2011 Detroit: The Future of Cadillacs V Series Performance Line
Minggu, 24 Juli 2011 by admin
Cadillac’s V-series line continues to grow with the introduction of the 2011 CTS-V Coupe at the Detroit auto show. Eager to know where the V badge might show up next, we spent some time with Ed Piatek, manager for Cadillac’s performance V-series program. What makes a V-series car, and what can you not do with a Cadillac V?
The CTS-V Coupe is really the fourth or fifth generation of V. We started with the original CTS-V, STS, XLR-V, and now the CTS-V sedan and coupe. Consistent throughout these has been the application of performance and technology.
It can’t be punishing. We want performance without the punishment. I think the key there is a bimodal character where you can get in the car and it’s got the poise and composure to be driven every day, like a luxury car has to be. It’s a Cadillac at the end of the day. But you want to be able to have track capabilities, acceleration performance among the best cars in the world. That’s where we’ve developed a bandwidth with V-series where the car truly is track capable right out of the box. And at the same time, it’s a car that you can drive every day without feeling like you’re in some kind of numbers-producing car with all the noise insulation removed.
Is anything off limits to V? Could you build a V crossover or SUV?
If you think about what the history has been, you’d have a hard time developing that track-capable credibility. At some point, I think there’s a risk in diluting the brand equity that has been very focused. We haven’t done models that would be half-hearted attempts. You never say never, but if you look at the heritage to this point, we’ve really restricted it to cars that you can go out and burn a tank of gas and feel really good about on the track and not think that you’re trying to defeat the laws of physics.
What about all-wheel drive?
To this point, it’s been rear-wheel drive and part of that is our longitudinal architecture. You look at driveline packaging at these kind of power levels and you’d really have to do some things architecturally different to enable a transfer case next to these transmissions that can handle this torque. It’s certainly an interesting idea. If you have four-wheel drive in the car on a track you can do things differently than with two wheels.
I think the key with rear-wheel drive is to make sure you have enough tire footprint that you put that power down. We’ve actually grown the wheel width on the coupe as compared to the sedan. We have a new fender, so we could put a wider wheel on it. That ten-inch wheel spreads the footprint out and you can really get the power down. That’s why the coupe is faster on a racetrack than the V-series sedan.
Does forced induction have a permanent role in V-series cars?
I don’t think a V-series needs to be forced induction. The original CTS-V was a naturally aspirated V-8. To reach the stratospheric power levels you need to be competitive in this sedan segment, that’s one way to do it very efficiently. The real key for a V is you have to look at power to weight. If you can get there naturally aspirated, that’s fine.
A CTS-V is heavier than a CTS. Would you ever focus on weight reduction to change that?
Certainly it’s something we’ve thought about. From the concept of a Superleggera-type execution, it’s something as an engineer I find very compelling. As we do V-series models, we look for specific places to be very efficient with mass. On the CTS-V, it’s got an aluminum hood and co-cast front rotors where you’ve got an aluminum hat section cast into the cast iron swept area, saving about a kilogram of rotating and sprung mass. We’re very conscious about mass and take it out where we can do it efficiently. As far as doing something like a carbon fiber decklid, what you’re going to find is you’re not moving that power-to-weight ratio very much and yet you’re driving cost up quite significantly.
What’s the latest thought on a CTS-V Wagon?
There is no formal announcement about a V-series wagon at this time. I know our esteemed vice chairman, Mr. Lutz, has said he’d like to see a V in every CTS model. I can tell you that we’ve explored the concept in hardware. There has been a physical evaluation of the idea. It’s certainly something that we could do from the standpoint of the number of parts you’d have to change. It’s not that technically difficult, it’s a question of is there a market for that car. Does it fit the V-series image?
Do you need more to the V-series line than the CTS?
If you look through the history of the V-series, we’ve had up to three different V-series models at one point. I think as you go forward, as Cadillac develops its portfolio further, as you find the right places for V, you’d like to have a V of every applicable model. I don’t think there’s any limitation to a single V at a time, but it’s just important that we pick the right types of cars to do V-series models on.
Would V-series benefit from a halo car like the SLS AMG?
The CTS Coupe is probably the most dramatic design Cadillac has put into production. Couple that to the V-series powertrain and technology, and what we have right here (the CTS-V Coupe), is the highest performance Cadillac in the history of Cadillac. This car is the focal point for the revamped lineup. This is the halo car.
