Engineering the STS-V

[Bruce Nunnally]

Old article, but it is good to see that car guys are making the new Cadillacs. I think people forget that the engineers working on the cars are trying to make excellent cars. If I were GM/Cadillac I would release more articles and info about the people and the tools used to design & develop the new cars.

A General Motors ride and handling engineer by trade (whose latest work includes the surprisingly quick Saturn Ion Red Line and the much-anticipated Cadillac STS-V), Stielow isn't just a fan of grip. Sharp minded and experienced street machine fans will remember that he was the first guy to utilize exotic GTP-style cylinder heads on a musclecar. Later Stielow variations included more cost effective combinations, but never before has he gone done the boosted road. Hanging around fellow Road Apples car club member and Detroit speed guru John Meaney (who's twin-turbo C4 Corvette is the stuff of legend) convinced him he had to build something similar. Stielow's dynamite intercooler packaging (created by Detroit's Wheel to Wheel) is a sign of how difficult building one of these combinations can be if you're hooked on design and engineering like this guy.

http://popularhotrodding.com/features/0501_phr_stielow/

[tjtjwdad]

I had a friend that owned a MK VIII and I was commenting on the acceleration the car had. He said get the Northstar. I said "Northstar" ... hell, that's that thing in the sky we navigate with when out at sea when the gyro, GPS and SINS are down. He said yea ... you know ... a Cadillac. I said dude, you gotta be #&%ttin' me. Oh no he says, those things move. About that time we were coming up on a DeVille and I could see the "32 valve Northstar" emblem and I pointed at it and said ... you mean these things. He said yep.

Anyway, I few months later I tried one out ... and liked it!

Sure glad he pointed me toward these engineering marvels.

As far as the commercials goes, I've seen more Caddy commercials in the past couple of years than I ever saw before.

Jim

[an01sts]

My SST eats up most V8 cars, off the line to whatever outar limit. It also eats up many V8 Mustangs and V8 Camaros, off the line and to the outar limits. At a 70 mph punch, there is nothing that can touch it. I was hoping to try out a Vette who was playing the 70 to 100 game with other cars. When I pulled along side for a challenge, he suck his nose in the air, as if it wasn't worth his effort.

Because he was more than willing to play with other cars, but not me, there are two conclusions: First, an STS had kicked his @$$ at the 70 to 100 game. Second, he was aware of the STS and its ability, so to save face, it was best to pretend that it wasn't worth his trouble. I cannot blame him. If I had a Vette, and I knew about the STS, I would probally do the same. Would that not be the pitts? A 2 dr, ol' geezer car beating an American icon as the fastest?

By the way, there are other Nortstars. One of them is the Northstar Navigation System, a marine chart plotter. My buddy has one on his 30' Albermarle.

[typhoon]

I was hoping to try out a Vette who was playing the 70 to 100 game with other cars

If it was a newer vette you would not have had a chance, so I'm guessing he just ignored you.

You would not have a chance against my BMW either :-)

[Bob D]

My SST eats up most V8 cars, off the line to whatever outar limit. It also eats up many V8 Mustangs and V8 Camaros, off the line and to the outar limits. At a 70 mph punch, there is nothing that can touch it. I was hoping to try out a Vette who was playing the 70 to 100 game with other cars. When I pulled along side for a challenge, he suck his nose in the air, as if it wasn't worth his effort.

Because he was more than willing to play with other cars, but not me, there are two conclusions: First, an STS had kicked his @$$ at the 70 to 100 game. Second, he was aware of the STS and its ability, so to save face, it was best to pretend that it wasn't worth his trouble. I cannot blame him. If I had a Vette, and I knew about the STS, I would probally do the same. Would that not be the pitts? A 2 dr, ol' geezer car beating an American icon as the fastest?

By the way, there are other Nortstars. One of them is the Northstar Navigation System, a marine chart plotter. My buddy has one on his 30' Albermarle.

I think my STS is pretty quick too but trust me, if it was a (even base) C-5 he would have embarrased you...Or me.

[aurora 4.0]

The B.M.W wouldn't have a chance against my 95 STS. Same thing with the Vette.