There was a time when the Cadillac name spelled the car brand that was purchased by those who wanted some comfort in the last car they would ever drive.
These cars weren’t fun, they weren’t offered with performance credentials, and they didn’t give you any driving thrills at all. In 2004, that changed with the first of the Cadillac CTS-V models that was offered to give us a Cadillac that could capture our attention and provide the fun we wanted to enjoy. 2018 marks the last of this model year for this car, which has been through three generations to become a car that’s powerful and excellent on the roads and at the track.
A Bookend Comparison
You might not think that you should compare the models from the first and the last year for this car, but the fact is, we are going to compare the two. What we should learn is how much this car transformed from one model to another to become more of the impressive driving and excellent riding car that was able to experience a fast and active ride on the track.
The 2004 Cadillac CTS-V
When you get behind the wheel of a car that’s been on the market for fifteen years, it’s easy to see that this is a car which has been around for that long. You don’t see the modern technology that we admire or the infotainment that has become such a fixture in nearly every new model. What you do see in this car is the raw feeling of the drive. This is a car that was able to borrow the 5.7-liter LS6 V8 engine from the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 of the time to give it the power and performance that we admired from the start.
The LS6 engine is good for 400 horsepower and 395lb.-ft. of torque in this car, but what you truly feel is the rumble and shake of the 2004 model. This car, once again it’s a fifteen-year-old model, feels as if Cadillac forgot that it was a brand that was considered a luxury brand. Even so, this car certainly gave us the power and fun that we admired and began the new generation for Cadillac that has become the way we admire the brand today when we take this car out on the road for some fun.
The 2018 Cadillac CTS-V
Getting behind the wheel of this current version of the Cadillac sports car that you can certainly admire and enjoy offers the feeling and the knowledge of how this car has transformed over the fifteen years. This car offers the advanced technology you expect, including the CUE infotainment system, and the comforts that have made Cadillac a luxury name for many years. The quiet technology offered to bring this car to the forefront as a model that has the feeling of pure and smooth sophistication when it’s on the road and you’re behind the wheel.
Under the hood of the final model of the CTS-V is a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine that provides you with 640 horsepower and 630 lb.-ft. of torque. This is an amazing improvement over the model that began the journey. This new engine is not only much more powerful, but the suspension, chassis, and transmission upgrades make this a car that can be admired on every road and at the track. This is a car that feels fast and it certainly is. Imagine the fun and active drive this car can offer when you take it for a ride.
Two Roads Converged for Cadillac
If you were to drive these two cars back-to-back, you’d learn quickly that these two cars are excellent and a lot of fun, but certainly different from one another. The 2004 model is absolutely the raw and untamed model that gave us the imaginative ride we desire. The last model for 2018 makes us wish that Cadillac was continuing this model, but we understand that Cadillac is making room for something even better for the future. Given the chance to drive both, you’d pick the 2018 version, but that doesn’t mean the 2004 model didn’t have the right stuff to change our minds about Cadillac as a brand. The good news is, whichever CTS-V model year interests you, there are plenty of them out there. Simple visit your local used Cadillac dealer to get your hands on this performance wonder.
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