Jaguar chickens out- pulls out of race against CTS-V at Monticello

[Cadillac Tony]

It's true- Jaguar pulled out of the "CTS-V Challenge" at Monticello. Read all about it (including their lame excuse) here.

So originally Mercedes was going to provide a smaller, lighter C63 AMG, but changed their mind. Then BMW wouldn't provide an M5 after the spanking it got in all the magazine tests, and now the only one who (supposedly) had the stones to do it has changed their mind and said that the brakes on the Jag can't hang with the V's.

Kind of a shame for the spectators (like me) who wanted to see Bob tear up the competition in a CTS-V, but totally awesome that no one is willing to put their best High-Performance sedan up against the V.

[VetteOwner]

The wimps backing out speaks volumes of the V's performance..can't wait to get mine.

[Caddyscat]

....and yet, on most, if not all Euro forums, they continue to bash our V with "oh come on, 2 seconds is hardly 'spanked'", or "old mans car". or the best yet, "it's not engineered as well as an M".

Best bang for the buck. Period.
I love mine.

[Z06ified]

LMAO - what does that say about Jaguar's endurance testing for their "performance" vehicles? That's pathetic that they feel the brakes won't hold up for just 5 laps. Monticello's CTS-V's run that track all day long and they don't have any brake issues or any durability problems whatsoever.

Actually, I didn't expect Jaguar to build a fragile performance car. Nissan and BMW, yes. Jaguar no. Which makes it extra disappointing.

GM tests the hell out of their vehicles, especially their performance models before they release them to production. I've seen videos of what their test drivers do to prototypes and read books on their testing procedures, and it's pretty remarkable what they put development cars through. They literally drive them until they break, find out what broke and why, revise the part for better durability, go back, and try to break it again. That's what it takes to make a durable track car. I can tell you right now they would never release the CTS-V to production if they knew the brakes were marginal after 5 laps at Monticello.

I guess Jaguar felt that only poseurs would buy their car, and would never actually drive it hard.

Oh well, backing out is the same as losing. NEXT!

[aceofblitz]

Bob Lutz:
I think it means that the European high-performance sedans are excellent, even superb cars, but quite possibly not ready for racing laps right out of the show-room. The CTS-V is not only quicker, but will, in totally untweaked, stock form, run hot laps at any race track until it runs out of fuel. Transmission oil and diff oil temps are stable, engine oil temp doesn't go up, brakes get a bit more pedal travel, but don't fade. The street tires get a tad greasy, but handling and control remain excellent. "May the best car win"! (It wins automatically if the competitors won't show up!)

He's right you know :P

[jvp]

Originally Posted by aceofblitz

He's right you know

No, he's not. Unfortunately.

Unless I just drove mine harder than he'd drive his... which I doubt. When you guys do this, crawl under Bob's car and see if he has a differential cooler attached... :-)

jas

[anonfrank]

Losers. Jag walked away with their tail between their legs, and BMW took their ball and ran home because they were treated badly by the press in the comparos. HAH! Sore losers.

[aceofblitz]

jvp, i have a differential cooler attached. my friends have them too, one ordered a set of W4M exhausts and it doesn't fit because the diff cooler got in the way, but yeah my point is... its stock here =P

[evois]

having owned an 06 evolution IX MR, I am also waiting for the verdict on this one.


http://jalopnik.com/5391942/cadillac...by-the-numbers

[Z06ified]

Originally Posted by evois

having owned an 06 evolution IX MR, I am also waiting for the verdict on this one.


http://jalopnik.com/5391942/cadillac...by-the-numbers

I have no idea why they are even allowing an Evo. They originally said a 4 door sedan of the same competitive space. The competitive space is LUXURY sedan. The Evo has absolutely nothing to do with luxury, and I don't think anyone would cross-shop the two. In other words, they're not competitors at all.

An Evo will take a CTS-V in the corners thanks to its AWD system and lighter weight, but the CTS-V will crush it on the back straight of Monticello, and almost any straight for that matter. I don't think an Evo can touch 140 MPH on the back straight, while the V can easily hit over 150 MPH.

Also, how are they going to prove the Evo is stock? Short of putting it on an AWD dyno on site, there is no way to tell if the owner hasn't cranked the boost up.

I find it funny how all the tools on jaloplink are already saying how the Evo is going to kick the V's butt, and how it costs $20k less than the V.
Even if it did, the CTS-V is a full blown luxury car, while the Evo will always be just a souped up econobox.

Like I said, there really is no comparison.

[evois]

Originally Posted by Z06ified

while the Evo will always be just a souped up econobox.
Like I said, there really is no comparison.

that is true there is no comparison because the V is suppose to compete for the likes of the M5, RS', etc. But to prove a point, it is called an "evo" because of its rally roots and just so happen to drive fast in the streets as well. it has a rally heritage from the evo I to the current evo X. if it was a souped up econobox it would have been called a cobalt SS, ZR-1, or a CTS-V.

[The Tony Show]

There's still tons of potential for GM to get more good press out of this. If he beats the Evo, then it's "Look at us- our big, heavy luxury car outperformed a street legal rally machine on the racetrack". If they lose by a hair, it's "Look at us- our big, heavy luxury car is within x seconds of a street legal rally machine on the racetrack".

Either way, the only people aware of this whole thing are Internet enthusiasts, and they've already been handed the best publicity Cadillac could possibly ask for- the other guys being afraid to go up against the V. Everything from this point on is just icing on the cake.

[Z06ified]

Originally Posted by evois

that is true there is no comparison because the V is suppose to compete for the likes of the M5, RS', etc. But to prove a point, it is called an "evo" because of its rally roots and just so happen to drive fast in the streets as well. it has a rally heritage from the evo I to the current evo X. if it was a souped up econobox it would have been called a cobalt SS, ZR-1, or a CTS-V.

WHAT? You make no sense.

Look, it's called a LANCER Evolution. A Lancer is an econobox, in case you didn't know. Evolution is a model subtype of the Lancer. It's called "Evo" because it sounds cool to the Fast and Furious crowd.

[anonfrank]

Who cares about the Evo? I think The Tony Show hits the target with his remark above.

GM is, and should be, milking this for as much as it's worth. This is among the best marketing ploys I've seen from GM in quite some time. They are acting like a company that wants to survive and pay Us, The People our money back for bailing them out.

[evois]

Originally Posted by Z06ified

WHAT? You make no sense.

Look, it's called a LANCER Evolution. A Lancer is an econobox, in case you didn't know. Evolution is a model subtype of the Lancer. It's called "Evo" because it sounds cool to the Fast and Furious crowd.

do your research first before making a comment. in case you did not know, this is the X(or 10th) iteration of the evolution line-up starting from evo I(or 1). model subtype of lancer, c'mon get out of the box btw, I like my escalade hybrid after retiring from my evo 9.