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Cadillac Shows off the ATS-V.R Race Car
Though the ATS-V Coupe has already been leaked, Cadillac is staying its initial course with revealing the newest version of the V team. The first step is to introduce the race-prepped ATS-V.R, which it did late last week. This road car turned racer will take the place of the outgoing CTS-V.R, and will start tearing up tracks in 2015.
Under the hood of this beastly racer lies a heavily modified version of the 3.6-liter, twin-turbo V-6 found in the road-going model. In its racing garb, this engine is called the LF4.R, and it cranks out up to 600 horsepower at 7,400 rpm and 520 pound-feet of torque. Both of those output numbers are unrestricted, and will change depending upon the restrictions in each race. The modifications to the 3.6-liter V-6 to get it to race specifications include a BorgWarner EFR Series twin turbo system, boost set at FIA-approved numbers, a carbon-fiber intake, high-capacity intercoolers, and a muffler-free side-exit exhaust.
Doing the shifting is an Xtrac sequential six-speed transaxle mounted in the rear end. This trans features paddle shifters for quick shifting, and it utilizes a 3.13-to-1 final drive ratio.
An aero kit not only makes this racer look the part, but it also adds much-needed downforce to keep the ATS-V.R from flying off the track. This five-piece, carbon-fiber kit includes side skirts, a front splitter, a new front fascia and dive planes, a rear diffuser, and a rear bumper cover.
Handling and braking is, of course, of the utmost importance when dealing with a 600-horsepower racer, and GM made good on this. At the corners are aluminum BBS wheels measuring 12-by-18 inches up front and 13-by-18 inches out back,. Both the front and rear wheels are wrapped in racing rubber sized 315/680 and 325/705, respectively. The suspension system is a three-way adjustable, Independent SLA Penske setup. Doing the stopping are Brembo brakes all around, with six-pot calipers up front squeezing on 380-mm rotors and four-piston calipers squeezing 355-mm rotors out back. A Bosch anti-lock braking system with driver-adjustable modes helps keep things clean under hard braking.
All of this equipment comes tucked nicely under a standard shell with its hood, trunk lid , front and rear fenders, and doors made from carbon fiber. This heavy use of the lightweight material drops the ATS-V.R’s dry weight to just 2,900 pounds with 51 percent of the weight sitting in the rear of the car.
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