CADILLAC ANNOUNCES STS CUNNINGHAM EDITION

Commemorating the Cadillacs entered in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans race by legendary racer Briggs Cunningham, Cadillac announced that its special edition STS that is to Pace the 24 Hours of Le Mans next June will be named the STS Cunningham Edition.

"Cadillac's return to Le Mans opened a door of communication between The Cunningham Company and Cadillac last spring," said John F. Smith, GM vice president and Cadillac general manager. "We felt commemorating the Briggs Cunningham Cadillacs of 1950 was a natural fit for our pace car program."

The ultra-high performance Seville STS pace car was initially revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show last September. Cadillac has agreed to the pace car association for the 24 hour race and will be providing The Cunningham Company a STS project vehicle for evaluation in the coming months.

The STS Cunningham Edition is conceived in the same spirit of the original Cunningham 1949 DeVille that competed in 1950 as a near-stock vehicle. Powered by Cadillac's 331 CID V-8, the Cunningham DeVille finished a highly respectable 10th overall in the race.

The STS Cunningham Edition further improves on the extensive enhancements Cadillac made to the STS for the 2000 model year, particularly in the areas of powertrain, chassis control and occupant safety.

While Cunningham and Cadillac are still evaluating additional modifications to the vehicle the initial features include:

• 320-horsepower rating - 20 more than the production STS Northstar V8
• Enhanced StabiliTrak(r) 2.0 chassis control system specially adapted for the high-speed, all-weather conditions of Le Mans
• High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights
• Night Vision technology
• Performance seating with improved lateral support and Cervigard(tm) anti-whiplash head restraint and * seat system
• 18-inch open-spoke, cast aluminum wheels mated to Goodyear Eagle F1 GS Z-rated P275/40ZR-18 tires
• Larger brakes with oversized rotors, pistons and calipers
• Modified version of the European-configured STS front fascia to increase airflow and improve aerodynamics
• "Argentinium" silver exterior paint first used on Cadillac's Evoq roadster concept vehicle

The world-renowned Northstar V8 is the heart of the 2000 STS in both street and STS Cunningham Edition trim. The STS Cunningham Edition boasts 320 horsepower - 20 more than the already impressive 300-hp rating carried by the standard STS. The extra performance is achieved through a combination of reduced inlet restriction, lower exhaust back-pressure and blue printing of the ports.

All Northstar engines in 2000 feature an all-new cylinder head design, new intake manifolds, coil-on-plug ignition and roller cam followers to reduce friction. In fact, virtually every engine component was changed or updated, including the pistons, valves, connecting rods and cam shafts. The result is significantly lower emissions, quiet operation and improved fuel economy on regular (87 octane) unleaded fuel - attributes important to the European luxury car market.

Recognized as one of the most sophisticated integrated chassis control systems in the world, every 2000 STS - including the STS Cunningham Edition - is equipped with a new version of Cadillac's StabiliTrak(r) as standard equipment. Referred to as StabiliTrak 2.0, the system now includes side slip-rate control and active steering effort.

The STS Cunningham Edition features additional software modifications to provide peak performance during the varied weather conditions and sustained high speeds encountered during the race. The additional software control systems are being demonstrated on the STS Cunningham Edition as part of a production validation program.

In addition to StabiliTrak 2.0, both the production STS and STS Cunningham Edition are equipped with three significant enhancements to the Continuously Variable Road-Sensing System or CVRSS. The improvements include transient roll control, lateral support and stability control iteration.

STS Cunningham Edition safety innovations making their debut on current or future production STS vehicles include a sophisticated air bag suppression system, Night Vision, High Intensity Discharge (HID) lighting and Cervigard(tm), an anti-whiplash head restraint and seat system.

To assist the pace car drivers in the dark hours at Le Mans, Cadillac has added HID headlights (equipment slated for the 2001 STS) and adapted its Night Vision technology for use on the STS Cunningham Edition.

The STS Cunningham Edition is also equipped with a bolstered driver's seat for added lateral support during high-speed driving and an anti-whiplash head restraint and seat system Cervigard(tm). The latter is designed to ergonomically support the head, neck and spinal curves while preventing excessive head and neck movement through controlled damping of the forces incurred during whiplash.

Adding to the performance look and feel of the STS Cunningham Edition are specific 18-inch cast aluminum wheels mated to Goodyear P275/40ZR-18 Eagle F1 GS tires, as well as larger brakes with oversized rotors, pistons and calipers.

The STS Cunningham Edition features a modified version of the European-configured front fascia to improve airflow to the engine and brakes as well as the overall vehicle aerodynamics.

The STS Cunningham Edition is dressed in "Argentinium" silver paint in keeping with Cadillac's critically acclaimed Evoq concept roadster unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit last January and the Le Mans prototype racecar or LMP.

In June, Cadillac announced its return to race at Le Mans after a 50-year hiatus and unveiled the LMP prototype racecar. World-renown race vehicle builders Riley and Scott are currently developing the actual Cadillac racecar powered by Cadillac's Northstar V8.

• Cadillac announces return to Le Mans

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