Cadillac's Insane, Unnecessary, Awesome Wagon

Wall Street Journal ^ | 01/29/2011 | Dan Neil

[Responsibility2nd]

Let's say you bought this car, a Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon, with a 6.2-liter, 556-horsepower Corvette V8, six-speed manual transmission, magnetorheological dampers (I'll get to that), Michelin SP2 gumballs, 15-inch front Brembo brakes with six-pot calipers, and microsuede wrapping on the steering wheel and shifter. Well, first of all, you'd be one strange cat, which is to say, unusual. Notwithstanding any nitro-burning ice-cream trucks or flying boattail Rollses in your neighborhood, this wagon is about as esoteric an automobile as you're likely to find. Statistically speaking, General Motors will sell exactly none of these cars, the Detroit equivalent of Zoroastrianism.

But if you did buy one, what would you do with it?

[Responsibility2nd]

The clutch throw is heavy, the uptake sweet and progressive. The gearbox has the momentous, latch-in-place action of a switch for an electric chair. Slot it into first, ramp up the revs to 4,000 and slip the clutch. The lights in your brain dim like it's midnight on the Green Mile and wherever you were, you ain't anymore.

[Frantzie]

Another Obama Motors/UAW POS.

[Responsibility2nd]

 

2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon

• Price as tested: $63,465
• Powertrain: Supercharged and intercooled 6.2-liter pushrod V8; six-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel drive with limited-slip differential
• Horsepower/torque: 556 hp at 6,100 rpm/551 pound-feet at 3,800 rpm
• Curb weight/length: 4,390 pounds/191.3 inches
• Wheelbase: 113.4 inches
• 0-60 mph: 4.3 seconds
• EPA fuel economy: 14/19 mpg, city/highway
• Cargo capacity: 22 cubic feet (behind second row). 56 cubic feet (rear seats down)

[llevrok]

The clutch throw is heavy, the uptake sweet and progressive.

I dated a girl like that in college

But I digress....

[Erik Latranyi]

Anytime someone makes an argument that something of choice is “unncessary”, I want to tell them to shut their elitist mouth.

[surfer]

Of course the uptake is progressive...thats their entire point!

[Responsibility2nd]

Why would anyone want to spend $111,100 (just checked http://www.chevrolet.com/corvette-family/ ) for a ZR1 when for less money you can by a CTS-V Sport Wagon that will haul ass and groceries too?

[trisham]

Amen.

[Mr. Mojo]

I saw Elvis Presley’s ‘72 Cadillac station wagon up for auction at Mecums the other day. A heckuva lot nicer looking than the current Caddywagon.

[ZirconEncrustedTweezers]

I’m more of a sports-car enthusiast, but there is something perversely attractive about a station wagon that does a sub-12 quarter mile...

[rockinqsranch]

Incredible! Wondering if they could have done such development without taxpayer money.

[diverteach]

......and worth half what you paid for it the second you drive it off the lot.

[traditional1]

Hey; it's "OBAMA MOTORS", and their target buyers are paying with "OBAMA MONEY"....

[IYAS9YAS]

Had I the money, I’d love to buy a Cadilac, save one minor detail - GM product - won’t ever buy another.

[Kenny Bunk]

Supercharged and intercooled 6.2-liter pushrod V8; six-speed manual transmission; rear-wheel drive with limited-slip differential

The GM parts bin comes through again.

I'll take it with a 3 liter turbo diesel and four wheel drive. Good looker!~

[Dr. Sivana]

Does it seat more than six? If not, I’ll keep my ‘94 Caprice Wagon.

[Responsibility2nd]

Amen???

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Comment #6 Removed by Moderator

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I take it the Moderator didn't find anything religous about that post. What did it say?

[RC2]

When someone tells me that, I want it. If I were to buy something like this car, I would drive it every place. Just like I did with Vets. Vets are unnecessary also but what a blast to drive.

[Eye of Unk]

For the same price you can get a Corvette with quite a few extras.

Funniest thing I saw on the news this morning, an overhead video showing a guy in a new Corvette trying to drive in Dallas on the icy roads.