Bye Bye Z

spearfish25

Thanks Everyone.

It was tough letting the Z go but I got a lot of equity out of it to offset the cost of the new V. I couldn't be happier with the swap though. The first time I put my foot into the V while rolling in 2nd gear and the rear end squirreled all over the place despite traction control fully engaged put a huge smile on my face. While I've lost the nimbleness of the Z, the power and effortless speed of the V is really a thrill. Not to mention I can put the baby in the back, dog in the way back and take the family around town.

V wagon ownership is a strange thing. Either the car goes completely unrecognized and people pity me for owning a station wagon, or it's instantly recognized and lauded. This morning I went to a Coffee and Classics car gathering with the V wagon. On the highway up there, a guy in a Porsche 928 pulled ahead of me and gave me a huge thumbs up through his sunroof. Then I got to the event, parked in the lineup and an old couple walking by said "What is that? A Cadillac station wagon? That can't be part of the show..." I got a kick out of seeing them miss out on probably the most unusual car at the whole event...even if it's just a station wagon.

It will definitely go to the track at some point. I need to do some autocross first and get a sense of car control with it. I think it will be a hairy beast with traction control off. Then I'll get her to a track day after a rear diff cooler is installed and a transmission cooler upgrade happens.

The color was a mixed bag for me initially that I've grown to really enjoy now. Photos don't do it any justice. I bought the car sight unseen at a dealer 1200mi from me and had it delivered. You just can't find these things anywhere and this one was brand new with 6 miles on it. It's loaded with a manual transmission, Recaro seats, microfiber wheel and shifter, ultraview sunroof, satin black wheels and the red Brembos. In person the paint looks like a light blue metallic in sunlight, a silver metallic in shade, and a pearlescent multicolor any time it's near something vibrantly colored (grass, brick driveway, etc). With the blacked out bits and newly added window tint, I think it's pretty sharp.

Given that big displacement V8s and manual transmissions are a dying breed, I couldn't pass this up and plan to keep this one for a very long time. Guess that's why I couldn't find one used!

I'll continue to poke around the forum. This community has really added to my Z ownership and it's been a pleasure benefitting from and contributing to the camaraderie.

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2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z