From road car to race car

This year, our team developed the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe Race Car to compete in the SCCA World Challenge GT Series, held in the US and Canada. This year’s Canadian race, the Mosport Victoria Day Speedfest, was held on May 20-22, 2011 at. It’s a great way to demonstrate the performance and capability of the CTS-V Series Coupe, Sedan and Wagon, and to show people what the car can do. And it’s about more than adrenalin. Racing teaches us about the car, and we take that learning and infuse it into our production model lineup so that Cadillac owners benefit from it too.

Tight Timing
Our biggest challenge was time. We had only eight months to develop the CTS-V Coupe Race Car to meet the tight confines of the SCCA Pro Racing Rule Book. But given the strong underpinnings of the CTS-V Coupe, making it into a race car in a tight time frame wasn’t much of a stretch for our team, made up of GM Racing, Cadillac designers and engineers, Katech Engine Development and Pratt & Miller Engineering. (This is the same group responsible for Cadillac’s very successful racing program with the Cadillac CTS-V Sedan in the World Challenge Series from 2004 to 2007).

Increased Power
Among other changes, we reduced the racing car’s body mass and added Pirelli 18-inch racing tires and Brembo brakes (one example of track-derived technology, standard on the V) for a more controlled and responsive ride. Plus, we gave it more power – 460 horsepower (343 kW) to be exact – with a 6.2L V-8 engine that can go from 0-to-60 in 3.1 seconds.

Winning Drivers
We also enlisted a couple of great drivers to pilot the new car: Andy Pilgrim and Johnny O’Connell. These long-time GM Racing drivers are proven winners – Andy was at the wheel when Cadillac’s racing history was born at Sebring International Raceway in March 2004 – and up to the task of advancing the performance pedigree of the Cadillac CTS-V.

And We Won!
Johnny O’Connell earned victory in Round 8 of the World Challenge Series at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in August. About his win, a happy O’Connell said after the race, “After all the work that everybody at Cadillac Racing has done, it is nice.”

Interested in Cadillac racing? Want to find out more about the car and the team?


 

Owners Take their Cars Full Throttle at Cadillac’s Driver Training Program

We don’t think it’s fair that we’re the only ones who get to test the capability and performance of a Cadillac in a racing environment. That’s why we hosted the Cadillac Driver Training Program on June 15 and 22, where CTS and CTS-V owners and their guests got a driving experience like no other at two world class race courses: Calabogie Motorsports and Mosport.

Participants brought their own Cadillacs and learned the basic fundamentals of acceleration, braking, emergency avoidance, cornering and slalomingfrom highly skilled and experienced driving coaches. Then, they ended off the day with one-on-one track lapping.
 

What did owners think?

Here’s what one of our participants posted on CadillacOwners.com:

The V performed flawlessly and I am totally blown away by the capabilities of this car! I am so very fortunate to have been able to experience this vehicle in a track environment and begin to get to know its incredible potential.

The same participant brought his son along as a guest. His son, he said, “had an ear-to-ear ‘perma-grin’ all day!”

The winner of our most recent Cadillac Owner Stories Contest also took the Driver Training Program. Here’s part of what he had to say about the experience:

The pro beside me expressed amazement at the fact I was hitting 190 mph on the back straight, braking VERY hard into a 90 degree turn at 60+mph, and the V was on rails! So much fun it oughta be illegal! Thanks GM!!

Cadillac Owners Centre will let you know when the next event comes in 2012.