When the covers were taken off the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Sedan and Coupe prior to last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show, the American marque claimed that the car delivered a BMW M3/M4 beating 455 hp. Now Cadillac has confirmed that the ATS-V models duo actually produce 464 hp from the twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre V6 engine.
Beyond the slight bump in horsepower, the Cadillac ATS-V’s sprint to 96 km/h (60 mph) now drops from 3.9 seconds to 3.8 while the top speed has increased from 297 km/h (185 mph) through to 304 km/h (189 mph).
The engine powering the ATS-V is actually based around the V6 employed by the CTS Vsport. The extra power and torque, all 445 lb-ft of it, has been achieved through the installation of revised titanium connecting rods, two water-to-air intercoolers, titanium turbocharger turbines as well as a new radiator dedicated to the transmission and electronically locking differential.
Transmission options include a six-speed manual ‘box or a single-clutch eight-speed auto with both sending power exclusively to the rear wheels. The manual gearbox features Active Rev Match, no-lift shifting as well as launch control while the eight-speed auto operated through paddle shifters, includes launch control and the ‘Performance Algorithm Shift’.
Elsewhere, the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V range uses a chassis which is now 25 per cent stiffer than typical ATS variants. Third-generation Magnetic Ride Control dampers are also featured alongside large Brembo six-piston calipers at the front and four-piston calipers at the rear. These large Brembo brakes clamp down on 370 mm front discs and 339 mm rear discs. Another key feature of the Cadillac ATS-V range are the five driving settings offered through the Performance Traction Management system for stability and traction control.
