The ATS-V Coupe isn’t for the faint of heart. Just look at it. Gaping black-mesh infused upper and lower grilles, glossy carbon-fibre

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

air extracting hood louvers, a CFRP aero kit all-round, the latter incorporating a seemingly race-ready rear diffuser stuffed full with a foursome of fat chromed tailpipes that are almost as provocative as the ducktail spoiler atop the deck lid above, it’s a teenage dream car wrapped up in a middle-aged CEO’s paycheck, and easily worthy of duking it out with the M4s and C63 AMGs of the world.

Cadillac sales might not be at the level of German or Japanese competitors in Canada, its year-to-date numbers even slipping behind Infiniti, but it’s certainly gaining fan support. Too bad Oshawa can’t take respect to the bank, but then again if they keep building cars like the compact ATS four- and two-door, mid-size CTS sedan, longer and wider aluminum-bodied CT6 luxury sedan, mid-size XT5 crossover SUV, full-size Escalade SUV, and others, they’ll win the long game. Despite

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

this well-earned street cred, some auto market analysts continue to relegate crested-wreath products amongst tier-2 premium brands, mostly because of those sales numbers, plus not having all of the major auto segments filled with an available model (a subcompact luxury car and SUV, compact SUV, seven-passenger crossover SUV, and sports car are notably missing from Cadillac’s lineup), and not having brand-dedicated dealerships, but having its own performance sub-brand is a key component to gaining tier-1 status.

Catch sight of an ATS-V Coupe pulling up behind you, or better yet climb inside and experience the car personally, and all of this brand hierarchy BS will quickly become irrelevant, as it’s one badass sports coupe with near supercar performance.

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

I first experienced the ATS-V’s twin-turbo 3.6-litre V6 in the CTS VSport, although to be clear this LF4 has been given a deep tissue massage since starting off as an LF3. The list of upgrades includes titanium connecting rods, new crankshaft counterweights, shorter intake runners, new turbos and wastegates for a bump from 12 to 18 psi, plus higher-flow fuel injectors. Even the oil pan is new, complete with unique baffles that reportedly make the wet sump design capable of two G’s worth of lateral acceleration. All the changes result in 44 more horsepower and 25 additional lb-ft of torque over the CTS VSport mill, or more specifically 464 horsepower and 455 lb-ft of torque.

While the CTS VSport comparo is useful to show progress with the powertrain, I’d be remiss not to compare the ATS-V Coupe to its main competitors, particularly BMW’s M4, Lexus’ RC F and Mercedes’ upcoming 2017 C63 AMG Coupe, while Infiniti’s

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

long awaited Q60 deserves special mention despite not quite playing in the same league (Audi’s RS 5 is temporarily awaiting a new A5/S5 donor). Rather than going over each and every competitive spec I’ll sum it up in short form: The ATS-V Coupe, which along with that powerhouse engine benefits from an auto rev-matching six-speed manual or GM’s homemade eight-speed auto boasting magnesium paddles that flick through the same (albeit slightly softened) gearing as the Corvette, rear-wheel drive, an electronic limited slip diff, a 1,678-kilo (3,699-lb) curb weight, and launch control assisted 4.1-second sprint to 100km/h, is identically quick to the slightly lighter, less powerful M4 and slightly heavier more powerful C63 AMG Coupe, almost a half-second quicker to 100km/h than the RC F and more than a half-second faster than the top-tier Q60 coupe, making the ATS-V more powerful, lighter, and slightly

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

speedier than this list’s average, plus as noted it’s available with a manual for purists (with unique No-Lift Shift capability; just bury the throttle and go for it).

No such luck with my auto-equipped tester, but then again it’s probably best to test a car the way most owners will spec it. The standing start is so quick my right hand wasn’t pulling paddle prompts fast enough to keep the tach from slamming into redline, but once I got my eyes off that left-side needle and started using the sound of engine revs as my cue I was able to perform shifts flawlessly. When hooking it up properly the ATS-V is a dynamo, its artificially enhanced engine and exhaust note increasing the fun factor (if the M4 and even the legendary Mustang can

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

pipe mechanical sound through the stereo, why not Cadillac?), but even more impressive was the overall way it drove, particularly the ATS-V’s stability at speed.

