No, we’re not saying the fix was in, but we somehow never really doubted the likely overcome of Bob Lutz’s “Winner Take All” challenge.
The septuagenarian executive had, last month, issued a challenge to all comers that no production sedan could beat the Cadillac CTSv on the track. And though the various competitors opted to ignore the opportunity, a number of foreign models still found their way to Monticello Motor Club, in mid-New York State, for today’s time trials.
With the legendary John Heinricy, winning racer and long-time General Motors test driver behind the wheel, the Caddy super sedan handily posted the best lap time, 2:46.560, and overall, the various folks who manned the CTSv delivered six of the seven best laps.
As for Lutz, sometimes known as Senior Bigone? Well, we’ll say he did pretty nicely for a 77-year-old, with the seventh-best lap time, off a little less than 10 seconds from Heinricy’s best turn around the windy Monticello course.
The v did get some competition from a pair of Beemers, both an M3 and M5, with a Jaguar XF, Audi RS4 and even a Mitsubishi EVO showing up to take GM on.
The race was a typical Lutz affair. A month ago, the GM Vice Chairman, now the automaker’s top marketing executive, announced a campaign directly comparing General Motors products to their competition, and offering to prove that the Caddy CTSv could take on the names more likely to come up in a discussion about world-class sports sedans.
Though several makers initial considered playing along, they backed out, one by one, Jaguar pulling an XF-R barely a day before the time trials.
“Young whipper-snappers showed me a thing or two,” conceded Lutz, who used to race under the pseudonym, Senior Bigone, following the day’s events. But he quickly added, “Let’s see them do this when they’re 77.”
The 2010 CTSv is the second generation version of Caddy’s sports sedan. With a supercharged Cadillac-derived V-8 under the hood, it pumps out a hefty 556-horsepower through its rear wheels.
Does the Monticello meet close the books and earn the Caddy bragging rights as best-in-breed? Probably not. We’d need to see something with less opportunity for bias and with formal entries from all the various makes. Nonetheless, the GM luxury marque does come out looking pretty good.
According to the BMW Car Club of America, Beemers are BMW motorcycles and cars are known as Bimmers.
And according to every CTS-V driver who chose their car over an M3 or M5 (myself included), people who correct others spelling of “beemer” are all “b-weeners”
Put that blown V-8 in the Wagon!