Cadillac Launches Its Own Driving School, The V-Series Academy: Video

By Kurt Ernst

Kurt Ernst

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828 views Jan 29, 2013

The Cadillac CTS-V Coupe laps Spring Mountain - image: GM Corp

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It stands to reason, then, that Cadillac would launch a driving school of its own, centered around the CTS-V line of luxury performance cars. Based at Nevada’s Spring Mountain Motor Resort (which really is  a world-class facility), Cadillac’s V-Series Academy promises to deliver driving instruction wrapped in layer of luxury.

The school’s curriculum was developed by veteran racer Ron Fellows, and it appears as if students get plenty of instructor-guided seat time. While car control exercises form the basis of the school, it sounds like there’s ample track driving to explore the (rather substantial) limits of the CTS-V Coupe, Sedan or Station Wagon.

Spring Mountain isn’t an easy track to master, either. The full course runs for some four miles, and features 125 feet of elevation change. That may not sound like much, but when you crest a hill under heavy braking and lose grip as your suspension unweights, it’s plenty.

To ensure the proper student-instructor ratio, class size is limited to just 12 students, and Nevada’s climate allows for class to be run all year. Per Cadillac, the one-day V-Series Academy class runs $1,295, while the two-day course is priced at $2,295. You’ll also need to factor in the cost of a trip to Las Vegas, as well as a few nights in a hotel.

While that may sound like a substantial amount of money, keep in mind that you’re getting semi-personalized instruction and using up someone else’s brakes, gas and tires. If the school teaches you the skills to avoid an accident, we’d call that money well spent.