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Now in its third generation, Cadillac's sporty V Series is starting to expand. Where there was once just the hardcore CTS-V, now there's a more street-focused CTS V Sport and the all new ATS-V. Cadillac tells us that this broadening of the range allows it to better focus its V Series vehicles on the needs of more specific sort of drivers. In the words of a Cadillac representative this week at an event at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, "the new ATS-V is more of a scalpel where the CTS-V is a sledgehammer."
The idea here is that while the new, 640-horsepower CTS-V continues to grow into an ever more powerful brute in a suit, the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V can serve a different role as the brand's driver's car.
However, with its 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 (codenamed LF4), the ATS-V can also be a bit of a sledgehammer in its own right. Generating a stated 464 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque (interestingly, higher numbers than the 455 ponies stated at the Los Angeles auto show debut), the V-6 offers plenty of power for aggressive highway passes, stoplight holeshots and race-track antics.
You'll find one of two available gearboxes between the engine and the rear wheels. The first is a Hydramatic 8L90 automatic transmission that features paddles for manual gear selection. Caddy tells us that this new eight-speed auto shifts as quickly as the dual-clutch gearboxes used by its competition while also being 12.5 kg lighter and 30 percent more efficient than the six-speed auto that it replaces.
The second transmission option is the six-speed manual transmission, which I was surprised to find also featured steering-wheel paddles. In this case, the paddles aren't used to select gears, rather tapping either of them will activate or deactivate the ATS-V's Active Rev Matching feature. Similar to the SynchroRev Match that debuted with the Nissan 370Z in 2009, the Cadillac's computer will automatically blip the throttle when downshifting and hold revs while upshifting to facilitate extremely smooth manual gear changes. The driver still has to manage the clutch and balance the throttle unless also taking advantage of the ATS-V's launch control and "no-lift shift" features, which we'll get back to shortly.
Meanwhile, massive Brembo brakes use six piston calipers on the front axle and four piston grabbers out back to bleed off speed faster than you can add it. Functional brake coolers built into the ATS-V's aerodynamic upgrades help keep the stoppers largely fade free at the track.
In addition to a gain of over 140 horsepower, the ATS-V steps up from the standard ATS with loads of chassis stiffening and suspension upgrades. Braces have been added to the engine bay and subframes and key suspension bushings have been replaced with zero-play ball ties for even better stiffness and responsiveness. The V's electric power steering doesn't feel like electric power steering with a very strong return to center and heavy steering wheel when the variable assist rate is set to its sportiest setting.
The chassis upgrades give the new, third-generation Magnetic Ride control suspension a better platform from which to work. The adaptive suspension system is smarter and faster than before with an improved ECU that is able to analyze the ride more frequently and new active dampers that are able to adjust 40 percent more quickly than the CTS-V's setup.
The suspension, transmission, steering and engine characteristics are customized via four main drive modes. Snow is the least aggressive setting for low-traction situations. Touring is the daily driver's "comfort" setting. Sport sharpens the steering and suspension a bit and sets the automatic gearbox on edge. Track is the most aggressive of the four main settings.
While in Track mode, the driver has access to five further Performance Traction Management (PTM) modes that are accessed by double tapping the Traction Control button on the steering wheel. These modes further loosen the reins and give the driver progressively more access to performance at the expense of a bit of computer-aided safety.
My track time on the Circuit was spent in "Track Mode PTM: 3" which should only activate the stability control system if I really got out of sorts, but also enabled the launch control function. From a stop, matt the throttle, wait for the revs to hold, then side-step the clutch (or brake pedal on the automatic example) for a perfect off-the-line launch. Once on the way, simply keep the throttle maxed when pushing in the clutch to take advantage of the "no-lift shift" feature, which allows wicked quick shifts and the best shot at the ATS-V's 3.9-second, 0 to 60 claim. (Of course, in the automatic, all of the shifts are "no-lift.")
The Circuit of the Americas (COTA) hosts the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix and many more racing events, so it's more than an excellent location to test the performance of the Cadillac ATS-V. There are two long straights that let the twin-turbo V-6 stretch its legs, a snaking chicane for testing let limits of the Michelin Pilot Super Sport tire's grip and the responsiveness of the Magnetic Ride Control, and very technical infield section to test just how scalpel sharp the ATS-V's handling actually is.
My first few laps were...let's say, less than stellar. While attempting to use the "no-lift" shift on the long straights, I kept running into issues over-revving and my Active Rev Match shifts were less than accurate in the more technical sections. It turned out that my muscle memory was coming into conflict with the computer and I was subtly lifting and blipping the throttle during shifts, which came into conflict with what the computer was trying to do. While earlier in the day these two features proved to be quite useful, I'm not sure that an unfamiliar track is the best place to go testing them out. After a few laps, I totally disabled the computer aided features and everything just smoothed out and sped up.
On the straights, I was able to truly appreciate the ATS-V's raw power. I was not able to get up to the stated 189 mph top speed, but I did get above 130 mph on the back straight before I had to tear my eyes away from the speedometer and stand on the Brembo brakes, shaving speed for the hairpins that followed.
The ATS-V grips the track with a ridiculous amount of tenacity for a car that felt so subdued on the way to the track. There was better steering feel than most electric assist racks that I've tested (possibly due to Track mode's low level of assist) and an excellent amount of feedback from the suspension through the Recaro seats.
When I found myself understeering through Turn 14, it was the Caddy's feedback that let me know that I'd carried too much speed out of Turn 13 and the responsive chassis that helped me swing the tail around to tuck into the deceptively sharp bend.
Is it scalpel sharp? No, but the ATS-V is powerful, precise and quite capable around COTA. None of my laps may not have been a course record (particularly not those where I experimented with the manual transmission's shifting aid features), but the Cadillac was still a fun car that not only encouraged me to go a little bit faster next g0-round, but also gave me the information I needed and the tools to do so.
However, the most impressive trick of the day was cooling off the brakes, toggling the driving mode to Touring, and taking a casual and comfortable ride back from the track. Unlike some performance variants, the ATS-V trades almost no comfort and convenience in its pursuit of speed.
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