My 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe – Retirement or Track Ready?

Following my last two COALs you’ll notice that I have two vehicles in my garage: A Chevy Spark and a Honda Grom. While I love them both dearly, I like to have some power. After all, the best thrills don’t always come cheap. There have been a few cars that I’ve wanted to own that I thought would be great driveway companions, so while I’m bored at work, I’ll often take time to see what’s available on the market.

As someone who appreciates the backstory of a car, I wanted something American or English. While the Miata was built in Japan, and the BMW/Audi in Germany, the Spark is really a Korean car. So, in order to get some more history under my belt I was looking by country of origin.

My dad had owned multiple Triumph Spitfires, and while he says how unreliable they were, he still loves to talk about them to this day. Knowing this, he would probably question my listening skills if I bought one of those, so a Jaguar convertible ended up on my list instead. I’ve heard relatively good things about the XKS (6 Cylinder) and the XK8 is familiar to me by extension of the Lincoln LS (built using many similar parts to the DEW98 platform).

 

On the American front I was looking at GM cars. An early C3 Corvette may be one of the most beautiful cars to grace our roads. They’re somewhat expensive, but they sold in large numbers and are typically well kept. Early vehicles can be brought into California from other states too because they predate the SMOG laws. The Cadillac Allante scares me to think about, but I envy those for their own blocky looks and aerial history. After it the latest mainstream two-door Cadillacs were the CTS and the ATS.

 

During my browsing sessions involving these cars, I came across something better than I was expecting. A Cadillac ATS-V with every option except sport seats. It was priced like a regular ATS (intriguing), but it was over 200 miles away (less so). I decided I would regret passing up this offer without at least looking into it. I gathered my courage and messaged the seller.

 

The first message was met with no reply. The car had been up for a couple of days already, so I assumed it might have already sold. I needed my answer though, so I messaged again after letting a day pass. This time I got a response and it was off to the races.

The car looked to have been cared for by the photos, but at a price like that, I had to assume the worst. I asked for a VIN number so I could check out all the information I would need to continue forward. A Carfax report came back with a clean title, single owner, and verified mileage. My insurance came back with an estimate lower than my Audi’s as it would be a low use secondary vehicle. The signs seemed right, so I set up a time to look at the car.

My brother and I made the trip in the Spark with the intent to look at the vehicle in person, tire kick so to speak, not buy. Looks can be deceiving as we know, and I didn’t want to make an impulse purchase on a sports car. Meeting the owner, it was clear he was an honest guy who was met with a difficult problem. Selling a high mileage performance Cadillac in a town of 5,000 people. He commuted with the car long distance but decided to buy a truck and end the commute as he got older. I test drove it, thought about it, and left with a promise to buy if a Pre-Purchase Inspection went well.

A little over a week later, I headed up again to meet with him at a local garage. The PPI returned that the car was in need of an oil change and brakes; that’s it. Tires were on the advisory, but nothing there was of alarm or in immediate need of repair. The rest of the car was clean and would provide a now verified reliable shuttle for me on the return trip home. I was enamored by the car and all of its wizardry. It’s potent, menacing, and all mine. I was driving the car I lusted after when it came out in my senior year of high school. So what makes the Cadillac so special, especially to someone under the age of 65?

 

Well, let’s get back to the beginning of the story where I spoke on the two door Cadillacs. As has been shared on this website multiple times before, Cadillac almost always had the right hand when it came to luxury cars. They boasted the biggest and best cars the public had seen post war. However, they committed some sins that had them getting too big for their britches just as the imports were coming stateside. High sales numbers and lower prices put them in a very perilious place in the 1970s and 80s. Luxury naturally led the opposite direction, and they were left chasing the Germans.

The first attempt to strike back was the Cimarron in 1982 followed by the ill-fated downsized C and K body cars. While failing to break ground, a new market of flagships was cropping up in the marketplace as the late 80s wore on. This included the Chrysler TC by Maserati and its GM competitor, the Cadillac Allante. Again, these failed to catch the affluent buyer’s checkbook. This didn’t stop them from trying, however. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s they would try again bolstered by the sales of their standard crop of vehicles. Cadillac went to Europe in the form of the Seville STS and soon the new Cadillac CTS.

 

While I would be hesitant to mark these vehicles as a success, especially given the flop in the marketplace when they were abroad, they did cut out a niche for Cadillac stateside. It allowed Cadillac to put distance between themselves and the other domestic competition like Lincoln. The Art and Science design helped cultivate a younger audience even barring the Escalade and its segments success.

 

As the 2000’s rolled on, Cadillac introduced more sporty vehicles including the XLR and the rear-driven Seville now renamed the STS. With these cars they would introduce the “V” branding as their answer to BMW’s “M” and Mercedes “AMG.” Yet again, hindsight shows that these cars weren’t necessarily the best in their segments, but they did prove a shift in Cadillac’s philosophy and direction. This was the first time they would provide a manual transmission in a car since the 1988 Cimarron. Cadillac would be the brand to showcase General Motors technology, sporting credentials, and real luxury ambitions more than ever.

 

Changing focus from the model line to specifically the CTS, we can see in greater detail what led to the eventual creation of the ATS. The first generation CTS was designed to be a split category car like the Lincoln LS. The idea is that potential owners would cross-shop it between both the 3 series and 5 series. By splitting the benchmark product it would allow them to offer more room than the 3 while undercutting the price of the 5.

