[ Aika Auto original shopping guide]
Nowadays, "electronic music" has been added to the melody of performance cars, and small displacement + motor is regarded as the last remaining performance label in the fuel era. The next generation AMG C 63 has set an "exemplary example" and will soon return in the form of a four-cylinder + plug-in hybrid. Looking back at the U.S. market, it seems that General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler , which have no cap on displacement, have made little progress in the field of performance cars. A "tacit understanding" has been reached between OEMs and consumers. They are addicted to "electric happy cars". Will the era of large displacement be a thing of the past?
Recently, Cadillac brought the CT4-V/CT5-V Blackwing to China, triggering a wave of V8 and engine upgrades. At the same time, the launch of the first V-series SUV, the Escalade-V, is even more unpredictable. I'm afraid that before AUTO can be fully rolled out, GM still has to squeeze out the last remaining value of V8.
Before eating melons and cutting leeks, you need to first understand the Cadillac V series. The reputation of the V series is indeed not as loud as that of AMG and M Power, but it is indeed one of the masterpieces of American performance cars. Since its establishment in 2003, the V series has spawned four generations of models, with V8 always being the main theme.
First generation V series: Birth (2004-2009)
At this time, Cadillac could only be considered a "fledgling". While competing with the Japanese for cost performance in the field of luxury cars, it also had to compete with the "Germans" for power in the field of performance cars. However, the fact before us is that high performance + luxury is not the way out, and both STS-V and XLR-V failed to meet sales expectations. Obviously. The market is dominated by more pragmatic local players and German cars.
The first generation V series: birth and exploration
The second generation V series: advance and retreat (2009-2016)
In 2007, the global financial crisis broke out. Under this, General Motors suffered huge losses, and after receiving a US$17.4 billion bailout in 2009, it still failed to reverse the situation. As an iconic automobile company in the United States, reviving General Motors was undoubtedly the only choice for then President Obama. In the middle of the year, General Motors filed for bankruptcy and reorganization. At the same time, the U.S. Treasury Department invested US$49.5 billion in General Motors, which allowed General Motors to gradually improve. General Motors' loss-making performance also affected Cadillac's research and development pace of high-performance vehicles. XLR-V and STS-V, which sold far less than expected, became history.
The third generation V series: expansion
V Series (2016-2019)
Vsport/V-Sport (2013-2019)
Looking at the first and second generation V series, the only ones that can really drive consumption are relatively pragmatic and relatively selective. Rich CTS-V. Facing AMG's 43 series, BMW 's M Performance and Audi S series, Cadillac knows that it needs to position more entry-level performance cars in order to attract more consumers to buy them. In other words, Cadillac hopes to add the concept of a flagship sports version to the regular version of the model, and the concept is more similar to the Audi S series. Before the arrival of the third-generation V series, Cadillac has prepared an appetizer-Vsport.
The second decade of the 21st century was the golden age of the Cadillac V Series. The second-generation CTS-V produced in 2009 is undoubtedly a carefully crafted product. After experiencing a blow, Cadillac was able to adapt to the times and launch the Vsport series. It can also be seen that General Group has become more cautious and rigorous after bankruptcy and reorganization. With the advent of the electrification era, GM's focus has shifted to the Autoneng platform. As for the V series, the next generation, which is also the fourth generation model, is undoubtedly the last generation of pure fuel products. If we don’t cut the leeks now, when will we wait?
Second/third generation V series: Advances, retreats and expansion
Fourth generation V series: The last carnival (2019-)
Starting in 2016, Cadillac has adopted a new model naming method. There is no doubt that the combination of letters + numbers is easier to identify. After the rebranding, the V series also ushered in more changes. First of all, Cadillac hopes that the V series can provide more changes in the appearance part to distinguish it from ordinary models.Secondly, the four-wheel drive system has joined the V-series camp, which is of course also the mainstream trend of performance cars around the world. Finally, the V series has a new meaning, V replaces V-Sport, and the original V model is replaced by Blackwing. In the new generation of V series, the flagship model CT6 takes the lead, but the appearance of CT6-V is very short-lived.
Editor’s comment: Compared with Made in Germany, the American model’s boldness and “ignore” operation of emission regulations are fascinating. This is probably the unique charm of the V series. After releasing the CT4-V/CT5-V Blackwing, Cadillac also confirmed that this will be the last generation of fuel V-series models. The V series of this generation of V8 will be the last carnival. As for whether they can be introduced into the Chinese market, it depends on fate. In terms of the current domestic strict emission regulations, at least large quantities are almost impossible.
Review of exciting content:
Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing special edition will be released
Cadillac CT4-V/CT5-V Blackwing will be released for the first time
Cadillac CT5-V BLACKWING Refresh the Zhejiang competition lap time
The fourth generation V series: the last carnival
