2006 Cadillac STS-V Reaches New Performance Level - Supercharged Northstar boosted to 469-hp

DETROIT, MI - Cadillac's upcoming 2006 STS-V not only enhances the performance of the current STS sedan, it also has eclipsed the goals set during its development. With testing now complete, the STS-V is certified at 469 horsepower, significantly more than the 440 estimated at the car's world debut earlier this year.

Performance testing for the STS-V has been completed at the Nordschliefe circuit of Germany's famed Nurburgring, widely recognized as one of the world's most demanding tracks. The STS-V clocked lap times of approximately 8:30, a blistering pace for most any production vehicle, let alone a luxury sedan.

With production scheduled to begin this fall, the STS-V is the latest edition of Cadillac's V-Series, the growing family of vehicles expressing the full extension of the brand's performance and luxury credentials. The STS-V features the new 4.4-liter Supercharged Northstar V-8 engine and GM's new Hydra-matic six-speed automatic transmission.

The official power ratings for the 2006 STS-V -- 469 hp at 6,400 rpm and 439 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3900 rpm - are certified by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE.) SAE's new voluntary power and torque certification procedure (J2723) ensures fair, accurate ratings by allowing manufacturers to certify their engines through third-party witness testing. GM was the first auto manufacturer to begin using this procedure to certify power for its new engines.

The Northstar V-8 supercharged engine represents the most output ever for a production Cadillac. In the final stages of development, GM Powertrain engineers found more opportunities to push the boundaries of the Supercharged Northstar engine.

"Cadillac's V-Series is founded on the idea of taking the strong performance and luxury of our core vehicles and reaching even higher," said Jim Taylor, Cadillac General Manager. "The result is that Cadillac's V-Series family will consist of three serious performers, all going zero-to-sixty in under five seconds."

The Supercharged Northstar V-8 will also power the upcoming V-Series edition of the XLR luxury roadster slated for production in early-2006. XLR-V is certified at 443 hp at 6,400 rpm and 414 lbs.-ft. of torque at 3900 rpm. The Supercharged Northstar generates more peak power for the STS-V, compared to the XLR-V, due largely to the greater underhood space of the STS that allows more induction and exhaust capacity. On the other hand, the XLR-V will be a quicker car than the STS-V, given its superior power-to-weight ratio.

Cadillac is a division of General Motors . General Motors, the world's largest vehicle manufacturer, designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide, and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. Cadillac products include CTS sport sedan, SRX luxury utility, STS performance luxury sedan, DTS, XLR luxury roadster, Escalade full-size SUVs and the high-performance V-Series (CTS-V, STS-V, XLR-V) three cars that go 0-60 in under 5 seconds.