| Performance claims | Cadillac CTS-V |

Forget rising oil prices and climate change for a moment, as the Americans have built a new V8 muscle car. Cadillac is not often a name associated with high performance on this side of the Atlantic, but that is set to change if the new CTS-V is anything to go by. Fitted with a 557bhp supercharged 6.2-litre V8, Cadillac claims the car will tear from 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds. Not many saloons can boast more than 500bhp - the CTS-V's closest rivals are the Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG and the BMW M5. On paper the German cars are slower, covering 0-60mph in 4.4 and 4.6 seconds respectively.

To handle the CTS-V's power, various components have been strengthened. The prop shaft is a heavy duty item and the wheel hub bearings are strengthened and braced to cope with the additional loads. The limited-slip differential has been designed to give stability at speed without compromising low-speed manoeuvrability.

Unlike muscle cars of old, Cadillac has ensured that the CTS-V will go around corners. The latest version of Cadillac's Magnetic Ride Control manages suspension movement, which apparently permits "extreme high-performance agility" alongside "the smooth road manners of a prestigious luxury sedan". As if to prove the point Cadillac has been testing the CTS-V at the Nurburgring and recorded a 7-minute 59.32 seconds lap, believed to be the fastest ever lap by a saloon car on ordinary road tyres. On-board cameras captured the lap, and the howling engine and squealing tyres hint at the speed but the car seems impressively composed. Press play below to see and hear the CTS-V in action.