Lingenfelter-built Cadillac Catera Packs Tire-shredding LS7 Power
Remember the Catera? You will now.
Remember the Cadillac Catera? Before the CTS, the Catera was an attempt by Cadillac to draw in a younger customer with a sportier, more European-style luxury car. To that end, they re-worked the German Opel Omega sedan and sold it here in Cadillac guise, complete with its Opel-sourced V6 engine.
The Catera wasn’t a terrible car per se, but it wasn’t a great one, either. They aren’t remembered particularly fondly by most, but the car we’re looking at today may change that. If there was one part of the Cadillac Catera that showed promise, it was its rear wheel drive platform and its roomy engine bay. By now, you probably know exactly where this is going.
We found this car on Bring A Trailer. This particular Catera, a 2001 model, packs a fire-breathing 7.0 liter LS7 V8. The engine build, based on a C5R block, includes ported LS6 heads and intake. That fire-breathing powerplant is backed up by a Tremec T56 six-speed manual.
Tire-Shredding Horsepower
Out back, you’ll find a GTO-sourced 3.46:1 limited slip differential. When the Catera was new, the ads touted it as “The Caddy That Zigs.” We’re sure this one could do a whole lot more than that.
Built by GM performance legends Lingenfelter Performance Engineering back when the car was new, it’s been updated since then with the larger engine (it originally packed a 5.7 liter Corvette LS6). Exterior updates include badging and detailing that make it look like an early CTS-V prototype.
The interior is mostly stock, right down to the expansive gauge cluster, which remains totally functional. In addition to the six-speed shifter, you’ll also find a Momo three-spoke steering wheel, complete with a Cadillac horn button.
The car’s brakes and suspension were subjected to mild upgrades to handle the extra power of the healthy V8 under the hood. You’ll find a smattering of Eibach and Steinmetz components underneath. This Catera rides on 17″ five spoke wheels, also from Steinmetz.
Back when the Catera was new, we remember being pleasantly surprised to learn this it was rear wheel drive. While the original car was never quite the BMW 3 Series competitor GM hoped it would be, this Lingenfelter-modified example would eat any M3’s lunch.
Photos: Bring A Trailer
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