- Oh my God!
This isn't fair, Life's not fair.
It's not fair, I hope I didn't break that.
They told me they wanted me to talk about a Porsche 944,
Puff! no way Jose at day 132 of asking for a Toyota matrix.
Keep them coming but, not today Boleo,
and if you're thinking about a K car or K truck,
you're just gonna wanna hold on, We're getting there.
There's a little bit of a tough one.
We're jumping on American bandwagon, baby.
(Alex Screams)
It's pretty much ,good time when you get to talk about the
six domestic vehicles that are left in this world,
I'm Alex, Alex at a fine Instagram,
and today we're gonna be talking about a domestic vehicle,
that eats any children,
you don't end up putting in the back seat.
A car that gave the old Germans a mild panic attack
in the 21st century, because they
realized they weren't the only ones at the dinner table.
A car that is owned by people that either love horsepower or
really enjoyed golf courses.
Ladies and gentlemen, today
we're gonna be talking about you wanting to own, the
Behemoth, the parallelogram looking circle,
discriminating manufacturer, the Cadillac CTSV.
(upbeat music)
And if we're just jumping into this video.
(upbeat music and Alex claps)
Hello, and just so you know if your knees are turning pink,
you've been going to the bathroom for too long,
somebody is going to notice you're gonna want to jump outta
there. Go subscribe to them for aftermarket wheels,
tires, or suspension for your newly acquired CTSV as well,
you can hit us up over at fitmentindustries.com,
we really much have everything for your CTSV like Nitro
Hannah's, Michelin's toyos ,coil overs,
all that sort of good stuff,
and you already have one that's modified added to our
bad-ass gallery.
Taking it back to the early 2000's, Cadillac was
trying to figure itself out. It had been a while,
but was reaching like the max maturity of the De villes,
the Eldorados and the Escalades look of the soft rectangle
front grills, minimalistic colors, simplified designs,
And look, they gave you more of a feeling
that when you got in it, you were going to a morgue,
versus like a Sunday morning brunch.
Cadillac would eventually try to re stylize itself,
with the focus to ,
(Alex dabbing)
art and science.
In 2000, which focused on sharp ,
shear, forms and crisp edges.
Moving away from the A typical slope lines,
and curved windows,
to you guess it, my favorite shape, parallelograms.
Cadillac would jump into 2000s with a
few redesigned models of De Ville, 99 Dalmatians,
That's all I can think about when I hear that.
And a few short years later, the Escalade.
Then Cadillac would introduce something special,
the CTS. The CTS would be jumping into the
compact, luxury, spectrum
segment and replace the CT5, which would double,
the three series and C class Mercedes.
It was a properly good car, that would allow Cadillac to
diversify its portfolio further, attracting everyone from
real estate agents to Florida folks.
Those are two pretty good target markets,
and it was a good time.
But hiding in the shadows was an idea that Cadillac was
keeping extremely close to the chest.
A new wage performance division.
The Cadillac V series was initially created as part of the
art and signed true branding in 2000 and stole clothes from
their little brother Chevrolet, to make a loud, obnoxious,
really fast, but fun performance sedan.
And the very first V series car, to hit the dock was in 2004
and it was called the Cadillac CTS V.
If you prefer more energy, it was called the V.
The CTSV would be previewed at Germany's famed
Nurburgring race course,
and the 400 horsepower Corvette in a suit, would be the most
powerful car, Cadillac would ever introduce at that time,
and only came with a good old stick next to the knee.
The CTSV was awesome, in every single way.
The V was actually chosen to salute, the
actual V we're talking about.The post world war two
Cadillacs that featured the whole iconic V-shape ornament
beneath their wreath logo, that was on their hood.
The CTSV took some time,
from general motors to actually make
happen, mostly because they're really trying to bring back,
like the standard of the world.
Look, when they started introducing
the B series performance,
they were a little bit nervous,
especially with Japanese and European manufacturers,
doing really well.
They wanted them to go kick rocks.
The best way that they ended up doing that was by making
it like fastest.
And not only did it grab the attention of those that,
could go to a dealership with a 100 thousand dollar
budget on their next car before jumping on a jet.
It also catered to like, Oh! I don't know.
There's like a different group of people,
people that are generally going into money versus coming out
of money. Oh yeah!
People like me, people like you, the younger generation.
The younger generation of car enthusiasts,
people that wanted something that was a little bit nicer.
The CTSV pull in younger enthusiasts to the Cadillac brand,
because most of them,
they needed that,
'cause their other target market was dying.
The first gen CTSV would have a GM LSV8 out of the
Corvette, zero six and a six speed tremor,
which would give a 400 ponys , horses, not ponies.
The CTSV would get all a bunch of good stuff for their
suspension, including some
good gold Goodyear tires, Mirka, which made it
actually well ,platformed car with some decent tires,
and a good suspension,
bigger anti roll bars and everything that you would need to
actually scoot along in a four-door sedan.
