Cadillac V Series

As recently as 10 years ago, if you had told us that Cadillac would someday build and sell a visually striking family of midsize cars (sedan, coupe and station wagon) featuring rear-wheel-drive, Nürburgring-tuned suspension and brakes, a 6-speed manual transmission and a fire-breathing engine borrowed from the top-spec Corvette of the day, we would have asked you why you didn’t put your message on a torso-sized piece of cardboard and stand at a freeway offramp all day. After all, it wasn’t all that long ago that this constituted a Cadillac performance car.

Thankfully, the current CTS-V makes the days of front-wheel-drive and 200hp from 4.9 liters seem longer ago than they really are. However, as we know all too well, even 556hp is woefully inadequate for some folks, and you better believe they’re glad there are tuners like Hennessey offering upgrade packages for the killer Cad. But we’re betting even the biggest horsepower addicts will be a little intimidated by a new, super-limited-edition Hennessey CTS-V called the V1000.

Okay, I admit it… I’m guilty… of butchering Highway 405 where it runs through the City of Angels with reckless and wanton abandon… My weapon of choice?---the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sedan.... And to add insult to injury, I’m a repeat offender---I simply cannot help myself.

This vehicle is so wicked that it begs you to sin. From the moment you fire up the engine and the 556 hp supercharged V8 ignites, the RPM meter dances from left to right, the exhaust growls and the infotainment screen rises menacingly from the dash to cheer you on. And in the recesses of your consciousness you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that you are no longer responsible for your actions. You begin to silently repeat lines such as "I'm sorry, officer, I thought the speed limit in this part of town was 125 mph." Or, uh, "Doing a U-turn in place is ok, right? Efficient, actually..."

It seems like having a murdered-out special edition is all the rage these days. Fresh on the heels of the release of two Black Edition models from Porsche, the General is serving up a Black Diamond Edition of its own for all flavors of the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V. According to Michelle Killen, Cadillac exterior paint designer, “The base color may be a simple black, but the details and richness of the material set it apart.” And what is the material, pray tell? It is actually the first automotive application of JDSU's SpectraFlair pigment, which involves a three coat process the incorporates flakes of aluminum encapsulated in magnesium fluoride. It looks absolutely awesome but good luck getting your local Maaco to handle any scrapes or scratches or for that matter trying to match up paint codes for some do-it-yourself touch-ups. 

But the fun doesn't stop there, oh no... In addition to the ground-breaking overlay, the Black Diamond Edition sports Satin Graphite 19-inch wheels with yellow Brembo brake calipers, Recaro seats featuring 14 adjustable elements and Midnight Sapele wood trim. This limited edition will be available at dealerships starting in March. The price premium is just under $5k with the manual version starting at $69,190 and the automatic beginning at $70,490. In addition, the prices will vary based on whether you are interested in the Sedan, Coupe or Wagon. Why not just get one of each?

With the Holiday Season well and truly upon us, many of us are once again faced with the prospect of traveling significant distances to be with loved ones. And while flying might be the most time-efficient option for journeys in excess of a few hundred miles, and trains let you sit back and enjoy the scenery, driving is still the best choice for many Yuletide migrants. And the recent fracas over government-sanctioned stranger danger has no doubt added to those ranks.

But making the trip over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house doesn’t have to be conducted at the tiller of a minivan, car-based crossover or some other transportation appliance that’s incapable of melting a snowball, never mind its own tires. Yes, Virginia, you can most definitely roll in something that’s naughty enough to be nice, yet can still serve your people- and gift-schlepping needs. Here are 10 of our faves.