This thing feels tight, its torsional rigidity actually 25 percent better than the regular ATS thanks in part to extra bracing in the engine bay that even includes an aluminum skid plate sealing off the base of the subframe. That stability comes via a 5-mm (0.2-inch) wider front track, while the rear decreases by almost 8 mm (0.3 inches) although the V’s beefier 255/35R18 front and 275/35R18 rear Michelin Pilot Super Sports on forged alloys still make for a broader footprint overall. Its ZF-sourced variable-ratio electrically assisted steering is said to be 14 percent stiffer, and while I had no way of verifying that claim it certainly felt more precise during turn-in.

Speaking

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

of stiff, spring rates are up by 50 percent all-round, while third-generation Magnetic Ride Control dampers combine with upgraded bushings and ball joints for impressive command of the road no matter the lateral load or street surface, plus a surprisingly composed ride, at least for its performance-focused class. What’s more, the V gets standard competition-spec traction and stability control with five uniquely tuned traction modes including Wet, Dry, Sport 1, Sport 2 and Race, and that’s not including the regular drive modes that include Tour, Sport, Track, and Snow/Ice.

As usual in this super-performance sub-segment Brembo supplies the cease and desist orders, the ATS-V getting big 14.6-inch front rotors clamped down on via bright red “V” emblazoned six-piston calipers, while 13.3-inch rear discs receive the

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

squeeze from four-piston units, all resulting in near immediate stopping power, this made easier thanks to a lightweight design incorporating ultra-high-strength steel, aluminum and other advanced materials.

All of this go-fast excitement is wonderful for those rare occasions that a circuitous two-laner happens to show up mid road trip at the exact moment your significant other lulls into REM from the reclined passenger seat, but in reality we need to live with our performance coupe choice day in and day out, so, while there’s still ample opportunity for double posted fun on highway entry ramps and cloverleaves during regular commutes, there also needs to be a modicum of comfort and accommodation. To this end the ATS-V Coupe is ideal for tooling around

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

town at more relaxed speeds, hardly a chore to park and not even too bad at the pump with a five-cycle rating of 14.7 L/100km city and 9.8 highway with the as-tested auto or 14.2 and 10.2 with the manual, albeit a pricier premium unleaded requirement.

Its front Recaro seats are amongst the best I’ve tested all year, both from a comfort and performance perspective, while a six-foot-nine friend had no problem climbing into the driver’s seat, although I didn’t ask him to try the two seats in back. These are best left to smaller adults and kids, my five-foot-eight frame shoeing in with little to spare when the front seat was set for my height. Likewise the trunk is on the smaller side at 294 litres (10.4 cubic feet), but 60/40-split seatbacks allow for stowing longer items when needed.

Cadillac doesn’t finish the ATS’ trunk as nicely as some of its peers, with floor and moulded

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

sidewall carpeting, but not the nicest grade, a particularly cheap plastic cover over the rear-mounted battery, and zero shiny metal trim, while under the hood its engine isn’t celebrated with the same enthusiasm as the glossy CFRP-enhanced M4, but leave all your whining at the door when climbing inside the cabin as it’s a feast for all senses. I’ll get the cheap stuff out of the way first, the lower door panels that are hard plastic and therefore not up to the class standard, but the rest of the ATS-V cabin is over the top with plenty of standard carbon fibre inlays, genuine aluminum accents, sueded microfibre trim, and “hand-selected” Mulan leather detailing. It’s all beautifully done, with additional surfaces finished in piano black lacquer, bins and pockets lined in a nice velvety material, fabric-wrapped pillars, and extremely high resolution, full-colour electronic displays.

Cadillac

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

calls its “three-window” primary gauge package reconfigurable and it is, albeit more basic than some competitors like the RC F, which gets a full TFT cluster. The V’s works in conjunction with an optional head-up display as well as the CUE infotainment system atop the centre stack, the latter featuring a flick and swipe capable eight-inch touchscreen with feedback vibrations, plus the usual features such as a backup camera with active guidelines (very helpful in this car), accurate navigation, enhanced voice recognition, superb Bose audio with active noise control, easy phone setup with Apple CarPlay, etcetera, while a row of digital buttons pop up across the bottom of the display when your hand touches the touch-sensitive controls on the audio and dual-zone auto HVAC interface just below.

