Due to the 707 horsepower level of the Hellcat and the huge rebates offered to potential Viper buyers from Dodge, today’s Viper and Hellcat have been receiving much attention from enthusiasts the world over. Citing the Hellcat Charger as the highest-horsepower rated sedan on the planet, and the Viper celebrating its reestablished fame thanks to a recent street racing video, fanboys have all but jumped ship from the old GT500 to Moparland. But as we all know, it isn’t just about the horsepower level as it is the balance of a well-crafted piece of machinery.
Recently, our friends over at D3 Cadillac were able to prove this thanks to a recent outing at a Cadillac Challenge event in Fontana, California. Driving a CTS-V coupe dubbed, The Legionnaire, this ‘V is 100% streetable and street legal, but yet, is tuned in such a way that it’s more than just competitive on the circuit.
Thanks to an already impressive suspension, braking, and steering systems, D3 has improved the overall package, including the CTS-V’s supercharged LSA powerplant. The LSA may have “only” developed 556 hp when it left the Lansing, Michigan factory, but tuners like D3 know exactly what they have to do to extract the perfect balance of horsepower and chassis tuning to take things to the next level.
We contacted the guys at D3 about what their thoughts on this particular car and outing, and they summed it up by simply stating,
“The driver is James Gill of D3 Cadillac. The car is pretty much a full on street car that is completely capable on the track. It competes regularly in the Cadillac Challenge Series in the Unlimited class. Given how strong the LSA engine is, just about anyone can get decent power out of them. It’s something special to see these big Caddies rip it up on the road course.”
We couldn’t agree more. With all of the improvements Cadillac has performed on the third-generation CTS-V for 2016, we can only anticipate what tuners like D3 will do to improve the 640 hp version of the car. 
Rick Seitz is the owner and founder of GMEFI Magazine, and has a true love and passion for all vehicles. When he isn’t tuning, testing, or competing with the brand’s current crop of project vehicles, he’s busy tinkering and planning the next modifications for his own cars.
