Cadillac has released official photos and details on the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Coupe, which makes its debut at next week's Detroit Auto Show. We've the face before, but we're already taking a shine to the twin-barrel, center-mounted exhaust coming out the back of the V-series coupe.
To the disappointment of no one, the supercharged 6.2-liter LSA V8 is under the hood, and it's good for 556 horsepower at 6,100 rpm and 551 pound-feet of torque at 3,800 rpm. Either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic will drive the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential. The tires are 19-inch Michelin PS2s, which is to say sticky.
The wheelbase remains 113.4 inches, but appropriately, the coupe is 3 inches shorter nose to tail with a 2-inch lower roofline and a faster windshield. So, yeah, there's less headroom.
If that sounds horrifically impractical, just get the CTS-V sedan. Or wait for the CTS-V wagon. It's a done deal waiting for an official announcement.
inlinesix says:
09:32 PM, 01/ 4/10
The rear quarter looks good, but that same front end... yuk.
the_big_al says:
02:04 AM, 01/ 5/10
I want the wagon. The wagon is a must. And dress it in "regular" CTS guise. I'll live with the bulging hood though and have the ultimate sleeper.
yellowmiata says:
02:41 AM, 01/ 5/10
Love the look! For some reason, coupes have phenomenal lines. Great photos & writeup IL.
1487 says:
05:41 AM, 01/ 5/10
Really no surprises here. Not sure why so many people are hype about the wagon when we know it wont sell. MB had an E55 wagon- no one was interested. Cadillac would be lucky to sell 500 V wagons a year. I want to see the new interior color scheme.
hondacura4 says:
06:47 AM, 01/ 5/10
Given the coupes smaller footprint, I'd look for slightly better overall performance vs the CTS-V sedan. Good looking car BTW!
1487 says:
08:11 AM, 01/ 5/10
Not a huge fan of the coupe, but that top picture is impressive. Too bad its not lighter- it weighs almost as much as the sedan. Choice is good however and no one else really offers a competitors to the M3 coupe so I'm glad Cadillac is doing so.
dougtheeng says:
08:42 AM, 01/ 5/10
That rear quarter view looks pretty decent - and this coming from someone who constantly points out that I hate the back end of the CTS coupe. Maybe its just the angle? Either way, I'm glad to see this car going to production even though I would prefer the sedan myself.
Oh yah - ditch the awful grille treatment.
1487 says:
10:05 AM, 01/ 5/10
The grille isnt going anywhere. Its that big for airflow and mesh grilles are common on European cars like the R model Jags and Bentleys. Not sure why only the CTS-V gets singled out for having a mesh grille as if its the first car in the world to have something like this.
dougtheeng says:
10:26 AM, 01/ 5/10
1487 I think the issue is not that its mesh, but that its chromy-looking mesh. I'm not a chrome fan, and I don't think it does anything positive for the CTS-V. I feel the same way about the chrome strip along the front of the hood above the mesh.
But then again, some people love chrome - i just tend to prefer blacker grilles similar to on the M3, XF-R (lower grille), etc.
1487 says:
01:16 PM, 01/ 5/10
its not chrome- stainless steel. Everything that's shiny isn't chrome. The CTS-V only has chrome trim- no chrome wheels or grilles.
dougtheeng says:
02:04 PM, 01/ 5/10
"Everything that's shiny isn't chrome."
An astute observation. If you weren't so quick to try and look witty, you'd note that I said "chromy-looking".
Besides, the material itself is irrelevant - I'm talking about the finish. I don't care if its spray painted plastic, it is still a poor color/finish choice.
1487 says:
05:06 PM, 01/ 5/10
That is how stainless steel looks. Its not chromed or spray painted- its just metal and its found on numerous grilles on high performance sedans or at least sedans that want to look menacing. People act like its window dressing for the sake of being tacky.
inlinesix says:
08:49 PM, 01/ 5/10
My issue with the front of it is the squared angles. It just seems to stand out at all the wrong places. They got the function right, but IMO, not the form.
http://a332.g.akamai.net/f/332/936/12h/www.edmunds.com/pictures/VEHICLE/2010/Cadillac/2010.cadillac.cts-v.20302549-396x249.jpg