We’ve been commenting on some of the inner meaning behind what you have probably seen in photos of the CTS-V. The hood, with its raised center section, is a clear visual cue. Like a lot of things on a car like this, the hood is an aspect where the technical side set the tone for the design. This was a huge exercise in computer-aided design (CAD.) One of the actual CAD images used to design the engine compartment is what you are seeing here.

How do you put 550-hp in a 304-hp box? That was the basic question. What you are seeing in that raised center section is absolutely functional and necessary. Of course, our designers honed the look of it. But every bit of that raised area is needed to house the engine, especially the induction system and Eaton supercharger that sits right on top. We literally shrink-wrapped that engine compartment. The “bulge” is pretty minimal, only as large as it needs to be.

It adds a nice bit of additional visual character to the car. Visually, we didn’t want a huge “bulge” like what you might see on a pony car like a Mustang (that’s not a knock on that very nice car, by the way.) We wanted something powerful, but with a bit of restraint. Also, the higher that bulge is, the less of the road the driver sees. And, you know, seeing the road is kind of important. The goal was to achieve both ends of the spectrum – make it look cool, communicating the serious power underneath, but do it in a way that preserves visibility and looks right for a very luxurious new Cadillac.