By Rich Truesdell

Automotive Traveler

GM’s Bob Lutz is staking the Cadillac CTS-V against all-comers as part of General Motors “May the Best Car Win” advertising challenge. Automotive Traveler is up to the challenge and takes him up on his offer (as does Jalopnik, The Truth About Cars, Autoblog, and others!)

The Cadillac CTS is in the opinion of this reviewer, a world-class luxury car, a clear case where GM set the development bar high against its intended competition, and in most regards, exceeded expectations. Clearly, offering a class-competitive entry closer in size and power to a BMW 5 Series while priced closer to a 3 Series was a smart positioning move. This was followed by the introduction of the mammothly-powered CTS-V, with a 556-horsepower engine that would set at the time a production sedan lap record at the Nürburgring of 7:59:32 (anything under eight minutes is damn fast). The CTS-V clearly had the BMW M5 in its crosshairs and its time to tell the automotive world that America had finally came to play with the big dogs. Now, how to get this message across? Thus the CTS-V Challenge at the Monticello Motor Club 90 miles north of New York City. If GM invites us to the party where we plan to show up in a 2009 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8. Read more about our challenge, and the course layout at Automotive Traveler.

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to travel up to Monticello, NY for a look at the Monticello Motor Club. The club itself is described as a "luxury automotive lifestyle resort and track located 90 minutes from Manhattan." And let me tell you, this place oozes with smell of money.

Take heed, though. At this place, you must pay to play. You see, the initiation fee is $125,000 (not a typo). Add in the $7,500 annual dues and you’re talking some big money. I was lucky enough to get a ride along on the track itself, and I can say that it IS one of the best tracks I have ever been on. This is a place that only the truly fortunate will be able to enjoy. Its beautiful surroundings and appointments make you feel like an automotive celebrity, and just rolling onto the grounds is an event because you know you are some place special.

Now the big question: if I had the money, would I join? Answer… I just don’t know. You see, there are SO many other ways to get on the race track. There is NASA/PDA, SCCA, and enthusiast clubs like the New York Motor Club. All of these organizations hold events for automotive enthusiast, but without the stratospheric price tag. I suppose that if I had extra $125k and all the bills were taken care of and the mortgage was paid and the kids were done with school and I didn’t have a car payment or feel the need to eat or stay married, I might join. Right now, though, I think I’ll just stick to tinkering in the garage with old Dodge. More pics after the jump.

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