The existence of the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon -- a brazen, wonderful, and bewildering thing -- is a miracle. Pointless excess manifested onto four wheels, this 556-horsepower creature, equipped with a manual transmission, has the appeal of a 72-ounce steak that you have to eat in an improbably short amount of time to get it free. Its awesomeness is strangely addictive; people watch "Man vs. Food," after all. And they enjoy it.
The Caddy's ingredients may lack the preposterous quantities in the overweight cheeseburgers on that show, but they nonetheless astonish:
1 CTS Sport Wagon
1 6.2-liter V-8
1 supercharger
1 six-speed manual transmission

Directions: Blend. Garnish with Magnetic Ride Control and 19-inch wheels shod in Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 rubber.
Acceleration results suggest the wagon doesn't realize (or care) that it's carrying an extra 110 pounds over the CTS-V Coupe. Sixty mph arrives in 4.2 seconds. Five-and-a-half seconds later, you're doing 100 mph. It's at 114.4 mph that you pass a quarter mile, a distance that requires 12.5 seconds. Those times are 0.2-second slower than the last V Coupe we tested, and 0.1 second behind the last Sedan.

The performance translates to our figure eight test, where the Caddy put down a 25.3-second lap, and average lateral acceleration at 0.91 g. That lap time is 0.2 seconds behind the last M3 Competition we tested, but the Cadillac's driving experience is something else entirely -- brutal, unflinching, and utterly manly.
At its limit, with wide, faint black lines following the tires, this Cadillac is fun work. The engine keeps a frenetic pace, insistent that you always go faster. Dive bomb the middle pedal and the brakes -- with rotors sized 15.0 inches in front and 14.7 inches at the rear -- work the Michelin rubber for all it's worth; our best stop from 60 mph took 107 feet. A sharp jab at the steering and the wagon -- the wagon -- dives into the corner sharply and sticks to a mostly neutral state. It demands careful throttle control, rewarding you with a slight rotation on corner exit that points you right at the next apex. After a few laps, you exit the car with shaky palms and a sweaty brow. You need a deep breath. And then another.