Shrink-Wrapped

By Ed

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.

Form Meets Function in the CTS-V

By Chris

As Ed mentioned in the last post, any Cadillac has a lot of visual and design presence. In the case of CTS-V, a lot of those visual cues have a dual purposes – much of what you see in the photos of the car is as much functional as it is design oriented.

The grille is the most obvious case in point. I’m sure you’ve noticed how the face of the car differs from the CTS we sell today. The driving force for the new V-Series grille is as much functional as it is stylistic. The revised grille openings enable 100% more airflow – that’s twice as much air getting into the car, a gigantic difference. This is a major aspect of the car’s performance. We’re talking about a 550 hp car, as you probably know! That requires tremendous “cooling” capacity. Beyond just engine power, the airflow is also vital for the brake cooling we want to have for our big Brembo brakes, as well as cooling for all sorts of other systems in the car.