“Rules were meant to be broken” is a phrase that applies to many aspects of life. Most people have probably said it at least once in their lives. We’ve come up with the car enthusiast version of that saying: “Fast and loud cars are meant to become faster and louder.” It applies to dozens of vehicles, including the Cadillac CTS-V Wagon.
It’s the reason twin-turbo Dodge Vipers exist. It’s why Bugatti made a 1,200-horsepower Super Sport version of the Veyron, which already had 1,001 horsepower. Our newly coined phrased also seems to be why the owner of the CTS-V Wagon in the following video decides to give it an auditory overhaul. To be specific, he wants to make it “obnoxiously loud to make it match the obnoxiously loud [teal] color that it is.”
So out come the wrenches, jacks, and the all important jack stands. When all is said and done, the V ends up breathing through long tube headers, an off-road x-pipe, and a custom axle-back exhaust setup.
That’s not all, though. To go with its new exhaust, this CTS-V rocks a new set of 20″ X 9″ front and 20″ X 11″ rear wheels wrapped in fresh rubber. After some somewhat experimental soldering and rewiring, it also gets a WOT box for no-lift shifts and two-step launches at the track.
From the sounds of it, all of that tinkering and tooling paid off. The stock CTS-V sounded great as it was, but the new hardware gives it more sonic dimensions. It goes from having mere vocal presence to having an undeniable menace. There is a bloodthirsty edge to its louder metallic voice. You can hear the before and after clips – and some sweet, sweet blower whine – for yourself below. Rule breaking has never sounded so good.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
