This supercharged Cadillac was the first of several incredible luxury-performance sedans from GM.
Let’s talk about the oft-forgotten Cadillac STS-V. This big body Caddy was made from 2005-2009, where it was essentially replaced by the gen two CTS-V. The STS-V didn’t come with LS power. No, it instead used a supercharged version of the 4.4-liter Northstar V8 making 469 horsepower and 439 lb-ft of torque. Yup, this was the first modern supercharged Cadillac sports sedan. Due to the short production run, and somewhat obscure name cognition, the STS-V flies under the radar for many enthusiasts. Oh, and they are cheap. Like, $10-15,000 will buy a nice daily driver-ready STS-V.
That brings us to this burnout video comes to us from the jairomvp YouTube channel. It features a Cadillac STS-V with a few upgrades doing a big, nasty burnout. We don’t hear about the STS-V much these days with the likes of the 640-horsepower CTS-V serving as GM’s super-sedan, but this short clip reminds us that STS led to an incredible performance variant of its own. And once modified, the STS-V is very happy to decimate its rear tires on command.
This particular Cadillac STS-V might be making even more power, as it has a full MagnaFlow exhaust system and gutted cats. It might have a tune as well, which would allow the engine to make gobs more power, but in any case, it is making close to 500 horsepower and it sounds great doing so.
The Burnout
The video begins with the STS-V sitting on what is clearly a heavily-used burnout pad. The driver rolls into the throttle and the car lurches forward, but within seconds, the car comes to rest as smoke pours from the rear wheels. As the aftermarket exhaust helps the Northstar V8 scream, we can hear the supercharger whine and the combination of the two sounds adds to the fun of this smoky burnout.
After smoking the tires in place for about 20 seconds, the driver begins to let the Caddy move around the burnout pad, keeping the tires smoking and the cloud growing as the blown V8 roars.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
