Officially Official: 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

While we’ve known for some time that the stunning CTS Coupe would be coming sometime in the beginning of 2010, Cadillac has officially announced some interesting details about the vehicle. While the price is still an unknown, we now know that the 2+2 coupe will be chock-full of cutting-edge tech such as a rear-view camera, touch-pad door operation, and a performance-oriented suspension system coupled to the Sigma platform trademark rear- or all-wheel drive.

Design

The CTS Coupe continues Cadillac’s Art and Science design philosophy seen on the CTS Sedan and Sport Wagon and carries over virtually unchanged from the concept car that was introduced at the 2008 North American International Auto Show. The coupe has the same wheelbase as the CTS sedan (113.4 inches) but the overall ride height is about two inches (51mm) lower and the overall length is shorter by the same amount. The coupe shares only a few design elements with the sedan, including the instrument panel, console, headlamps, front fenders, and grille. According to Cadillac, key design features include:

• Classic hardtop styling, with no conventional B-pillar
• Touch-pad operation for the doors removes the need for conventional door handles, creating a technical, clean profile
• A windshield laid at a faster angle (62.3 degrees) and a long, nearly horizontal backglass area combine to create a sleek, aerodynamic look
• Sculpted lower front fascia with unique brake-cooling vents
• Diamond cut-style rear fascia with mesh lower grilles
• Center-outlet exhaust with twin dihedral-shaped tips that pass through the rear fascia
• Signature vertical lighting, highlighted with LED light pipes
• Rear spoiler integrated into the center high-mounted stop lamp
• Sculpted roof-mounted antenna for OnStar and XM Satellite Radio.

Performance

The standard powertrain in the CTS Coupe is the direct-injected 3.6L V-6 LLT good for 304hp (227kW). It’s mated to a six-speed manual gearbox featuring a revised clutch and dual-mass flywheel that offers better clutch pedal feel and improved engine isolation. A six-speed automatic transmission with Driver Shift Control (and available steering wheel mounted shift buttons) is available as an option.

According to GM, “the powertrain’s performance is channeled through a chassis that delivers sports car performance without punishment. The hardware includes an independent short/long arm ( SLA) front suspension system, with hydraulic control arm front bushings; and a multi-link rear suspension mounted on a fully isolated subframe. Also included are four-wheel disc performance brakes, premium steering and limited-slip differential.”

Keep reading after the break and be sure to check out the high-resolution galleries of the production-intent CTS Coupe and the CTS Coupe Concept.

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept

Technology

The interior contains hand-sewn accents covering the door, center storage console, and instrument panel trim. In an exciting turn of events, the 14-way adjustable Recaro sport seats that were previously exclusive on Cadillac’s V-Series model, will be offered on all CTS Coupe models as an option. The CTS Coupe also offers a host of advanced technologies, including:

• Integrated iPod/MP3 capability
• 40-gig hard drive, including the ability to store music and pause-and-replay live radio
• Pop-up navigation system
• Adaptive forward lighting system
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Standard Keyless Access and Smart Remote Start
• Rear Camera system
• Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround™ audio system

GM’s OnStar with Turn-by-Turn Navigation, which is the first factory-installed, fully integrated GPS navigation system from OnStar, is standard.

The CTS Coupe will be available in two suspension-tuning levels:

• Performance package includes 18-inch wheels and all-season tires and be available in both RWD and AWD
• Summer Tire Performance Package includes 19-inch wheels and tires and a higher level of road holding capability.

StabiliTrak, GM’s advanced electronic chassis control system, will be standard across the entire model range.

The awesome coupe is slated to arrive in Caddy showrooms in the spring of 2010 and we can’t wait to get some wheel time behind one! Cadillac is looking at the CTS Coupe as the centerpiece of the brand’s continuously revised line-up and will compete with market stalwarts such as the BMW 3 series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe, Infiniti G, Audi A5, as well as Lexus IS-C and Volvo C70.

Even though the CTS Coupe that we see here is the first-generation product, expect the second-gen CTS Coupe to move upmarket in the footsteps of the next-gen CTS Sedan.

Here’s GM’s full presser:

PRESS RELEASE

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe: New Sports Coupe Is Cadillac’s Most Dramatic Design

11-23-2009

LOS ANGELES – Cadillac today unveiled the 2011 CTS Coupe, the latest and most dramatic of the brand’s series of new designs to reach production. Slated to arrive in Cadillac showrooms in the spring of 2010, the CTS Coupe is a new luxury sports coupe designed to become the centerpiece of the brand’s revised lineup.

“CTS Coupe is the new focal point of Cadillac, expressing both our design and technical capabilities,” said Bryan Nesbitt, Cadillac general manager. “It is intended to appeal to a new generation of car enthusiasts.”

