It's the sort of thing advertising guys love talking about. Visualize an early morning sunrise, hear the music build, and get a little misty-eyed at the smoky voiceover from the once-famous but still beloved celebrity. We have heard it all before -- hell, we have been hearing it for years from GM. But driving just one lap in a Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon around Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca will do more to turn you into a believer than 50 straight hours of forced marketing consumption ever could.

Cadillac insists that the Sport Wagon version of the CTS-V isn't just about sales numbers, but also completing its image. The goal is to be "The new standard of the world," and to do that, Cadillac needs to offer a full line of vehicles. To play with the big boys from Europe, the brand needs to be a lifestyle. It's what GM executives are referring to as a holistic formula that combines product, customer experience, and marketing.

When development of the current CTS-V began, a big bull's-eye was painted on the BMW M5. The destination was clear, but the path was overgrown with years of corporate bean counting. It was clear to the executives at GM that a different attitude was needed, and this car could be a model for the company's future. It wasn't about just getting a car out--it was about getting the right car out. The business model worked, and GM is now spreading it across the company.
Whether the CTS-V took down the BMW bogey isn't the focus here; that's an eternal debate for Internet forums and barstools. What Cadillac has done is turn its world-class contender into a stink-fast family hauler. It takes more than most consumers realize to turn a sedan into a wagon. Five hundred foot-pounds of torque and the desire for great handling don't make things any easier, either. Most of the rigidity in the back of a sedan or coupe comes from tying the shock towers together with the rear parcel shelf. Obviously on a wagon that doesn't happen, so extra structure has to be added beneath the car and in the towers to maintain that integrity.