If you were one of those who wrote off General Motors as a dying dinosaur — after all, it’s been a decade since any GM car took home the Golden Calipers (the Chevrolet Corvette won back in 1998) — prepare to rewrite everything you think you know about what’s in the General’s store. With this bold, savvy, uncompromising showpiece of a sedan — the all-new Cadillac CTS — GM has leapt straight from the rabble’s side of the velvet rope into that coveted, highly selective inner sanctum marked “World’s Finest Cars.” For that remarkable achievement, and for making us grin like lottery winners every time we drove it, the CTS is our enthusiastic choice for Motor Trend’s 2008 Car of the Year.
Not since Neil and Buzz spiked Old Glory into the lunar dust in 1969 have red-white-and-blue ambition and technological prowess looked so good. Allow your eyes to drink in that wide, gently chiseled shape. Mmmmm. This baby will turn heads like the elites from Europe, but it’s unmistakably American, uniquely Cadillac. The wheel arches ride low and snug over the tires — no more yawning “snow chain” gaps. The massive, cowcatcher prow says “get out of my way” — but politely, like a tuxedo-clad bouncer. Close inspection of the headlamps and taillamps reveals exquisite, pizzazz-enhancing LED “light pipes.” No, you haven’t seen those before. GM’s premium brand has perfected a look all its own.
Read on to see how Cadillac — winner of the first Motor Trend Car of the Year award nearly six decades ago — earned the Golden Calipers for 2008. While you’re at it, start practicing using the words “General Motors” and “celebrated” in the same sentence.
For one thing, the CTS makes you look good. Great, actually. There wasn’t one editor in our hard-to-please crew who didn’t have good things to say about the car’s starch-creased tailoring. Several of us think it’s the most striking and original sedan we’ve seen in years. Better still, unlike the previous CTS, the 2008 edition carries its edgy exterior theme and penchant for beauty right into the cockpit. In comparison, the Mercedes C350 cabin looks bleak and severe; the Honda Accord’s dash seems fussy — and not as well made. Cadillac’s interior team has balanced form, function, and panache as deftly as we’ve seen it done — in some ways (that brilliantly simple yet powerful nav/info system) better than anyone.
Though not an all-out sports machine in the mold of, say, the S5, the CTS nonetheless proved to be one of the top performers in this year’s field. Our test car (equipped with the direct-injection engine, six-speed automatic, and FE3 performance suspension) ran to 60 mph in 6.3 seconds, clawed from 60 mph to 0 in a mere 109 feet (bettering even the lightweight, two-seat Audi TT), and churned around the skidpad with a vein-popping 0.89 g of grip. More important, pushing the car hard is a joy. The engine gets a little raspy in its uppermost octaves, but it’s gutty enough to make the 3960-pound CTS feel far lighter than it is. The variable-effort steering is on the heavy side (a good thing) but communicative; the chassis impressively neutral, the brakes potent and durable. All those laps around the Nurburgring have formed key strands in the CTS’s DNA.
Someone should make a plaque: “Here on planet earth landed an all-new, thoroughly reborn Cadillac, model year 2008, A.D.” For sure, the CTS has the goods to send auto aficionados over the moon.
2. AVAILABLE ADAPTIVE high-intensity-discharge headlights automatically follow driver’s steering inputs, providing 20 degrees of travel for improved night visibility in turns.
3. UNIQUE LED “light tubes” add crisp, stylish edge to front and rear lamp housings.
4. BASE ENGINE is carryover 24-valve, 3.6-liter V-6 with variable valve timing; it produces 263 horsepower at 6200 rpm and 253 pound-feet of torque at 3100. New is optional direct-injection (DI) version that ups output to 304 horsepower at 6300 rpm and 273 pound-feet at 5200, making it the most potent GM V-6 ever (stouter even than turbo 3.8 in 1987 Buick GNX). DI also helps improve fuel efficiency (26 mpg EPA highway rating is same as base engine) and reduce start-up hydrocarbons by 25 percent. Like base motor, DI V-6 operates on regular unleaded fuel.
5. AVAILABLE SMART Remote Start controls engine ignition from up to 200 feet away, activates climate control and heated/cooled seats as exterior and interior temps dictate.
6. BOTH POWERPLANTS available with choice of six-speed manual (with new short-throw shift lever) or six-speed automatic transmission; automatic includes “manual shift” and sport modes.
7. HARLEY EARL was here: Chromed side air extractors recall whiz-bang Caddies of yore.
8. 2008 CTS rides on shortened Sigma (STS) platform (though wheelbase is the same 113.4 inches as previous CTS), with two-inch wider track than 2007 model.
9. FOR FOUR SEASONS climes, rear-drive CTS is now available with optional all-wheel drive (AWD with automatic transmission only).
