Perhaps I should have seen the spin coming.

My burgeoning confidence in both the CTS V’s sublime on-the-limit behavior and my own growing knowledge of Sears Point raceway had caused me to turn off the stability control a few laps previously. I had a kindly and knowledgeable local racer who knew the complex track well at my side, and I had experienced nothing untoward yet. This despite the mighty supercharged LSA smallblock’s ability to overwhelm the rear Michelin PS2s on command with over 400lb-ft of torque from just over 1500rpm and peak out with 556 supercharged ponies at 6100.

But I had been growing more and more confident in the Cadillac’s astonishing poise, a combination of iron-willed body control and a level of benign neutrality that had allowed for beautiful high-speed rear drifts that took me right to the outside curb on corner exit. Heroic aspirations where abetted by the way this chassis composure conspired with the firm-peddled and seemingly indefatigable Brembo ‘Track’ brake package to erase prodigious velocity lap after lap.

The two previous flourishes of low-speed sideways fun had gone swimmingly; the fast (if a tiny bit numb) steering combined well with the world’s fastest reacting suspension, a second-gen Magnetic Ride Control setup, to allow the 4200-pound car to snub unwanted body motion at will. But this time I didn’t unwind the Alcantera-trimmed wheel fast enough, and the 551lb-ft overwhelmed the 285/35ZR19 rears in a heartbeat. Around we went, and though I tried to turn it into a Hollywood-worthy 360, all I ended up with was a car parked on the side of the tarmac.

Nothing hurt but my pride, I trundled back to the pits, where the indulgent Cadillac crew, including multiple SCCA National Champion road racer John Heinricy, ignored my embarrassment and sent me back out for another go. These guys love hard and fast driving.

Just as many of the greatest classics and current supercars are the result of singular vision, the CTS V’s excellence could be said to be a result of John’s. Here is the man who cranked out a sub-8 minute lap of the Green Hell, the production saloon world record. He is the man who guided the algorithmic setup of the MRC, who honed the control weightings and generous (and obviously effective) stability settings. The sheer level of passionate talent he commands amongst the General’s engineering corps rivals the best that the German’s can command.

But beyond the sheer audacity of the numbers, which include 4-flat runs to 60, a quite remarkable 12.1-quarter, and a 193mph top end (in the manual—the auto’s torque converter limit’s it to a ‘mere’ 175), is the sheer bandwidth of abilities the Cadillac makes available.

For this V-Series will do daily as well as well as any RS or AMG—and better than an M—with a stylish cabin featuring polished wood, available pano roof, and optional ventilated Recaros with loads of useful air-bladder adjusters, and great tech toys like a slick hard drive-based nav/infotainment system and remote start. It’s pretty quiet up into six figures (just some wind whistle spoils things), and the magnetic dampers’ Tour mode is exceptional in its ability to hide the worst urban acne. And as the V is now available with an excellent six-speed auto with the requisite sport modes and wheel-mounted buttons, there’s no reason for those cursed with the urban crawl to miss out. For manly men, the Tremec TR-6060 manual is an option, with a shorter throw for its six-speed shifter and lighter dual-plate clutch that make it a decent dance partner, especially as the firmness of the brake pedal proves an excellent heal-toe pivot point. But it is worth noting that the auto is the car John drove at the ‘Ring, and that no accelerative urge is sacrificed by selecting the self-shifter.

What’s not to love? The exhaust note has nothing on an M5’s multifaceted tonal qualities or the C63’s sheer bravado. And the new front end sacrifices the cooking CTS’ unique character for mesh-grilled banality. The rear seat’s cushion is set too low, and while nicely finished, the cockpit doesn’t serve up the quality air of an Audi or BMW effort.

Yet the engineering brilliance evidenced in the damping (now leased out to the likes of the Audi R8 and Ferrari 599) and the asymmetrical half-shaft independent rear end that allows perfect, axle hop-less launches is a match for any tech—from anywhere. Pricing undercuts rivals by tens of thousands (if you exclude the M3); Cadillac is being very aggressive with an opener of $59,995. But they don’t need to play the value card exclusively. The CTS-V is simply one of the best high performance sedans in the world—at any price.

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