The Cadillac brand of General Motors Co. in Detroit is launching a year-long celebration commemorating 20 years of its V-Series performance sub-brand in conjunction in with the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race this weekend in Florida.
Competing in the FIA World Endurance Championship races and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, of which Sebring is a part, are three Cadillac V-Series.R hybrid race cars.
The Cadillac V-Series performance sub-brand was launched at Sebring International Raceway in March 2004 with the race debut and subsequent first win of the CTS-V.R race car in the SCCA Pro Racing World Challenge GT race. This forged a legacy at Cadillac, driven by a symbiotic relationship between the brand’s championship-winning motorsports program and the road vehicles it influenced.
“Nearly 20 years ago, Cadillac made a bold move with V-Series that continues to resonate,” says Rory Harvey, global vice president of Cadillac. “From the racetrack to the road, V-Series has transformed Cadillac and helped redefine performance luxury for thousands of enthusiasts. Over the next 12 months we will celebrate V-Series with a number of significant moments.”
New products and features commemorating the 20th anniversary of V-Series are planned over the next 12 months, with more information to be announced throughout this period.
The 20th year of V-Series also is notable for Cadillac Racing, which has expanded with the all-new, electrified Cadillac V-Series.R prototype race car competing internationally in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and FIA World Endurance Championship. The Cadillac V-Series.R represents the start of the fifth generation of V-Series.
In addition, Cadillac will return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June for the first time in more than 20 years, competing with three cars for the overall win in the historic endurance race.
The inaugural production V-Series — the 2004 CTS-V — was developed on the racetrack and previewed on Germany’s famed Nürburgring circuit. It was the first of 13 V-Series sedan, coupe, roadster, and SUV models to follow.
All V-Series vehicles benefit from the performance technologies and learnings from nearly 20 years of winning on the racetrack, according to Cadillac.
“Our championship-winning race team brings an uncompromising eye for detail that is channeled into every production model,” says Brandon Vivian, executive chief engineer for Cadillac. “The result are vehicles that weave power, craftsmanship, and innovative technologies into engaging, involving driving experiences.”
Today’s lineup includes the CT4-V and twin-turbocharged CT4-V Blackwing, the CT5-V and the supercharged CT5-V Blackwing, and the supercharged Escalade-V. With 682 horsepower (508 kW), the Escalade-V currently wears the crown of Cadillac’s most-powerful production model ever, while the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing models offer the ultimate balance of road-going performance luxury and track capability.
20 Years of V-Series Production:
First Generation – 2004
- CTS-V
- XLR-V
- STS-V
Second Generation – 2009
- CTS-V
- CTS-V Wagon and Coupe
Third Generation – 2016
- CTS-V
- ATS-V
Fourth Generation – 2019
- CT6-V
- CT4-V
- CT5-V
- CT4-V Blackwing
- CT5-V Blackwing
- Escalade-V
The 20th anniversary celebration will conclude at Sebring in March 2024, 20 years after the first CTS-V won on the track.
