Cadillac says it will return to sports car racing in the Sports Car Club America World Challenge series this year with the CTS-V coupe specially prepared Cadillac. One reason the company is pushing motor sport program for its largest rival also supports other racing teams.
If Cadillac is to compete with BMW, Volvo, Porsche and other luxury performance car manufacturer in the retail market, the automaker said, it should also be competitive on the race track.
"Racing to help us develop the credibility of performance that customers have come to expect," said Don Butler, president of Cadillac marketing in the U.S. The other advantage of the series is that the SCCA race car based on a production vehicle, and look similar to their showroom counterparts on the track. This adds to the excitement for spectators attending the race or watch on television.
Cadillac has been lowered into the race earlier, running the car in the 24-hour race in Le Mans endurance, France in 1950 and recently in sports-car racing over the past decade. The most successful race car based on the previous generation CTS-V sedan, and their unique shapes and angles great strength make them very interesting to watch. CTS-V Coupe is not big enough and suitable for racing, said Butler.
The first race is March 25 in St. Petersburg, Fla. "I think we'll be competitive," said Butler.