After a decade of thrilling fans with its thundering V8-powered CTS-V.R coupes in the Pirelli World Challenge series, Cadillac has revealed its replacement for 2015: the twin-turbocharged, V6-powered Cadillac ATS-V.R coupe.

Pirelli World Challenge GT champions Johnny O’Connell and Andy Pilgrim will spearhead development as they prep the factory ATS-V.R program for its competition debut in early March at Circuit of The Americas. Ahead of that, Pratt & Miller Engineering will continue to hone the chassis, built to global FIA GT3 specifications, during pre-season testing.

“As we looked at what we wanted to do going forward as a brand, there’s no secret we’re trying to grow Cadillac on a global basis and a GT3-spec race car would give us options and flexibility. Obviously, with the influx of GT3 cars in Pirelli World Challenge and some of the advantages that those bring, we thought to stay on that competitive curve, it was time to make a change, and it made sense to move to this new platform.” Cadillac global marketing director Jim Vurpillat told Road & Track.

The decision to shift from the CTS-V.R’s World Challenge-specific construction to full GT3 regs for the ATS-V.R was done with the future in mind. The initial outlet for the new car will be in Pirelli World Challenge competition, but sales of the ATS-V.R for use in any of the 30 different international series that accept GT3 cars was an underlying motivation.

“Whether we want to start to expand our racing exploits in Europe, in Asia, or the Middle East, the easiest thing to do is create a vehicle whose specs and homologation allows you to do so efficiently and easily, as opposed to trying to do one-off cars for any series you might want to enter,” Vurpillat said.

“A strong factory effort is key to the success of any racing program. So for 2015, it will be a factory-based program in the Pirelli World Challenge. We’re going back to that series to defend our title. We like the growth of the series, we like what’s happening there.”

Vurpillat expects customer cars to be available for the 2016 season, which would align with the TUDOR Championship’s move to GT3 specs in the GTD class. Teams outside North America will be also able to purchase the ATS-V.R for use in the Blancpain Endurance Series, among others.

READ MORE: This is the Cadillac ATS-V Coupe totally uncovered

“But we do see opportunities out there in the rest of the world. There are other series in the US to maybe start customer-support racing. We have nothing to announce on that but, clearly, we think that is a way, and we’ll definitely explore those opportunities with this new model.”

Transitioning from the one-of-a-kind rumble produced by the V8 CTS-V.R’s to the new 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 follows GM Racing’s recent emphasis on promoting its forced-induction technology. Through its relationship with racing-engine builder Ilmor, GM uses a 2.2-liter TT-V6 Chevy powerplant in the Verizon IndyCar Series, and with the new ATS-V.R motor, Vurpillat says the decision was made to keep the project in-house and in the hands of GM Racing’s powertrain experts.

“What we really like is the heart of the race car being the 3.6-liter twin turbo. There’s a production variant of that, and I love that linkage between them,” he adds, referencing the 600-hp production-based LF4.R engine. “I think that gives us a great marketing story to talk to our owners, to talk to dealers, to talk to prospective buyers. The whole idea of racing for us is growing the Cadillac brand and its performance credentials. If you can tie the race car to the road car, you just get more credibility.”

A Cadillac fly-by in World Challenge competition will sound different, too, thanks to the new V6. The outgoing V8 cars thundered in a manner similar to the Le Mans Corvettes.

“I think it’ll be a new sound for the fans to love,” he enthused. “It’s different than the previous car, but it’s distinct and it is definitely still loud. You’ll still be able to tell the Cadillacs when they go by. They have a unique sound signature; it’s something we’re excited about.”

Andy Pilgrim has already fallen in love with his new race car.

“It sounds wicked and screams like it’s ripping holes in the air. I love it,” he said. “We have paddle shifters for the first time, and I’m enjoying the new tools. The engine torque is remarkable, as always, pulling strongly out of the corners.”

Come March, we’ll find out just how adept the ATS-V.R is at continuing the winning ways of its predecessor.

Story via Road & Track online (US)