Published: Jun 22, 2012

2012 Cadillac CTS-V and New BMW M5 Compared by Road and Track

America’s most powerful sedan goes head-to-head with the mighty M5 to find out which is king.

With the introduction of the M5 in the mid-Eighties, a new executive saloon segment was created. Ever since, BMW's rivals have been building models to match the might of the M5. In 2004, a challenger in the form of GM's Cadillac CTS-V burst onto the scene and in 2008 the second-generation car was revealed. Sporting a 556hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V8, the CTS-V, good for a 0-60mph time of 3.9 seconds, was a fierce competitor to the E60 M5 with its 500hp, 5.0-liter V10.

In fact the 2009MY was in many ways considered a superior automobile, as a comparison test by Road & Track demonstrated back in 2008.

Four years later, and the Cadillac CTS-V remains the same. However, the latest iteration of the M5 features a 553hp 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that's good for 0-60mph in 4.3 seconds with a 6-speed 'box, and 4.2 seconds with a 7-speed dual clutch transmission. With the US set to take stock of the 2013 M5 sedan in the summer, Road & Track decided it was time for an updated head-to-head battle. We won't spoil the results, but while watching consider whether you would opt for the $64,515 mighty Cadillac or the $89,900 masterful M5, if you were ever faced with such a nice dilemma.