Vengance Racing’s Gen 3 CTS-V Whipple Build Has Us Weak In The Knees
As it turns out, GM’s LT4 in the CTS-V makes for a good 750 wheel horsepower daily driver.
Some people just can’t get enough. We’re well aware that power and speed are an addiction, but shouldn’t a new 640 horsepower CTS-V be enough? Not for Enrique Lopez. He hustled his car on over to Vengeance Racing to have his LT4 massaged for more power.
With the engine fully removed from the Cadillac, work could get started. The LT4’s valvetrain was upgraded first, with Vengeance’s own Stage II camshaft kit. That camshaft will be responsible for controlling valves, which are now sitting in modified LT4 heads, which have received a CNC port treatment. Adorned on top are custom valve covers with re-located coil packs.
Flow into those heads is what really matters though, and a 2.9 liter Whipple supercharger was picked for the added boost. Spun by an 18% quicker lower pulley, the supercharger draws air in from a 4″ diameter Vengeance Racing cold air intake. Flow out of the heads is contained by American Racing long tube headers, and an axle-back system from them as well.
Since Lopez uses this CTS-V as a daily driver, PSI was kept at 14, and a tune to utilize 93 octane pump gas was used. Even so, the wheel-horsepower and torque numbers are awesome. Horsepower came in at 748, and torque topped off at 690 lb/ft. What’s really impressive about these numbers is that there’s no methanol injection used at all. A weekend’s install-worth of bolt-ons and a tune make for easy power. To be able to make those numbers without having to keep heat in check is impressive on its own. A daily driver with 750 horsepower on tap any time you want it? Who wouldn’t want that?