10. CHOICE OF THREE suspension configurations: base FE1, stiffer FE2 (also adds 18-inch wheels and limited-slip), and stiffest, performance-tuned FE3 with self-leveling ZF Sachs Nivomat shocks (FE3 is rear-drive only).
11. ALL THREE suspension variants get standard StabiliTrak electronic chassis control and four-wheel vented disc brakes (FE3 wears larger-diameter, cast-iron rotors front and rear).
12. ADVANCED “Aachen HEAD” digital recording mimics human-hearing process, helped engineers isolate/minimize interior noise. CTS said to be among industry’s quietest sedans.
13. GORGEOUS COCKPIT is as striking as CTS exterior, boasting rich materials, superb fit and finish, minimal cut-lines. Interior coverings (leatherette is standard, leather optional) are hand-cut and sewn and trimmed with French stitching. Center-stack sports satin-metallic accents or Sapele Pommele wood. “V” medallions decorate front seats (which offer optional heating and ventilation).
14. NO iDrive hassles here: Optional eight-inch, pop-up navigation/info touchscreen sets new industry standards for stylishness and ease of use. Includes 3D imaging of major U.S. landmarks, voice recognition, and available live XM traffic and weather data. LCD screen disappears into dash at the push of a button but, cleverly, leaves a small strip of key control icons in easy view.
15. LET IT entertain you: In addition to available XM Satellite Radio and 10-speaker Bose 5.1 surround sound, CTS offers integrated USB port for iPods and other music players. Optional is 40-gig hard drive for storing MP3s and CD tracks; it also provides a 60-minute buffer of live radio programming, allowing passengers to pause or even rewind broadcasts (much like a DVR does for TV).
16. OPTIONAL “Ultra View” double sunroof as in SRX crossover.
17. MOST EXTERIOR panel gaps 3 mm or less.
18. LOADED CTS – including 304-horse DI six, automatic, leather, disappearing nav, premium audio, entertainment hard drive, polished wheels, more-goes for just over $45K, about the same as a base, 230-horse BMW 5 Series.
| 2008 Cadillac CTS | |
| Drivetrain layout | Front engine, RWD |
| Engine type | 60 V-6 alum block/heads |
| Valvetrain | DOHC, 4 valves/cyl |
| Displacement | 217.5 cu in/3564 cc |
| Compression ratio | 11.3:1 |
| Power (SAE NET) | 304 hp @ 6300 rpm |
| Torque (SAE NET) | 273 lb-ft @ 5200 rpm |
| Redline | 7000 rpm |
| Weight to power | 13.0 lb/hp |
| Transmission | 6-speed automatic |
| Axle/final | 3.42:1/2.29:1 |
| Suspension, front; rear | Control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar |
| Steering ratio | 16.1:1 |
| Turns lock-to-lock | 2.8 |
| Brakes, f;r | 13.6-in vented disc; 13.4-in vented disc, ABS |
| Wheels | 8.5 x 18 in, cast aluminum |
| Tires | 235/50ZR18 97Y Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 |
| Wheelbase | 113.4 in |
| Track, f/r | 61.8/62.0 in |
| Length x width x height | 191.6 x 72.5 x 58.0 in |
| Turning circle | 56.2 ft |
| Curb weight | 3960 lb |
| Weight dist, f/r | 53/47% |
| Seating capacity | 5 |
| Headroom, f/r | 38.8/37.2 in |
| Legroom, f/r | 42.4/35.9 in |
| Shoulder room, f/r | 56.7/57.4 in |
| Cargo volume | 13.5 cu ft |
| 0-30 | 2.2 sec |
| 0-40 | 3.3 |
| 0-50 | 4.8 |
| 0-60 | 6.3 |
| 0-70 | 8.3 |
| 0-80 | 10.7 |
| 0-90 | 13.3 |
| Passing, 45-65 mph | 3.1 |
| Quarter mile | 14.8 sec @ 95.4 mph |
| Braking, 60-0 mph | 109 ft |
| Lateral acceleration | 0.89 g avg |
| MT figure eight | 26.4 sec @ 0.66 g avg |
| Top-gear revs @ 60 mph | 1900 rpm |
| Base price | $32,990 |
| Price as tested | $45,105 |
| Stability/traction control | Yes/yes |
| Airbags | Dual front, front side, f/r curtain |
| Basic warranty | 4 yrs/50,000 miles |
| Powertrain warranty | 5 yrs/100,000 miles |
| Roadside assistance | 5 yrs/100,000 miles |
| Fuel capacity | 18.1 gal |
| EPA city/hwy econ | 17/26 mpg |
| CO2 emissions | 0.96 lb/mile |
| Recommended fuel | Regular |