The brim was on the car, made it stop,
and while it has some more aggressive styling,
it was relatively actually easy to miss the good old gray
sedan, as it took you to dinner to gaple bees.
It was a good looking car,
but it didn't really like peek out edge too much.
The 5.7 liter did a great job in the platform and gave it a
lovely power curve with plenty of power to boot.
But Hey, if you are going to buy
a first generation Cadillac CTSV,
go for the 2006 or 2007 year,
as you end up with the LS2, do a little bit better,
and It's a six liter versus the five seven now,
it does have the same power numbers,
but it has a better torque band.
You're gonna want to pick that up,
if you are looking to save a little bit,
plus nobody really knows that.
The platform did well, so much,
the Cadillac renewed the subscription and jumped into a
second generation CTSV,
which is probably my favorite,
companies doing this is a big deal.
Performance sedans don't usually last,
and they especially don't last, when it's domestic,
because they got a lot of competition and they usually lose.
And that's the thing,
this was like one of the only performance dance you could
pick up that didn't have somebody with an accent explaining
what it was all about.
It was just a big old motor, and a four-door sedan.
And the second generation was actually pretty impressive,
they did build on it very well.
The car would get more love,
but most importantly would be the suspension,
and the motor,
the 2009 CTSV would see Magna ride, technology,
%which allowed the dampers to adjust
based on sensor readings,
on, in like one millisecond intervals.
It was super fancy.
It was actually what a huge GM platform thing that they did.
And it was a huge marketing thing.
To adjust that,
real-time was awesome, it used magna, magnets or,
magna hitter, mag magnetor, heli, helio logical fluid.
Magnetorhelios electrical vehicle fluid.
The engine would jump into the LSAV8 based on
the LS9 from the zero one,
which had a good old 6.2 liter supercharged freedom fighter.
This is where things really start to get fun.
The push rod system was a little, interesting,
nobody really complained about the fact that a performance
sedan had a six speed transmission and, four doors.
And while the production wasn't Michigan,
the purchase price still managed to the standard $60,000,
at the time which wasn't half that,
you're really starting to get a good
old, American boy that wants more
American brands with a nice car,
but still had kids.
3.9 seconds zero to 60 with enough power to boot,
and you may feel like you die when you do drive it ,when you
slam on the gas,
but it was a proper challenge, and it was fun.
It gave the German performance stands like the M5
an actual run for the money.
Another coop variant was introduced in 2010
and was quite the looker,
it had a center that exited Dawson,
and a raked rear that had a
really good look unlike anything else.
People still loved the sedan.
Just know that you can't see anything out of these cars.
They tried to make it easier, but you can't,
you can't see anything.
The eight pillars are huge.
Everything that you can't see, a damn thing.
And just like all things American,
they want it to keep going.When Bob Lutz,
Jim vice-chairman was asked if there would ever be a wagon,
he told them, should sufficient demand materialize,
there's is no reason why we won't do it
And I'd be in line with you.
I'm pretty sure if the demand was one,
they were gonna make that car.
And Cadillac still did it.
Recognized as the worst car to buy for fuel efficiency, from
the EPA, EPA can just bug off.
The CTSV wagon was introduced with identical parts,
but a big old butt,
and the design that made me want one every single day.
556 horsepower out of a V8 and a wagon.
What else do you want? Free car parts?
We're actually doing a giveaway with
Cognac wheels right now.
Pick up the hood of your team and you could win a set of
free Cognac wheels.
The third generation CTSV would be the last.
We'd see this beautiful name plate.
and we would be sent off with a 6.2 liter LT, four Corvette
motor ,angry eyebrows,
and a design that just truly slapped acid.
I don't know if that actually makes sense, but it was good.
Like it was really, a good car.
The man who wouldn't inevitably ditch for the eight speed
automatic, because that's just the way
the world's working these days,
but you can still be driving a premium year.
The latest CTSV is an unofficial Corvette sedan,
with like 640 horsepower now .
I shouldn't be like talking about the part,
I just the history, no,
we're not here to talk about the history of the CTSV we're
here. Talk about you wanting to own one of these responsible
middle-aged Corvettes.
So you want a Cadillac CTSV.
Maybe you're thinking of switching it up from the JDM crowd.
Okay, go grab your non-certified duet helmet,
and drop off any notion that,
that your gas won't be $200 a month, because you're gonna be
driving this everywhere,
Cause we're about to be talking about what it's like to own,
One of these bad boys. Getting any generation CTSV has both
its pros, and its cons. Snag a first-generation, and you're
getting the best bang for your birthday you possibly can
out of the group. The car hasn't aged the best.
It does Look, in my opinion, maybe just a little bit rough.
