You can’t say that GM’s engineers aren’t giving the 2016 Cadillac CTS-V prototypes a run for their money on the Nürburgring. One of the testers was photographed by our spies with glowing red rear brake discs and smoke pouring out from the right side of the car as it was performing some quick laps around the track.

Together with the ATS-V Sedan and Coupe, the next CTS-V will be at the forefront of Cadillac’s attack on Germany’s finest luxury brands in terms of prestige, something that should rub off the regular versions of the cars, indirectly boosting sales.

A direct opponent of the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG, the CTS-V will be the most powerful production model to wear Cadillac’s crest and it shouldn’t surprise anyone if it made close or even more than 600-horses from either a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 from the new Corvette Z06, or GM’s upcoming 4.5-liter twin-turbo V8 previewed on the Elmiraj Concept. The outgoing model made 556hp and 551 lb-ft of torque.

Visually, Cadillac will gift the CTS-V with a multitude of spoilers and air vents, and of course, brawny wheels and tires, along with a quartet of pipes at the back, snuggled inside the new rear diffuser. You’ll also get a spiffier interior, with different trims, materials and seats.

The new CTS-V will appear next year as a 2016 model.

Photo Credits: CarPix for CarScoopS

Photo Gallery