How Bob Lutz and CTS-V took on the world and won without firing a single shot

[HeilSvenska]

Some time ago, Bob Lutz issued a challenge at a GM marketing event for the new "May The Best Car Win" campaign. It's just a usual spiel that companies do, except this time, someone actually bit. Wes Siler of the automotive blog Jalopnik literally accepted the challenge on spot and Lutz didn't back out on it. Initially, Jalopnik was going to put the Benz C63 AMG against it. The perfect rival for the CTS-V with the same sledgehammer V8 performance.

Except Mercedes-Benz didn't think that the C63 could beat the CTS and they wouldn't let Jalopnik borrow it. Nor did other manufacturers Jalopnik contacted.

Jaguar was willing to lend the newly released XF-R for the time trials at the Monticello Motor Club on October 29th, 2009.

But just three days before the event, Jaguar crapped out and pulled out of the event, citing brake overheating concerns for the 5 lap trial...

Jalopnik thinks that it'll end up taking an Evo against the CTS-V, but that's beside the point. The manufacturers of rival models all crapped out and won't go against the CTS-V, admitting Lutz's claim that CTS-V is indeed the best sports luxury sedan in the world. And this also doesn't look good for Jaguar and its poor handling of this event.

But for those who want to see Bob "Maximum" Lutz and his CTS-V potentially get clobbered, there are 120 enthusiasts signed up to take them on. A select few will actually get to do so.

http://www.ctsvchallenge.com/

 

[RC45]

It is just such a damn pity that GM is now essentially being run by .gov

We may need to wait along time before we see the replacements for the ZR1 and CTS-V.

 

[79TA]

Well, the results are in. Poor Wes was completely outgunned by the CTS-V.

The big controversy involves the guy in the M3, Michael Cooper, who beat Lutz, but not Heinricy or the CTS-V test engineer.

 

[HeilSvenska]

Well, the results are in. Poor Wes was completely outgunned by the CTS-V.

The big controversy involves the guy in the M3, Michael Cooper, who beat Lutz, but not Heinricy or the CTS-V test engineer.

It's not really a controversy. It's a young guy with a nimbler car. The CTS-V went and spanked all its rivals; the M5, the XFR etc...

What they should've done was put him in a CTS-V and see how well he does in that. That probably would've cleared things up.

 

[79TA]

Try telling that to the guys on the bimmer forums . . . even after cooper himself said the V was the faster car . . .

 

[Memphis]

I am surprised the Evo didn't close the gap a bit more since it was wet.