Of note,

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

you can upgrade the infotainment system with a Performance Data Recorder (PDR) that analyzes (and shares) your track data, including front camera video, in-cabin audio, performance metrics including 0-to-97 km/h sprints, lap times and g-force (but unfortunately no Pokémon Go captures), and more. No challenger offers anything like it.

Some additional wow factor is found behind that interface that actually powers up to expose a hidden compartment complete with wireless charging, while I should also mention the car comes with 4G LTE for Wi-Fi hotspot capability. Those just-noted touch-sensitive controls are stylish, upscale and worked mostly without issue, although you’ve got to be careful not to touch the three-way heated seat button as I mistakenly did, resulting in a very hot seat on an already warm summer’s day. The ATS-V’s steering wheel is heatable as well, but I was more interested

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

in its thick, sporty, leather-wrapped and crisscross-stitched design that was ultra grippy, while the paddles just behind felt equally substantive.

Complaints? Only one, the drive mode selector’s three-button system requiring multiple actions to engage a given function, the first push bringing choices up onto the multi-info display, followed by one or more presses of the up/down arrows that scroll through its various options, plus a final push to choose a mode. It’s a long and laborious process that hardly makes it easy to swap between more efficient Tour and more exciting Sport modes, for instance. It could easily be rectified by a simpler rocker switch or dial to quickly switch between modes, and should. Exacerbating the problem, rather than leaving itself in the mode being used before shutting the ignition off the V automatically switches to Tour mode when starting back up.

Given

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

the ATS-V Coupe’s $68,305 base price, which is thousands less than any competitor, I could look past this annoying issue in four seconds flat, as the rest of the car is so very, very good. Still, before getting too excited about the V’s value proposition consider that many of the features mentioned aren’t standard, the carbon-fibre front splitter, hood vent trim, and rear diffuser requiring an additional $5,755 (the M4 comes stock with a carbon-fibre roof and more), the red brake calipers costing $625 (gold is also available), the eight-speed auto yet more at $2,345, the Recaro seats adding another $2,645, adaptive HID headlamps (not LEDs), alloy pedals, navigation, Bose audio, a garage door opener and more coming with the Luxury package that costs $2,595, and the head-up display part of a $2,225 Safety & Security package that also includes a self-powered alarm, auto high beams, rain-sensing wipers, blindspot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision alert, lane departure warning and autonomous lane keep assist (which isn’t enough to earn it an IIHS Top Safety Pick

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

Plus rating), while the awesome PDR system comes standalone for $1,430 or as part of a $6,835 Track Performance package that includes the aforementioned carbon-fibre aero bits. My tester, which didn’t include an available psuede steering wheel at $330 or powered glass sunroof for $1,395, added $18,765 in options for an as-tested price of $87,070, or $89,020 with freight and dealer fees included. Build an M4 with similar features and it’ll only set you back a few thousand more, so choosing one over the other is certainly not about price.

This said the ATS-V, a car designed to hustle down the racetrack straight at 304 km/h (189 mph), is fully capable of standing on its own (slightly smaller) four wheels as a worthy entrant into this upper echelon of super-sport coupes and sedans, a four-door version also available, and

Photo: Karen Tuggay, Canadian Auto Press

Cadillac is asking a fair price for a car that delivers in equal measure (it’s actually a superb deal compared to the same car in the U.S. that would set you back $107k at the current exchange rate). The NYC-based brand realizes as much as the rest of us that the ATS-V’s slice of this rarified performance pie will be slim at best, but that’s ok because it’s building crested-wreath credibility and worker morale as much as it’s trying lure in new buyers, even if those prospective owners are more likely to purchase a $50-something ATS or XT5 instead. That’s a shame of course, as I’d love to see more ATS-V Coupes on the road.
©(Copyright Canadian Auto Press)