BIG PICTURE Pretty at Petit

NEW METAL

Nickname given by the French media to Briggs Cunningham’s Series 61 Cadillac at Le Mans in 1950. It was not a term of endearment.

V FOR VENDETTA

WITH GERMAN COMPETITION IN ITS SIGHTS, CADDY’S SMALL SEDAN GETS A BIG SPEED BOOST.

go-faster, V-badged version of Cadillac’s

Acompact ATS sedan was always planned, so there was no massive surgery needed to create the ferocious ATS-V. Cadillac started with the 3.6-liter V-6 from the CTS Vsport and added Pankl Racing Systems-sourced titanium connecting rods, two water-to-air intercoolers, and twin titanium-turbine turbochargers to spin up more than 450 hp and 445 lb-ft of torque. That’s ample motivation for this 3600-pound BMW M3-fighter. A third radiator, low and center in that angry front fascia, is dedicated solely to wicking heat from the transmission and electronically locking differential.

It’s grippier, too. Beefier suspension components increase roll stiffness by 50 percent compared with the standard ATS, helping Michelin Pilot Super Sport rubber find footing. The optional track pack adds a front splitter, side skirts, and a rear spoiler, all of which help produce 100 pounds of downforce at 150 mph.

There’s a choice between an eight-speed automatic and a six-speed manual, each of which will let you perform a no-lift shift. This is Cadillac’s cry of “Achtung, baby!” to Mercedes’s AMG and BMW’s M divisions, so keep your foot in it for America. —ROBIN WARNER

HARSHNESS

MONTEZEMOLO PUSHED OUT AT FERRARI

After nearly 23 years as Ferrari chairman, Luca di Montezemolo stepped down in October, reportedly due to clashes with the brass at parent company Fiat SpA. There’s never been love lost between the erstwhile Maranello boss and Fiat head Sergio Marchionne, but long-standing rumors of a rift escalated during the Monza Grand Prix. “Nobody is indispensable,” said Marchionne, who also called Ferrari’s recent F1 woes “unacceptable.” But the central conflict likely revolved around sales volume. Montezemolo was vocal about maintaining exclusivity, pledging to pare deliveries to less than 7000 cars per year. That didn’t jibe with Marchionne’s plan to ramp up luxury and exotic production to better compete with Volkswagen Group subsidiaries Audi and Lamborghini. So who replaced Montezemolo as Ferrari’s head honcho? Marchionne, of course.