Cadillac has put a lot of energy into its CTS range. This is especially true of the CTS-V, which has become a true world-class performer on par with the best of the established German luxury super sedans. Now available only in four-door sedan form, the CTS-V goes into 2019 without huge updates. The CTS-V sits at the top of the CTS range, but a lot of its starting price is spent on the bits underneath.

The first, and best, of those bits is the 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 lifted from the Corvette Z06. It makes 640 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque. Despite the CTS-V’s two-ton curb weight, it will do 0-60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds and can nearly touch 200 mph. The CTS-V is the only CTS you can get with a V8 engine; the only available transmission is an 8-speed automatic. Unfortunately, the available 6-speed Tremec manual went out with the second-generation CTS-V. A hefty supercharged sedan like this manages just 14 mpg city, 21 highway, and 16 combined.

Cadillac is no stranger to big horsepower, but it created its CTS-V to handle as well. It’s much stiffer than the standard car, riding on staggered, and sticky, Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires and featuring aerodynamic tweaks to the body. It’s just as at home on the Nurburgring as it is in the executive parking spaces at work. There is also a subtle, but effective, rear spoiler and a domed carbon fiber hood with a large vent in the middle to separate it from the more run-of-the-mill CTS.

The CTS-V may be savagely quick on a track, but on the inside, it’s still a Cadillac. The fit and finish is as you’d expect, and there are luxury features like a Bose stereo, three USB ports, an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and well-trimmed and well-bolstered Recaro seats. The CTS-V is also OnStar-equipped. Wireless device charging is an optional extra, and Cadillac’s infotainment system features navigation. The rear-camera mirror is another welcome feature. Another borrowed feature from the Corvette is a Performance Data Recorder that can record video in HD of your laps and insert lap times and other data.

In crash testing, the Cadillac CTS range manages four out of five stars overall with the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the 2018 CTS range a Marginal result for the tricky small front overlap test. It’s likely that this rating will carry over into 2019. Available safety features include blind-spot monitors, active lane control, forward-collision warnings, automatic emergency braking, and a surround-view camera.