Continuing to demonstrate its technical capabilities and high-performance credentials, Cadillac today announced a race-going version of the CTS-V sport sedan, the most powerful car in the brands lineup. The race car, named CTS-V race car, will compete in the 2004 SCCA Speed World Challenge, a highly competitive North American race series for production based cars.

CTS-V race car is the first race car developed by GM Racing in conjunction with the new GM Performance Division, an in-house center designed to explore potential enthusiast-oriented versions of production models. The CTS-V, introduced in late 2003 as a 2004 model, signaled Cadillacs entry into the low-volume, high-performance luxury car niche, and was the first vehicle to wear the divisions high-performance V-series badge.

By weight, the CTS-V race car is 73 percent stock-derived. The production CTS-V and CTS-V race car share common technology  in the form of the all-aluminum V-8 engine, front and rear suspension, steering system, differential and halfshafts  and talent, as the engineers who conceived the CTS-V for street use were directly involved in the creation of the race car.

Like the CTS and CTS-V, which were refined and validated at Germanys famed Nürburgring, the CTS-V race car will prove itself on the most challenging racing circuits in North America. A two-car, factory-backed effort from Cadillac will debut at the SCCA World Challenge race supporting the 12 Hours of Sebring in March 2004. Championship-winning sports car racers Max Angelelli and Andy Pilgrim will drive the works Cadillacs.

The CTS-V race car will feature a 5.7L overhead valve V-8 engine. It will produce more than 500 horsepower with a maximum rpm of 7600. It will have a 25-gallon fuel tank to carry enough fuel for the 50-minute sprint races that comprise the series without requiring a pit stop. Its top speed is estimated to be in excess of 165 mph.

Cadillac products for the 2004 model year include the CTS sport sedan, CTS-V, SRX luxury utility, Seville, DeVille, XLR luxury roadster, and the most powerful utilities on the planet; Escalade, Escalade EXT and Escalade ESV. More information on Cadillac can be found at media.gm.com/cadillac.

Cadillac is a division of General Motors (NYSE: GM). General Motors, the worlds largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide, and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931.

Story by General Motors Corp, edited by Supercars.net