Larry Larson’s New ATS-V is a Heavily Turbocharged Monster

By Brett Foote - June 19, 2019

With a proven drivetrain combo and a svelte package, this Cadillac ATS-V looks like a no prep nightmare.

It’s no secret that Cadillac’s mighty CTS-V rules the roost in terms of the drag racing scene. There are countless quick iterations of the luxury sedan out there in the world, from mild to wild and everything in between. But one thing you don’t see very often are modified versions of the CTS-V’s little brother – the ATS-V. But now, well-known street and no prep racer Larry Larson has built perhaps the wildest ATS-V on the planet, which is on clear display in this clip from Urban Hillbilly Videos.

Apparently, Larson and his crew worked overtime to get the new Caddy ready for the Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings event at the New England Dragway in New Hampshire. He made a brief pit stop in Ohio for a quick shakedown run, but that was it. Larson lost his opening round matchup, but clearly wasn’t discouraged. He then strapped his shiny new ride up and headed to Ozark Raceway Park in Missouri. The goal? To iron things out ahead of the next no prep event in St. Louis.

Under the hood of Larson’s latest track weapon, you’ll find a familiar sight. In fact, it’s the very same Pro Line Racing 481X 572 used previously in his legendary S-10. Strapped to the front of this mammoth mill is an even larger 140mm turbo. Interestingly enough, however, the body consists of all factory panels. Mainly because no composite ones exist for the ATS-V. Still, the car weighs in at a svelte 2,700 pounds.

ALSO SEE: Cadillac ATS-V Drive Review: A Better BMW M3 Than the M3

But as Larson explained to Drag Zine recently, he’s perfectly fine sticking with factory body panels, thank you very much. “Just like the S-10 was an ‘up yours’ to Hot Rod in response to the rules of the Unlimited class at Drag Week, this car is going to make a statement in no-prep,” he said. “I personally think all of these cars in this deal [No Prep Kings] ought to be using all of the factory panels.”

Judging by his shakedown runs here at Ozark, Larson’s new ATS-V certainly looks like a force to be reckoned with. Both looked exceptionally fast, especially for a brand new ride with just a couple of passes on it. Once Larson gets this thing sorted out, we fully expect him to rise back to the top of the no prep ranks!