Friday 2 November 2018

2019 Cadillac V-Series Pedestal Editions: Limited-Production Luxury Hot Rods

  • 2019 Pedestal Edition ATS-V Coupe and CTS-V Super Sedan celebrate 15 years of the V-Series. 
  • Production is limited. Only 300 are for sale in the United States, Canada, and the Middle East.
  • The 3rd generation V-Series cars arrived in 2015; the Pedestal Editions are the last in that generation. 

My first thought on reading about the Cadillac 2019 V-Series Pedestal Edition was, “Pedestal Edition?” Is that some sort of bathroom sink?” I checked the Lowe’s (and even Sears) catalog, and nope, it’s not.

GM’s right. The 2019 V-Series Pedestal Edition is, indeed, a car.

And not just a car, but a Cadillac.

Race-Inspired

Those that need a quick primer, the Cadillac V-Series is their performance sub-brand. They rolled out the first one in 2004, securing their first victory in the Speed World Challenge sprint racing series at Sebring International Raceway at the same time. Essentially, what we’re talking about here is a Caddy with a Corvette drivetrain. Interested? I know I was.

Caddy’s ain’t normally my thing, but a Cadillac with a Vette underneath? Yes please! Sure, they nipped and tucked here and there, so the V-Series are a little less powerful and a little more softly sprung, but I’m still interested.

So, what’s the big deal with the Cadillac V-Series Pedestal Editions? First off, you get two basic flavors: Coupe and Sedan.

2019 Cadillac CTS-V Pedestal Edition. Photo: Cadillac.

2019 Cadillac CTS-V Pedestal Edition

The sedan version, which Caddy refers to as the CTS-V Pedestal Edition “Super Sedan” (super sedan? oh please.) gets a lot of fun sounding goodies. First, Cadillac V-Series Pedestal Editions come in Bronze Sand Metallic. I’m sure it’s a rather pretty shade, but still, it’s brown. And brown is a terrible car color idea. Never get a brown car. The first car I owned was root beer brown, and it always looked dirty. Even right after I washed it.

But other than that, the Cadillac V-Series Pedestal Editions have a bunch of nice perks.

There’s a full Carbon Fiber Package that includes the front splitter, hood vent, rear spoiler, and rear diffuser. The Luxury Package comes with tri-zone climate control (two for the front, and a single in back), a split-folding rear seat with armrest, heated rear seats, a power rear-window sunshade along with manual rear side-window sunshades. There’s a 110-volt power outlet and a rear Camera Mirror too.

The front chairs are “race-inspired” performance seats from RECARO. I’m sure they skew toward the cushy side, since this is, after all, a Cadillac. The Cadillac V-Series Pedestal Editions also come with a Data and Video Recorder system and red Brembo brake calipers.

How the Cadillac CTS became the basis for GM’s fastest track car.

2019 Cadillac CTS-V Pedestal Edition interior layout. Photo: Cadillac.

2019 Cadillac ATS-V Pedestal Edition

Now, the 2019 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe Pedestal Edition. Think of Caddy’s ATS-V as being the gentleman’s Corvette: fast, powerful, still striking, but not as flashy or in your face as a Vette. “I’ve made it. I’m here. I am worth paying attention to, but I’m not going to scream about it, because I’m not 16 any more.”

Like its sedan sibling, the 2019 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe Pedestal Edition comes in Bronze Sand Metallic. Nothing we can do about that. The coupe gets 18-inch V-Series wheels in After Midnight finish versus the 19s found on the sedan. Although like the CTS-V Pedestal Edition, the ATS-V variant gets its own Carbon Fiber Package, Brembo brakes, and RECARO seats.

There’s even a “serialized certificate of authenticity.” Is Cadillac worried about forgeries?

2019 Cadillac ATS-V Pedestal Edition. Photo: Cadillac.


There's a serialized certificate of authenticity. Is Cadillac worried about forgeries?
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Power & Performance

The Cadillac ATS-V features an LF4 Twin Turbo V6 with 464 horsepower, 445 lb-ft. of torque, and a top track speed of 189 mph. By comparison, the CTS-V’s supercharged V8 creates 640 horsepower and 630 lb-ft. of torque. The CTS-V tops out at 200 mph and hits 60 in 3.7 seconds.

Pricing & Availability

If either of these sound like the ride for you, Cadillac dealers are accepting orders. The 2019 ATS-V Coupe Pedestal Edition starts at $77,090 (about Vette territory) and the 2019 CTS-V Pedestal Edition sedan will run you $102,590.

Both come with tuition and luxury accommodation for the two-day Cadillac V-Performance Academy at Spring Mountain. Which, I got to say, is nice icing on the cake.

Tony Borroz has spent his entire life racing antique and sports cars. He is the author of Bricks & Bones: The Endearing Legacy and Nitty-Gritty Phenomenon of The Indy 500, available in paperback or Kindle formatFollow his work on Twitter: @TonyBorroz

Photos & Source: Cadillac.



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