With the unveiling of the 2014 Corvette Stingray and an all-new Cadillac CTS with a twin-turbo V6, most of the world has already moved on from cars like the last-generation Cadillac CTS-V. Not us though – we’re still head-over-heels in love with the supercharged sedan, wagon, and coupe models that helped define an entire generation of luxury sports vehicles, and tuners are still feeling the love too.
Tuners like SNL Performance, which in collaboration with Calibrated by Krager helped create what they claim is the world’s most powerful Cadillac CTS-V. With 1,309 horsepower and 1,306 pound-feet of torque on tap at its highest power setting, who are we to argue?
While we’re sure John Hennessey of Hennessey Performance Engineering has something to say about that, the numbers really do speak for themselves. The key, as you might expect, was to remove the stock supercharger on the 6.2 liter LSA engine, and replace it with a pair of Precision 6766 turbochargers supported by an air-to-water intercooler.
With a heavily-modified 4L80E automatic transmission sending power to the rear wheels, SNL also added 56 cubic-inches of displacement to the LSA engine, turning it into a 434 stroker motor with beefier internals designed to handle all the extra oomph. While it’s still a heavy car, tipping the scales at some 4,400 pounds, it’s also insanely powerful. Now how about some drag strip videos to quiet down the haters who might take issue with the “World’s Most Powerful” claim?