Cadillac CTS Coupe Production Version Debuts

If there's one certain thing about the personal coupe market, it's that sex sells. Otherwise, do you really think BMW would be able to move a single Z4 off their lots?  It certainly doesn't have anything to do with practical considerations; if you were being practical, you'd get a car without enough doors and seats for you and your family.

So coupes rely mainly on sex appeal and good looks to pierce the market.  And if sheer sex appeal is anything to go by, Cadillac's got a home-run on it's hands with the CTS Coupe.  It's the third (and probably the final) derivative of the CTS theme, after the sedan and the unusually-attractive station wagon.

Although the CTS Coupe obviously shares some DNA with the Sedan, what it doesn't share a whole lot of is sheetmetal and solid parts.  The only shared components on the outside are the grille, headlights, and front fenders - everything else is Coupe-specific.  Although the Coupe and Sedan share the same wheelbase, the Coupe is approximately 2" shorter both front to back as well as roof to ground.   This relatively minor change in proportions manages to make something unusually sexy and exotic looking, while maintaining adequate room for passengers.

The design is liberally littered with interesting details.  Check out those housed-in dual center-exit exhaust pipes, the smoothed-out door handles, the hidden B-pillar, the trick LED taillights, the way the C-pillar doesn't so much interesect as flow into the decklid...  and in this market, that's important.  Competitors like the Audi A5 and BMW 3-series Coupe have style and sex appeal in spades, but judging on these unoriginal press pictures alone, the CTS Coupe won't come up short.

Nor will it lack firepower under the hood.  The standard engine in the CTS Coupe will be GM's 3.6L 24v V6, fitted with direction injection (yet still able to make full power on 87 octane!) and cranking out 304bhp.  This is the same engine that's optional in the CTS sedan, and standard in base-model Camaros.  While I'm sure sharing an engine with a V6 Camaro would have been offputting to Cadillac buyers in the past, this is an impressive mill - variable valve timing, GDI, relatively low-maintenance and low cost, and plenty of punch.  The standard CTS Coupe will be rear wheel drive, mated to either an Aisin six-speed manual, or GM's 6L50 6-speed automatic.  All-wheel-drive will be optional, but cannot be paired with the manual transmission.  Looks like Cadillac is taking a page out of Infiniti's book here - the G37x is available as an AWD Coupe, but it's only got two pedals.

Mileage will be 17/25 with the manual, and 17/26 with the automatic, although Cadillac didn't quote any figures for the all-wheel-drive models.  Although all CTS Coupes will come well-equipped, there will of course be options.  One probably worth hopping on will be the Summer Tire Performance Package - dumb name, good stuff, including 19" wheels shod in (obviously)  high performance summer tires and larger brakes.

And now, for the news you've really been waiting for:  there will be a CTS-V Coupe variant launched about a year after the regular Coupe's debut.  Now add all that sexiness and great design together with a 556bhp supercharged LSA V8, and you've got a definite recipe for success.  The CTS Coupe is debuting this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show if you want to see it in the flesh.  Pricing and availability times should be coming soon, so stay tuned.