Cadillac hopes V is victory for small ATS sedan

LOS ANGELES -- Cadillac says its slow-selling ATS small sedan, supposed to challenge BMW's 3-series, should kick up a good showroom fuss once production begins on the V version next spring.

The ATS-V has a potent twin-turbocharged V-6 rated 455 horsepower.

"Cadillac's V-Series is the best example of Cadillac's emerging product substance – and the purest expression of the passion at the core of the brand," said Johan de Nysschen, Cadillac president.

The ATS-V should hit 60 mph from a standstill in 3.9 seconds and has a top track speed of more than 185 mph. The engine is teamed with a six-speed manual with automatic rev matching to smooth downshifts, no-lift shifting so the driver can keep the throttle feet buried when shifting instead of lifting off the gas during the shift.

Also offered: Eight-speed automatic with paddle shifters.

The ATS-V will be available as a coupe or a sedan.

Cadillac went to extraordinary lengths to make the car a credible rival to Germany's best but, after an initial spark, sales have been tepid. Last month they were off 6% in a new-vehicle market up 6%. And the first 10 months of the year they are down 19% while overall new vehicle sales in the U.S. are up nearly 6%.