Air suspension kit for Cadillac CTS.

This Caddy thunders down the road with 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft of torque, with most of that twist available around 1,500 rpm. Compared to the CTS-V’s most obvious competitors – the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz AMG E63 – that low-down grunt is a selling point. And while the Bimmer’s rev-happy V10 is fun on the track, it loses its luster when commuting to the office. And though it’s true that the E63 offers substantially more grunt than the M5 (465 lb-ft at 5,200 rpm versus 383 lb-ft at 6,100 rpm), it’s still outmatched in both output and responsiveness by the CTS-V. The Cadillac CTS air suspension, like its two-door Corvette sibling, can be driven around town in a thoroughly relaxed fashion. And with a choice of either a six-speed automatic with sport and manual shift modes or a row-your-own Tremec with the same number of cogs, the CTS-V pleases with what’s under the hood and what’s nestled in your palm.

More important than interior trimmings are the front seats. Thankfully, Cadillac saw fit to offer the CTS-V with a proper pair of thrones. Optional 14-way adjustable Recaros are available at a price ($3,400), and they’re worth every penny. The side bolsters can be adjusted to fit the driver’s torso to a “T”, allowing the person manning the helm to comfortably take advantage of the V’s thoroughly revised Cadillac CTS suspension. And if that price still seems too steep, it’s made slightly more bearable with the inclusion of Alcantara trim coating the center of the seats, shift knob and steering wheel. Once your butt is situated in the grippy Recaro, it’s time to fire up the engine and unleash the beast. Of course, this being a Cadillac and not a Corvette, it doesn’t make as much noise as its Bowtie’d counterpart. In fact, the CTS-V sounds downright subdued – but there’s no mistaking it for a Lexus. Like other great V8s, its slightly lumpy at idle, but given that the engine is the heart of the CTS-V, it’s more like a pulse and less like a ’60s muscle car on the verge of vapor lock.

With our tester’s 6L90 automatic transmission in Drive, a gentle squeeze of the throttle sets the CTS suspension smoothly into motion. Given the V’s capabilities, you’d expect the sedan to feel high-strung and truculent at slow speeds. It’s anything but. Measured application of the throttle results in perfectly linear acceleration – and when you finally hammer the go-pedal, all that twist plants your backside into the seat unlike any other sedan on the market. Push the LSA harder and the exhaust note becomes even more aggressive, although it never grates. It simply responds, “Sure, I’m more powerful than some supercars, but I’m also a grown up.”