Late in 2009, Cadillac filled a lot of peoples’ wishes, releasing pictures and specifications for a CTS Coupe.  The one thing they left out was the V version, which is Cadillac’s performance arm, much in the way that AMG and M are divisions of Mercedes-Benz and BMW.  Unlike its German rivals, GM doesn’t offer any V appearance packages – you either get the performance and the show, or you get the more pedestrian offering, not that it’s a bad thing.

Finally, Cadillac has announced a V version of the CTS Coupe.  There is no bad side to this announcement, only positives.  The 556-horsepower supercharged V8 from the CTS-V Sedan is carried over, as are the transmission choices and suspension setup.  The suspension setup uses similar components to the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, and with the car lowered 2 inches from the CTS-V Sedan, promises to be a great-handling car.  Other than the aforementioned items, not much else is shared.  The instrument panel, center console, headlights, front fenders and grille are shared, but nothing else.  The windshield has a more aggressive slope to it, and while the rest of the car shares the sedan’s angular design, none of the other parts are carried over.

In addition to being more aerodynamic and shorter in height, the coupe is shorter in length by an inch and has a rear track also wider by an inch.  This will ensure that the coupe has at least the performance numbers that the sedan pulls off, if not a little better.  The coupe’s design and changes from the sedan should make it a hair quicker in straight lines, but noticeably faster through corners.

Look for the 2011 CTS-V Coupe to hit showrooms sometime this summer, at a price to be announced sometime closer to the car’s launch.  For the rest, see the attached pictures.

by John Suit

Source: GM

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