Cadillac CTS-V Racecar

A large front-engined, rear-drive touring car with V8 torque and more mass to manage than its class rivals. It is calm when the platform is settled, but asks for patience on entry and restraint when the power reaches the rear tyres.

Do the slowing in a straight line, let the front take a set, then use the torque only as the steering opens.

Symptoms this car reads differently

Pushes on entry

Mass and a front engine punish excess entry speed. Trail braking can help it rotate, but carrying the brake too deep simply overloads the front.

Snaps on exit

The rear tyres have real torque to absorb. Feed the throttle with steering angle rather than treating the pedal as a switch.

Falls off over the stint

Weight and power make repeated slides expensive. A tidy first five laps matter more than one spectacular opening lap.

What this car's answers lean on

Compared with other Production cars

1. Free changes — driving, not setup
2. Tyre pressures
3. Braking system — bias, ABS, pressure used more than on most cars like it
4. Differential and engine braking used more than on most cars like it
5. Anti-roll bars
6. In-car driver aids and gearing
7. Camber, toe, caster
8. Damper clicks
9. Spring rates

What you cannot change on this car

• The differential is fixed on this car.
• Engine braking is not adjustable on this car.
• This car has no adjustable aerodynamics.
• Total brake pressure is not adjustable on this car.
• Gearing is fixed on this car.
• No third spring on this car.
• No adjustable bump stops on this car.
• This car has no dampers with that adjustment.