Sometimes life's not fair. As good as Cadillac's new ATS-V sport sedan and coupe are, they'll only be judged in the shadow BMW's M3.
Doesn't matter that the Cadillac has paddle shifters made of magnesium or book-matched carbon fibre bodywork or 464 horsepower. How does it compare with the M3?
But the engineers knew they were going head-to-head with their counterparts at M and Mercedes-AMG. They used their rivals' cars as benchmarks during development. They knew, too, that the German machines had the advantage of decades of evolution, and that BMW had arguably been the one to beat since the late 1980s.
The ATS-V lines up on the empty start/finish straight at the Circuit of the Americas with a lot to prove.
Artificially enhanced engine noise comes burbling through the speaker system as the V-6 hits its stride and shoves the driver back into the bucket seats through second, third and fourth gears.
Stomp on the Brembo brakes like your life depends on it – because, well, it does – and they slow the car so violently your helmeted head will hit the sun visor if you're not ready.
The Cadillac rips through Turn 1 totally planted, strangely quiet, with an electronic differential ensuring maximum rocket ship on exit.
Honestly, this is par for the course in this class. That the ATS-V can even hit par is an achievement, though. Other auto makers have tried and failed.
Handling is where luxury sport sedans and coupes earn their credibility, so here's the score.
The good: The Cadillac is forgiving, perfect for amateur speed demons. The controls feel more direct and connected than on lesser ATS models. It's playful, too, letting you adjust it mid-corner using the throttle and that hooligan-friendly rear-wheel drive balance. Plus, the six-speed manual is a joy to row up and down the gears.
The bad: The ATS-V doesn't feel especially light, because it isn't. You drive it always aware of its mass and momentum. The eight-speed auto is a touch slow-witted compared with rivals' more expensive dual-clutch automatics. And, at the ATS-V's limit, there's an artificial, eerily numb feeling. It's too quiet. Maybe it's the trick suspension always trying to level out the car, but it'd be nice to have more information filter through about what all four wheels are doing.
It's great to finally have a worthy rival to German sport sedans and coupes, though. Especially when it's a veritable bargain, undercutting the M3 by $9,000.
The ATS-V is about building up the V brand, building performance credibility for Cadillac. And it will. Who knows? One day it might be V that's the benchmark, not M or AMG or RS. But not yet; this is only the beginning.
You'll like this car if ... You're a driving enthusiast who's sick of the tyrannical dominance of Teutonic sports cars.
TECH SPECS
- Base price: $65,750 (coupe); $68,055 (sedan)
- Engine: 3.6-litre twin-turbo V-6
- Transmissions: six-speed manual, eight-speed auto
- Fuel economy (litres/100 km): 14.2 city, 10.2 hwy (manual); 15.1 city, 9.9 hwy (auto)
- Drive: Rear-wheel drive
- Alternatives: BMW M3/M4, Mercedes-AMG C63, Audi RS 5, Lexus RC F
RATINGS
- Looks: Both coupe and sedan have an angular, hard-edged style that makes them instantly stand out from homogeneous German rivals.
- Interior: The optional Recaro seats are excellent. The materials feel high-quality. But aargh! The CUE touch screen system just isn’t good enough. The touch-sensitive climate controls are annoying, too. Its rivals use buttons in the centre stack for a reason: they’re better.
- Performance: The twin-turbo V-6 is a highly tuned version of the motor in the ATS-V sport. The result is a meaty 464 hp, 445 lb-ft of torque and 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds (estimate 0-100 km/h in 4.1).
- Technology: A stiffened body structure, a slack-free suspension setup, active exhaust system, titanium con-rods, six-piston monoblock front brake calipers and more cooling than a nuclear reactor in order to keep the engine from having a meltdown.
- Cargo: The sedan is practical enough it could be your daily driver. The coupe, too, so long as you don’t have kids to ferry.
The Verdict
7.5
The ATS-V makes a good first impression. Time to test it back to back against its rivals.
The writer was a guest of the auto maker. Content was not subject to approval.
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