Using the new Sigma platform, a platform unique to Cadillac, the car proved to be a capable and willing handler that offered space and performance. This was utilized on both the first and second generation CTS while being stretched to underpin the larger STS and SRX. Having to perform such a job allowed the platform to take many unique drivetrains. This included AWD or RWD, automatics or manuals, and engines ranging from small V6s to supercharged V8s. All new ideas when compared to the Cadillac of just 10 years earlier.

 

While this worked out for the growing portfolio of the 2000s, it was clear that the cars weren’t as competitive as they could have been if they were sized and priced in line with their contemporaries. So when it came time for a new platform to replace Sigma II, an update for the second generation CTS, gone was the Sigma and introduced was the new Alpha platform.

The new Alpha platform was designed from the ground up to be a performer. It was determined that it would need to be lighter and smaller for fuel economy and performance standards while still allowing for size modularity. They combined this with the need for it to house both four as well as the old eight cylinders, in both their compact and midsize sedans, as well as the next generation Chevy Camaro which was previously on Zeta.

 

With the combination of these vehicles relying on the new platform, they set to work making something that is truly a marvel for the modern enthusiast. A chassis that no matter the car it underpins provides a near 50/50 weight distribution, independent suspension, potent engine, and a strong lightweight structure. This accounts for the Cadillac ATS, CTS, and Camaro. Name changes in recent years extend this to the current CT4 and CT5.

 

The Cadillac ATS was the first car to arrive on the platform in late 2012 for the 2013 model year. Benchmarked against the current German rivals and previous high marks such as the E46 3-series, they created a modern car with a curb weight of 3,315 lbs (less than an E46 328i). A line-up of engines ranging from a naturally aspired four and six cylinder powered the range with a turbo charged 4 cylinder offered with an optional manual transmission.

While not a sales leader, the ATS made a splash when it hit the market. Looking back at car reviews, they feature words regarding dynamics, steering feel, and general performance characteristics. In all the reviews it seemed that to be a common theme, it was a class leading chassis. Mixed reception fell onto other parts such as space utilization of the car, or the thrift and quality of the engines. Cadillacs CUE infotainment system also took heat compared to the likes of what Audi and BMW offered.

 

2014 brought with it a new CTS on the same platform. A bigger and more expensive car, it solved some of the issues reviewers had with the ATS. That year it won Motor Trends Car of the Year and earned Car and Drivers 10 best from 2014-2016. The Chevy Camaro which came out later won Motor Trends Car of the Year in 2016, and Car and Drivers 10 best from 2016-2018. The current CT4 and CT5 blackwings have won it [10 best] 3 years in a row now. The poor ATS almost seems left out.

This gives the ATS on the used market its own set of merits. It’s a spectacular car that has started to fall off the radar. It’s smaller than the CTS while providing the same great chassis and similar feature set. It’s nearly identically sized to the Camaro without the stigma and insurance rates that come with a pony car. It undercuts the modern CT4 while having the same chassis and engine while offering an additional body style. To top it off I think it’s a better looking vehicle too.

Putting that out there, that is why I put my money where my mouth is. My 2016 (first model year) ATS-V Coupe is the first year of the facelift for the ATS. It features minor changes to the design and new equipment while adding the V trim. Typical features include full leather seats, a CUE system that now features Android/Apple (helps with avoiding the original bemoaned interface), in addition to some other minor conveniences.

The V adds all the performance goodies you would expect to find in a performance car. A standard 3.6 liter V6 from the GM line gets forged internals and twin turbos. This helps create 464 horsepower and 445 lb/ft of torque. Paired to it, is your choice of a 6-speed manual or 8-speed automatic. While the manual is more desirable, mine ended up with the quicker automatic transmission. This is the same engine used in the modern CT4. The manual is a carry over too while the modern car gets a new 10 speed.

 

On top of the power they fitted carbon fiber parts including a full carbon hood. Additional venting and cooling allow for the forced induction engine to breathe. Aero parts including an optional spoiler and front lip help keep the car road bound at its 189mph rated top speed. It gets there with some gusto too. Motor Trend clocked a 0-60 time with the automatic transmission at 3.7 seconds passing the quarter mile at 12.1 seconds @ 116.2 mph.

Performance summer tires on stagger 255 width front and 275 width rear tires keep the car turning. Skip pad numbers put this car at over a G of force in the corners. Slowing it down is the job of two-piece 14.6 inch rotors and six piston Brembos up front. The rear of the car makes do with a single piece 13.4 inch rotor and four piston calipers. To say the car can boogie is an understatement. In the hands of professional drivers, it put down times better than anything else in its class. Lightning lap saw a lap time quicker than the 2006 Ford GT, 2010 Audi R8 V10, 2014 E63S, and even modern hits like the 2018 Hellcat Widebody and the 2025 Bentley Continental GT.

 

It’s all held up remarkably well too. Everything works and looks good on my car with over 175,000 miles and counting. The performance data tracker, heads up display, lane keeping, and lane departure are all what you would expect out of a modern car. The only thing I think the modern CT4-V Blackwing (The V name has been downgraded) has on it is cooled seats and a warranty. I’m perfectly happy with this monster and knock on wood it’s been reliable so far.

 

So if you find yourself looking for a modern classic in the realm of American Cars, do yourself a favor and check out what Cadillac has to offer. You never know when you might find a good deal on something time will forget. It’ll make the boys in Lansing Michigan proud, and with the right luck, end up on here 30 years from now. It’s a future curbside classic in the making.

 

Photo Credits to Cadillac, Wikipedia, and our fellow Curbside Classic Users.

Related CC reading:

Future CC: 2013 Cadillac ATS – Color – And Cadillac – Is Back!