WRITER: Nicolas Shammas

The new 2016 Cadillac CTS-V evidently has the BMW M5, Mercedes E63 AMG and may be even the Lexus GS F in its sights. Now lighter, more powerful and more sophisticated than ever before, it's a Euro super-saloon killer with just the right amount of American swagger to not just make you stop and take notice but to actually make you consider getting one of your own.

As you might have guessed by now, looking at our current website poll, the all-new 2016 CTS-V has so much horsepower (640bhp) that it manages to place itself in a league with sportscars like the Mercedes AMG GTS (558bhp), Porsche Turbo S (560bhp) and Lamborghini Huracàn (610bhp). In fact, on that poll, only the Ferrari 488 has more power (670bhp) but that’s a full-blooded supercar so Cadillac can hold its head high, especially as it has a surprisingly good chassis, formidable brakes, and - yes - it can actually go around the bends too, as we found out when we tested it on the Yas Marina Circuit in Abu Dhabi.

With the powertrain of a Corvette Z06 and comfort levels that give the Audi A6 a run for its money, this thing is going to definitely keep the big Germans up at night, especially that it costs between 10% and 20% less than their offerings (except, that is the Audi S6, but this car creams that so it's more of a rival for the Audi RS6, but then again that's so much more expensive it's unfair to even compare them). So, does the CTS-V pull the emotional heartstrings? And has Cadillac become cool enough, or should we say aspirational enough, to sway affluent buyers their way? You’ll have to wait to read our full in-depth report, which will be coming out soon. Till then though, you can check out some of these ‘Dare Greatly’ campaign videos, which were made right here in the Middle East, starring Arab bloggers being swept off their feet.

Model: Cadillac CTS-V
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Drive: Rear-wheel
Power: 640 bhp
Torque: 855 Nm
Gearbox: 8-speed auto
Top Speed: 321 km/h 
0-100 km/h: 3.7 seconds
Price: 85,000 USD