“The highest horsepower Cadillac ever built.” ‘Nuf said.  by Thom Blackett

SAN DIEGO – Airport shuttles. Old people. Premium rental cars. Ask someone about Cadillac, and those are just a few thoughts that may come to mind. To say that company officials are tired of having their once brilliant brand lie tarnished, battered and bruised in the recesses of car buyers’ minds would be such an understatement as to be an abuse to the English language.

Enter the “Cadillac Renaissance” plan, which has been created to set this domestic luxury marque apart from the pack with a new lineup of dramatic designs, a monumental jump in attention to detail, and the simultaneous infusion of more luxury and performance. Critics have often faulted Cadillac’s parent, General Motors, for using rebates and incentives to sell mediocre cars, rather than simply offering superior products. However, during the media drive of the 2006 STS-V in San Diego, we got a distinct feeling that the message has been heard, and that the Cadillac brand is leading the charge. It’s all in an effort to change the perception of GM’s former “standard of the world.” According to Jon Brancheau, director of Cadillac’s marketing and retail integration, “Folks who have been observing Cadillac over the past few years are now adding it to their shopping lists.” He goes on to suggest that V-series cars, including the CTS-V, STS-V, and XLR-V, bring performance back into the fold. This is a significant mindset, for it shows that the right people inside GM recognize the power of enthusiasts – deliver a vehicle, like the 469-horsepower STS-V, that impresses this car-crazy crowd, and the friends and family members reliant on them for buying advice may follow.

As part of this so-called renaissance plan, new taglines are emerging, like “fully-integrated performance luxury sedan” and “the highest horsepower Cadillac ever built.” The latter is accurate, the former a perfect example of marketing bull. So, feel free to ignore some of the cow pies in the brochures and keep a few, more tangible thoughts in mind when toying with the idea of owning a 2006 Cadillac STS-V: 469 horsepower, 439 lb.-ft. of torque, hand-stitched leather interior with terrific attention to detail, a long list of standard features (a sunroof delete is the only option), a somewhat stiff but comfortable ride, and the same cornering ability as a BMW M5 for thousands less.

No one says you have to buy it, but you’d be smart to at least consider it

Becoming the proud owner of a 2006 STS-V is as easy as visiting a Cadillac dealer and signing over $77,090, a number that represents the car’s $74,270 base price plus a $720 destination charge and a $2,100 gas guzzler tax. And, apparently, company bean counters calculate that figure to be both profitable and competitive, as the often expensive package list is pared down to just one item – a sunroof delete option that lops $1,200 off the sticker. ‘Yer bare-bones, hot-rodding Caddy now runs $75,890, out the door.

Not bad, considering all that comes with the deal, like dual-zone climate control; a power tilt and telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated stereo controls; one year of OnStar Safe and Sound coverage that includes stolen vehicle tracking, internet and email access, emergency assistance, and more; a 15-speaker Bose sound system with DVD audio and XM satellite radio; and a touch-screen navigation system. But this is a $77,000 Cadillac, not a gussied-up Chevy Impala, so there’s lots more, like eight-way power, heated front bucket seats, which like the power mirrors, climate control system, radio, and steering wheel, are part of the two-position memory function; a heated rear bench seat; one-touch up and down power windows; voice-activated controls; automatic leveling, high-intensity discharge headlights with washers; and the expansive sunroof that can be deleted if so desired. Available colors are basic – Black Raven, Stealth Gray, and Light Platinum, with the hand-stitched leather interior offered in Ebony, Light Gray, or two-tone Ebony/Tango Red.

For safety’s sake, the 2006 Cadillac STS-V is outfitted with front dual-stage airbags, front seat-mounted airbags, and side-curtain airbags, all of which will come in quite handy if the laws of physics prove to be too much for the standard StabiliTrak stability control and traction control systems. That’s not terribly likely, but with 469 horsepower on tap, there’s always a possibility that the errant lead footer will end up using this Caddy to play Paul Bunyan.

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