2009 Cadillac CTS-V will officially make 556 horsepower

We thought Bentley's announcement earlier today that it's adding a Speed model to the Continental Flying Spur lineup was exciting news for sedan fans. After all, a 600bhp saloon that can hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds and reach 200 MPH is pretty exciting, no? Not really when compared to Cadillac's news that the 2009 CTS-V will officially be rated at 556 horsepower, hit 60 mph in 3.5 seconds and run the quarter mile in 12 seconds flat. No offense to Bentley, but a sub-3-second sedan is about as exciting as it can get on a Monday. For the record, the Edmunds' Straightline Blog reports that the sport sedan's 6.2L supercharged V8 will produce 556 hp at 6,100 rpm and 551 pound-feet of torque at 3,800 rpm. That engine is the LSA, derived from the new Corvette ZR1's LS9 motor and detuned for duty in the CTS-V. Fortunately, the LSA wasn't detuned too much and the '09 CTS-V should destroy its German competition, specifically the BMW M5 with its - can't believe we're saying this - relatively meager 500-hp 5.0L V10.

Pics Aplenty: 2009 Cadillac XLR and XLR-V

While Cadillac released information on the freshened XLR roadster last week, all we had to look at was a single photo. Well, now we can see the rest of it. XLR.net has gotten hold of several more shots of the halo Caddy in both the standard Platinum trim and in rodded-up V-Series form (above). We were most curious to see the updated interior, but one look is all it takes to see that it's fundamentally unchanged. The gauges simply trade their rounder, Bulgari-designed numerals for a look that's in keeping with what you'll find in other Caddys. The steering wheel is also switched out, and the XLR gets the same unit you'll find in the current CTS. Everything else? It's pretty much the same -- nice, but not done up to the level of the less expensive CTS. For that, we'll have to wait for the next XLR, assuming there is a next XLR.

We already covered the new grille for the base car in our earlier post, as well as the new side vents. The V-Series, however, retains the mesh look in front, as expected. Out back, the XLR Platinum gets a pair of cartoonishly-wide exhaust outlets that appear to be part of the rear bumper cover. The V soldiers on with its Vette-like quad pipes. The XLR is a nice car that turns heads, and the V-Series absolutely hauls ass and sounds great doing it. But $100K (for the V) is a lot to ask for any Cadillac, especially one that still hosts an interior that, while attractive, doesn't meet the high design standard set by the entry-level CTS.