Americans are a people that enjoy the finer things in life, and then some. Whereas many people would be just fine with owning a brand new Cadillac, Americans see a Cadillac, even a fast one like the CTS-V Coupe, and say “But can it be faster?” The answer is “Of course it can be faster,” and then we Americans do it. And by God, we do it pretty damn well. Need proof?
Behold, the Hennessey V1000, a twin-turbocharged CTS-V Coupe with lots of displacement and at least 1,000 horsepower. Hennessey Performance Engineering is only going to make 12 of these monsters, as the roads might not be able to handle any more than that.
From the factory the Cadillac CTS-V Coupe is powered by the potent and supercharged LSA engine. Hennessey will be ditching that engine in favor of a ground-up build that displaces 427 cubic-inches and is centered around twin turbos, rather than a supercharger, as the method of forced induction. The transmission, whether it be a slushbox or six-speed, will require upgrades to handle the estimated 1,000 horsepower and 950 ft-lbs of torque this combination is going to put out. That’ll take the V1000 from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.5 seconds, and swings through the quarter mile in just 10.9 seconds at 136 MPH. Top speed? An estimated 206 MPH.
More power is only part of the equation though. The CTS-V Coupe shares a platform with a car that was originally a sedan, and as such it tips the scales at about 4,250 pounds. But a carbon fiber widebody kit and air extractor hood could shave as much as 200 pounds from the car, which could translate into an extra few tenths of a second. Just a dozen of these beasts will be built, and while there is no set price yet, a CTS-V Coupe starts at around $70,000. In other words, it ain’t gonna be cheap. But if you’ve got the money, we’re sure it would be worth every penny.