated at 556 horsepower (415 kW) and 551 lb.-ft. of torque (747 Nm). It is the most powerful engine in Cadillac's history.

The engine features an intercooled Eaton Twin Vortices Series™ (TVS™) supercharger, which employs twin four-lobe rotors that are twisted 160 degrees. Typical superchargers feature three lobes twisted 60 degrees. The fourth lobe and greater helix profile, when combined with unique air inlet and outlet ports, create smoother, more efficient airflow into the engine. In addition to improved overall efficiency, this supercharger has superior noise and vibration characteristics compared to more ordinary designs.

A pair of six-speed transmissions is offered in the CTS-V Sedan – a Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual with a dual-disc clutch and a Hydra-Matic 6L90 six-speed automatic with steering wheel-mounted shift controls. The steering wheel-mounted controls require no shift lever movement and allow immediate tap up/tap down gear selection. Performance Algorithm Shifting provides the automotive transmission with a performance-oriented shift pattern during sustained high-performance driving. As with many Cadillac models, the driver needs only to slide the shifter into the manual "gate" to put the transmission into a performance mode.

Torque is channeled through the six-speed transmissions to a high-performance rear axle that features a limited-slip rear differential within a cast iron housing for greater thermal management and asymmetrical half-shafts to smoothly manage the supercharged engine's incredible torque. The unique design includes alternately sized half-shafts that also help dynamically balance the oscillation of torque from side to side, effectively eliminating "power hop."

CTS-V Sedan driving experience

The V-Series is designed for great road-holding performance, while maintaining the poise of a luxury car in average driving conditions. This is enabled by Cadillac's landmark Magnetic Ride Control, the world's fastest-reacting suspension technology. It uses shocks controlled by advanced magneto-rheological technology, rather than mechanical valves, to greatly accelerate response time and precision. 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.

The Magnetic Ride shocks also enable a broader range of damping control to optimize the ride and handling for all driving conditions. In the CTS-V, an extra measure of control is offered, with two selectable modes (Tour and Sport), enabling the driver to tailor the suspension for grand touring or more spirited performance driving.

The CTS-V Sedan also incorporates sophisticated braking and tire systems, in partnership with two companies renowned for high-performance technology: Brembo and Michelin. Brembo brakes are at all four corners and include powerful, six-piston calipers in the front and four-piston calipers in the rear. Large, two-piece vented rotors enable strong initial braking force while optimizing heat resistance and eliminating fade. The two-piece design is lighter and offers enhanced cooling during high-performance driving.

Michelin partnered with Cadillac engineers to develop an exclusive Pilot Sport PS2 tire specifically engineered for the CTS-V. The tires support high levels of grip in track conditions, while also affording excellent performance on the road.



Additional chassis and suspension features include:

  • An independent short/long arm (SLA) front suspension system that features low-mass aluminum for the upper and lower control arms, as well as the knuckles.
  • A multi-link rear suspension with a fully isolated subframe
  • StabiliTrak electronic chassis control system is integrated with the car's standard four-channel ABS with the full-function traction control, as well as the hydraulic brake assist and engine control systems
  • A limited-slip differential
  • A 3.73 axle ratio on manual-transmission models
  • A 3.23 axle ratio on automatic-transmission models
  • A power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering system.

CTS-V Sedan safety and crash-avoidance features

CTS-V Sedan is designed to enhance Cadillac's reputation for providing safe occupant environments in luxury vehicles. Features include:

  • Dual-stage driver front air bag
  • Segment-first dual depth front passenger air bag
  • Driver and front passenger side seat-mounted pelvic/thorax side air bags
  • Roof-rail side curtain air bags with rollover protection technology that cover front and rear seating rows
  • Front safety belt pretensioners
  • Tire pressure monitoring system
  • Body structure with strategically placed high-strength steel
  • Active head restraints for front seat occupants
  • Ultrasonic rear parking assist
  • Rearview camera system.

CTS-V Sedan and OnStar

One year of OnStar Directions and Connections service is standard on all CTS-V models. OnStar is the global leading provider of connected safety, security and mobility solutions and advanced information technology.

OnStar's RemoteLink Mobile App allows smartphone users to control vehicle functions, access vehicle information and send directions directly to the vehicle. A new, opt-in service called FamilyLink allows subscribers to stay connected to loved ones by checking the location of their vehicle online or by signing up for vehicle location alerts.

CTS-V features new OnStar button icons. Drivers will notice an updated look for the Hands-Free Calling button, blue OnStar button and red Emergency button.

More information about OnStar can be found at www.onstar.com.