But the performance is still enough to beat up, most new
generation cars, on the road.
The stick shift is bond,
but you're gonna need to not modify it a bit to get rid
of the play,
because it does have a little bit of play in the gears.
The reliability of the 5.7 liter or the 6 liter, is
awesome. And even when it's little bits and issues,
the replacement and reliability of it is nothing,
compared to German or European competition,
'cause it's still domestic.
The community of the LS engines
and the Cadillac GM platform, is nuts.
Everyone can help you with these cars,
and they're relatively simple to dive into,
even if it's your second or third bill.
I say that with like the, asterisk sign,
whatever you wanna call it,
but they are pretty easy to work in.
Second generations are a bit more finicky,
but not anything scary.
Watch for supercharger issues that
have defective blowers, that have a bad internal bearing.
It's super common,
and the best way that you can hear it is when it's at idle.
If you're looking to buy one, listen to it,
you'll be able to recognize if it got fixed or not,
and then you can actually easily write down on the price.
Magnetic shock absorbers can age, and need to be replaced,
and because they have the blood of Dr. Manhattan in them,
they can be pricey.
You're gonna want to listen to any sort of stress noises
when driving one around.
The interiors of the second generation
have actually aged fairly well,
mostly because they kept it
pretty simple in the center dash,
and the steering wheel, which is really nice.
The drive train is bulletproof, like absolutely bulletproof.
If you wanna make something quick,
but, you have obligations like children, or dogs,
or maybe you wanna go home Depot,
and buy some things that you can actually fit in your car.
This is a banger of a deal for you.
The prices can start to get up there, but for the most part,
you can find a good middle child.
And while the third generation is a super sedan,
the hundred K price tag,
just really doesn't speak to me like a rusty second gen for
25 K with a cam and a tune unlike 600 horsepower.
The third generations are sharp,
but with their caskets settling in 2019,
because they're not coming back,
it just doesn't carry the same hazard,
as the first and second generation domestic power horses.
The interiors are a bit more bland too,
and a little bit tight ,if you've ever been in one.
Fighting in the realms of trying to appeal to a market,
of people like you, and people like me, but it was $90,000.
It was expensive, And it was, a lot of savings.
I can't wait that long.
First or second generation CTSV.
Get some 20 inch row harness, throw some Michelin tires
on it, put it on some lowering Springs
from Ivack, or H and R,
and be set without losing your fancy suspension magnet
historical suspension system.
Keep them clean though, because for some reason,
CTSVs looked like they went out, and left in Nevada,
for like 16 months.
There's something magical,
about a clean second gen ,or even a
first gen with restored paint on faded headlights,
and like a good overall body.
Spend time there first.
And once you jump into a Cadillac, we're gonna be honest,
the odds of you actually leaving, the high performance sedan
market, or coop will diminish to the level of your average
fuel economy, once you actually start driving yours around.
And if you buy one modified,
really understand where and why it was modified,
because it's an LS,
and I just said, anybody could work on it.
There's a chance that there's a lot of fingers that have
been in, certain crevices and holes and orifices that it
shouldn't have been in.
Most common places on these cars is with the tune,
do not buy one with a tune, if it was randomly installed.
The cars are LSs,
but they aren't like the 50 year old LSs,
that survived bumbs.
These ones still have feelings,
and tunes usually tell a cars, their feelings.
You gotta make sure it's a healthy relationship,
and not a toxic one.
And the best way to do that,
is to make sure the tune was done correctly.
Cadillac switched away from the super sedan, and moved into
their viability plan.
And they got new stuff coming out,
new name plates, which is all cool and stuff.
But, the CTSV name plate is something that will sit special,
in my heart.
Makes me sad, I don't know about you guys.
And I love these things,
but that doesn't mean the car won't be supported just
because they're not made anymore.
They're built with the perfect combination of technology
that exists ,in almost every GM platform.
It had a recipe that will keep them alive and support it for
decades.
And even though their designs may date a little bit more,
as we enter into the odd world, of the new gen,
curvy bubbles and OEM wide body styled cars,
the CTSV is the perfect car for someone that wants a good
sounding, practical car that
may still throw you into a wall,
without insane reliability costs.
It still has terrible gas mileage and will give your
insurance agent a proper heart attack,
when you tell them that
you finally bought one at 21 years old.
But what do you think with the Cadillac CTSV?
Let us know below,
and of course, let us know what you wanna cover next,
If I don't see K car down there under K truck,
we're just done talking about it.
And then, just letting you know.
And if you're looking for aftermarket wheels, tires,
or suspension seriously,
be sure to check us out over@fitmentindustries.com.
And if you're looking to save some cash,
you got 0% financing,
and then you can pay it off at the tax return,
if you're trying to build in the winter time.
I'm Alex from Fitment industries,
and we will see you later. Peace.
(upbeat music)