If you’re talking about something orders of magnitude more expensive, that’s a really neat idea. A lot of those cars, as an enthusiast, you read about them and they sound neat. From a market standpoint they may not make the business case very attractive. Maybe when GM is in a different financial position—if you were doing something where you’re not getting the return and you’re doing it really for the halo effect—that would be possible.
The CTS-V Coupe is really the fourth or fifth generation of V. We started with the original CTS-V, STS, XLR-V, and now the CTS-V sedan and coupe. Consistent throughout these has been the application of performance and technology.
It can’t be punishing. We want performance without the punishment. I think the key there is a bimodal character where you can get in the car and it’s got the poise and composure to be driven every day, like a luxury car has to be. It’s a Cadillac at the end of the day. But you want to be able to have track capabilities, acceleration performance among the best cars in the world. That’s where we’ve developed a bandwidth with V-series where the car truly is track capable right out of the box. And at the same time, it’s a car that you can drive every day without feeling like you’re in some kind of numbers-producing car with all the noise insulation removed.
If you think about what the history has been, you’d have a hard time developing that track-capable credibility. At some point, I think there’s a risk in diluting the brand equity that has been very focused. We haven’t done models that would be half-hearted attempts. You never say never, but if you look at the heritage to this point, we’ve really restricted it to cars that you can go out and burn a tank of gas and feel really good about on the track and not think that you’re trying to defeat the laws of physics.
What about all-wheel drive?
To this point, it’s been rear-wheel drive and part of that is our longitudinal architecture. You look at driveline packaging at these kind of power levels and you’d really have to do some things architecturally different to enable a transfer case next to these transmissions that can handle this torque. It’s certainly an interesting idea. If you have four-wheel drive in the car on a track you can do things differently than with two wheels.
I think the key with rear-wheel drive is to make sure you have enough tire footprint that you put that power down. We’ve actually grown the wheel width on the coupe as compared to the sedan. We have a new fender, so we could put a wider wheel on it. That ten-inch wheel spreads the footprint out and you can really get the power down. That’s why the coupe is faster on a racetrack than the V-series sedan.
Does forced induction have a permanent role in V-series cars?
I don’t think a V-series needs to be forced induction. The original CTS-V was a naturally aspirated V-8. To reach the stratospheric power levels you need to be competitive in this sedan segment, that’s one way to do it very efficiently. The real key for a V is you have to look at power to weight. If you can get there naturally aspirated, that’s fine.
A CTS-V is heavier than a CTS. Would you ever focus on weight reduction to change that?
Certainly it’s something we’ve thought about. From the concept of a Superleggera-type execution, it’s something as an engineer I find very compelling. As we do V-series models, we look for specific places to be very efficient with mass. On the CTS-V, it’s got an aluminum hood and co-cast front rotors where you’ve got an aluminum hat section cast into the cast iron swept area, saving about a kilogram of rotating and sprung mass. We’re very conscious about mass and take it out where we can do it efficiently. As far as doing something like a carbon fiber decklid, what you’re going to find is you’re not moving that power-to-weight ratio very much and yet you’re driving cost up quite significantly.
What’s the latest thought on a CTS-V Wagon?
There is no formal announcement about a V-series wagon at this time. I know our esteemed vice chairman, Mr. Lutz, has said he’d like to see a V in every CTS model. I can tell you that we’ve explored the concept in hardware. There has been a physical evaluation of the idea. It’s certainly something that we could do from the standpoint of the number of parts you’d have to change. It’s not that technically difficult, it’s a question of is there a market for that car. Does it fit the V-series image?
Do you need more to the V-series line than the CTS?
If you look through the history of the V-series, we’ve had up to three different V-series models at one point. I think as you go forward, as Cadillac develops its portfolio further, as you find the right places for V, you’d like to have a V of every applicable model. I don’t think there’s any limitation to a single V at a time, but it’s just important that we pick the right types of cars to do V-series models on.
Would V-series benefit from a halo car like the SLS AMG?
The CTS Coupe is probably the most dramatic design Cadillac has put into production. Couple that to the V-series powertrain and technology, and what we have right here (the CTS-V Coupe), is the highest performance Cadillac in the history of Cadillac. This car is the focal point for the revamped lineup. This is the halo car.
If you’re talking about something orders of magnitude more expensive, that’s a really neat idea. A lot of those cars, as an enthusiast, you read about them and they sound neat. From a market standpoint they may not make the business case very attractive. Maybe when GM is in a different financial position—if you were doing something where you’re not getting the return and you’re doing it really for the halo effect—that would be possible.
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