Cadillac ATS-V spied

First images of the Cadillac ATS-V, designed to tackle BMW’s M3

    Cadillac is planning an assault on the European market and we’ve spied the upcoming ATS-V testing at the Nurburgring. Penned as a rival to the BMW M3, these are the first images of the performance-focused saloon.

    It’s difficult to make out any distinguishing features beneath the heavy camouflage, but there are several tell tale design cues which mark out the ATS-V from the standard model. The prominent grille now has a vertical design rather than horizontal bars and larger air intakes in the lower section of the front bumper give a more aggressive look.

    Huge alloys wheels and quad-exhausts at the rear are the most obvious styling alterations but we can also expect a stiffer suspension set-up and uprated brakes. Engines remain unconfirmed but rumors suggested a twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre V6 will be fitted, developing around 425bhp.

    The seven-speed manual gearbox from the Corvette will be an option for Cadillac but the new eight-speed automatic transmission is also a candidate for the new ATS-V. Further information is a little thin on the ground but the new model should be available in the UK but only in left-hand drive, which will limit its appeal.