The Cadillac ATS represents the first serious effort on the part of GM to build a small luxury car up to the high standards of 21st century Cadillac. Among the intriguing design decisions was the use of a 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder as one of two high-output engine options (the other being a 321 horsepower 3.6 liter V6). But can a four-cylinder Cadillac really be fast?
As it turns out, yes, it can be fast. Some might even say very fast, though we’d argue they could come up with a better description than that. Something like “blisteringly fast” with “exhilarating acceleration” or some such. Anyways, Pfadt Engineering took their 2.0 liter-equipped Cadillac ATS to the recent Texas Mile event, reaching a top speed on par with the supercharged Camaro ZL1, and coming home with the title of “World’s Fastest Cadillac ATS.”
Pfadt managed such a feat using a new turbo upgrade kit that they claim adds over 100 horsepower to the stock 2.0 liter turbo engine. With a 270 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, the stock 2.0 is no slouch in the power department. An additional 100 horsepower would put it close to the 400 horsepower mark in a car that reportedly weighs less than 3,400 pounds.
No wonder the Pfadt team was able to hit a top speed of 162.5 MPH, the fastest any Cadillac ATS has been able to go so far. That speed puts the Pfadt ATS in the same league as Corvettes and Camaros with supercharged engines, including the Camaro ZL1, which has a supposed top speed of around 180 MPH.
Pfadt will release pricing and parts numbers for their modified Cadillac ATS soon, giving other ATS owners a chance to experience what 160 MPH in a four-cylinder luxury car feels like.