American Vs German Automakers: The Cadillac STS-V
Carlos Kirby
· 3 min read
German automakers dominated the luxury performance car market in the latter part of the 20th century. By 2004,
Cadillac
dropped the Seville and introduced the STS. Two years later, it went after the performance king moniker with the introduction of the Cadillac STS-V.In the wake of its 100th anniversary, when it introduced the concept Cien, Cadillac proved to the world that American ingenuity could compete with quality and performance against famed German competitors.
The history behind the Cadillac STS-V
Cadillac set out the break the growing European stranglehold on the luxury car market when it introduced the Seville STS, a limited-edition, custom-built, sport-tuned version of the 1988 Cadillac Seville that premiered with the 1989 model, according to
Motor Trend
.Cadillac continued to tweak the Seville STS, and when the 1992 Euro-themed edition appeared, it garnered Automobile's Automobile of the Year and Motor Trends' Car of the Year prizes.
The following year, Cadillac fit the Seville STS with a 295 hp Northstar V-8, easing the advance to a more powerful machine.
Radical changes came in the 2005 model year when Cadillac dropped the Seville moniker, transitioned away from front-wheel drive, and boosted engine capacity. That set the stage for the introduction of the STS-V performance model in 2006
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How did the Cadillac STS-V change?
MORE: Are Cadillacs Expensive to Maintain?
Cadillac introduced the V-series the previous year with its Corvette-engined CTS-V. But for the STS-V, Cadillac opted to bypass the Corvette V-8 and instead to build through the 32-valve, four-cam Northstar V-8. They also added a Roots-type supercharger,
Car and Driver
reported.The supercharger spins at 2.1 times the crankshaft, boosting the intake system by 12.0 psi. The supercharger allowed Cadillac to jack up the engine to 440 horsepower at 6400 rpm, with 430 pound-feet of torque at 3200 rpm.
That 120 point jump in horsepower moved Cadillac into the arena with its German competitors. At that time the Audi RS 6 boasted 450 horses, the Mercedes E55 zoomed at 476 horsepower, and the upcoming BMW M5 was projected to reach 500 hp.
Cadillac paired the powerful engine with a brand-new six-speed transmission that allowed the STS-V to shift smoothly through the broader torque and maintain decent fuel economy.
Cadillac also improved handling with stiffer springs and roll bars, more responsive steering, and larger tires. All these improvements fueled a mid-sized luxury car that could go from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds, with a top speed of 165 mph.
You can still drive the Cadillac model today
MORE: Cadillac Car Buying Guide
Cadillac produced the STS-V from model years 2006 through 2009 when it was pushed aside by the CTS-V, which ramped up to 556 hp with a supercharged V-8. Cadillac produced about 2,500 STS-V's during its brief life.
The car has not caught on with collectors, so the prices have remained relatively affordable for Cadillacs. CarFax recently reported only two models for sale that were accident-free, priced at $16,990 and $24,999. Others that had reported accidents started at $14,999.
Auto coverage for your Cadillac
If you want to get behind the wheel of a used Cadillac STS-V, the Internet can be a good friend in finding models as you won't find many sitting on your neighborhood used car lot.
When you need car insurance for your Caddy,
Jerry
can find you the best prices by comparing over more than 50 of the nation's top insurance companies.
