Holy Cadillac!!!

Wayne and I drove out to London this morning to participate in the invitation-only Cadillac "Experience the Performance" event at the Convention Centre. We first went to sign in, on display inside were an XLR, DTS, STS, STS-V, CTS, CTS-V, SRX, and Escalade.

Display is good, driving is better. We went outside to the tracks.

In the parking lot across from the building were set up two tracks for our enjoyment. The first consisted of a straightaway, a long left turn, followed by "choice" obstacle (A rep was standing to the side, and he would press a button to activate a light on either side, our goal was to take the turn the light wasn't on), then a full stop. The driving options here were a CTS-V, AWD STS V8, 3.6L CTS, and an XLR.

The second track was designed to showcase the stabilitrack capabilities of the vehicles. After a straightaway and a hard right was a skidpad with a 45 degree turn on it, followed by a stop. The options on this track were a SRX, 2.8L CTS, 3.6L STS, and 4.6L DTS.

I drove everything but the DTS, and had an absolute blast. It wasn't very busy, so Wayne and I pretty much had the freedom to drive whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. The skidpad was pretty fun, but the bulk of the time was spent on the other track - mainly because of the superior car selection.

I took the 3.6L CTS around the track more than anything else, and thoroughly enjoyed it! The engine had a nice dose of power, the handling and braking were exellent, and best of all - I had the freedom to drive the hell out of it. Believe me - I put it through its paces. After one particularly spirited lap, one of the reps came up to me and said "So it seems you found the gas pedal." Yes I did, thank you. Did I mention how much I enjoy all those rear-wheel drive sedans? :)

The CTS-V was great, but would have been better if I knew how to drive a stick better than a monkey. Unfortunately, I don't. Nevertheless, I did manage to put that 400HP V8 to work burning up the tires - and let me tell you, nothing compares to the sound of a good V8. Not a V6, not a crotch rocket, and most definitely not one of those ridiculous fart-tube I-4's. The throaty roar of that thing really lets anyone within earshot know that this car means business. I love it.

The XLR was brilliant, driving it was pure pleasure. Not as much go as the CTS-V, (though with 320hp, it's certainly no slouch) but the refinement and feel of riding in a $100K roadster...it all adds up to a big smile on my face.

I liked the STS, but it is, and drives like, a larger car than the CTS. Not that it's a bad thing, but I prefer the smaller CTS. The STS was brilliant on the skidpad though, and handled great considering it felt like such a tank hehe.

The SRX I'm pretty sure is great for the segment, but I'm just not into the crossover SUV's. Nice ride, but my goal for the day was funfactor - I abandoned it in favour of the CTS - sorry.

All in all, I think we both had a really good time. We spent awhile inside again, eating some food and talking to Marketing and Engineer people about the new Cadillac's - with the CTS a heavy focus of conversation. I honestly came away with a lot more respect for that car. I suppose the fact that the majority of my driving experience is limited to vehicles like a Corsica, Grand Am, and Caravan - but that car really impressed me.

So here's a quick rundown of what I drove and some stats, because I love the idea of going an entire day driving vehicles ranging from 210-400 horsepower and $35-$100K in price.

CTS-V: 5.7L V8 400HP
CTS: 3.6L V6 255HP
CTS: 2.8L V6 210HP
STS: 3.6L V6 255HP
STS: 4.6L V8 320HP AWD
XLR: 4.6L V8 320HP
SRX: 3.6L V6 255HP

Now that's a good day by anyones standards :).