Becoming the proud owner of a 2006 STS-V is as easy as visiting a Cadillac dealer and signing over $77,090, a number that represents the car’s $74,270 base price plus a $720 destination charge and a $2,100 gas guzzler tax. And, apparently, company bean counters calculate that figure to be both profitable and competitive, as the often expensive package list is pared down to just one item – a sunroof delete option that lops $1,200 off the sticker. ‘Yer bare-bones, hot-rodding Caddy now runs $75,890, out the door.

Not bad, considering all that comes with the deal, like dual-zone climate control; a power tilt and telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel with integrated stereo controls; one year of OnStar Safe and Sound coverage that includes stolen vehicle tracking, internet and email access, emergency assistance, and more; a 15-speaker Bose sound system with DVD audio and XM satellite radio; and a touch-screen navigation system. But this is a $77,000 Cadillac, not a gussied-up Chevy Impala, so there’s lots more, like eight-way power, heated front bucket seats, which like the power mirrors, climate control system, radio, and steering wheel, are part of the two-position memory function; a heated rear bench seat; one-touch up and down power windows; voice-activated controls; automatic leveling, high-intensity discharge headlights with washers; and the expansive sunroof that can be deleted if so desired. Available colors are basic – Black Raven, Stealth Gray, and Light Platinum, with the hand-stitched leather interior offered in Ebony, Light Gray, or two-tone Ebony/Tango Red.

For safety’s sake, the 2006 Cadillac STS-V is outfitted with front dual-stage airbags, front seat-mounted airbags, and side-curtain airbags, all of which will come in quite handy if the laws of physics prove to be too much for the standard StabiliTrak stability control and traction control systems. That’s not terribly likely, but with 469 horsepower on tap, there’s always a possibility that the errant lead footer will end up using this Caddy to play Paul Bunyan.