The Coupe joins the CTS Sport Sedan, the 556-horsepower (415 kW) CTS-V and new CTS Sport Wagon as the foundation of Cadillac’s lineup. A high-performance V-Series edition of the Coupe will also be released in 2010.

The CTS Coupe’s design carries over virtually unchanged from the concept car that was introduced at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2008.

The Coupe is a classic 2+2 layout bolstered with advanced technology, such as a rear-view camera system and a performance-oriented suspension system coupled to rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Design

CTS Coupe emerged as a proposal inside Cadillac’s design studio, where designers have developed and evolved the brand’s Art and Science design philosophy.

“Cadillac has always been an emotional brand – it’s about delivering art regardless of body style,” said Max Wolff, director of exterior design for Cadillac. “With the CTS Coupe, it was about taking something very strong – the CTS Sport Sedan – and extending its potential.”

The coupe has the same wheelbase as the CTS, but an overall height that is approximately two inches (51 mm) lower and an overall length that is two inches (51 mm) shorter.

Although it draws from its sport sedan sister, the CTS Coupe shares only the instrument panel, console, headlamps, front fenders and grille. Key design features include:

• Classic hardtop styling, with no conventional B-pillar
• Touch-pad operation for the doors removes the need for conventional door handles, creating a technical, clean profile
• A windshield laid at a faster angle (62.3 degrees) and a long, nearly horizontal backglass area combine to create a sleek, aerodynamic look
• Sculpted lower front fascia with unique brake-cooling vents
• Diamond cut-style rear fascia with mesh lower grilles
• Center-outlet exhaust with twin dihedral-shaped tips that pass through the rear fascia
• Signature vertical lighting, highlighted with LED light pipes
• Rear spoiler integrated into the center high-mounted stop lamp
• Sculpted roof-mounted antenna for OnStar and XM Satellite Radio.

At first glance, the shape of CTS Coupe is refreshingly simple, yet amplified with intricately carved details. Distinctive and original Cadillac signature cues combine with hand-sculpted forms, artfully articulating the confidence of the chassis. For example, the rear fenders were purposefully developed by hand in Cadillac design studios to visually acknowledge the RWD powertrain. The gestured profile, coupled with Cadillac’s vertical taillamps and pronounced rear centerline, aim to achieve the most visually confident coupe in the segment.

Performance

The CTS Coupe extends Cadillac’s emerging performance credentials. The CTS Coupe’s standard powertrain consists of a direct injected 3.6L V-6 and six-speed manual transmission. Direct injection technology delivers fuel more precisely to increase the efficiency of combustion, enabling more power while maintaining fuel economy and lowering emissions – including a 25-percent drop in cold-start hydrocarbon emissions.

The 3.6L DI engine is rated at 304 horsepower (227 kW) and offers EPA-estimated fuel economy of 27 mpg on the highway. It also runs on less expensive regular unleaded gasoline.

The powertrain’s performance is channeled through a chassis that delivers sports car performance without punishment. The hardware includes an independent short/long arm ( SLA) front suspension system, with hydraulic control arm front bushings; and a multi-link rear suspension mounted on a fully isolated subframe. Also included are four-wheel disc performance brakes, premium steering and limited-slip differential.

Two suspension-tuning levels are available: a Performance Package with 18-inch wheels and all-season tires (available in both RWD and AWD,) and the Summer Tire Performance Package, with 19-inch tires and wheels and a higher level of road holding capability. StabiliTrak, the advanced electronic chassis control system, is standard.

The 304-horsepower (227 kW) 3.6L V-6 Direct Injection engine will be standard, equipped with a six-speed manual, featuring a revised clutch and dual-mass flywheel that offers better clutch pedal feel and improved engine isolation. A 6-speed automatic transmission with Driver Shift Control (and available steering wheel mounted shift buttons) is optional.

Technology

CTS Coupe blends handcrafted luxury with a contemporary, driver-focused interior that supports the car’s high-performance capabilities. The interior includes hand-sewn accents covering the door, center storage console and instrument panel trim. 14-Way adjustable Recaro sport seats, previously exclusively offered on Cadillac’s V-Series model, will be offered on all CTS Coupe models as an option.

The car offers a host of advanced technologies, including:

• Integrated iPod/MP3 capability
• 40-gig hard drive, including the ability to store music and pause-and-replay live radio
• Pop-up navigation system
• Adaptive forward lighting system
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Standard Keyless Access and Smart Remote Start
• Rear Camera system
• Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround™ audio system

As with other Cadillac models, the CTS Coupe comes standard with OnStar with Turn-by-Turn Navigation, the first factory-installed, fully integrated GPS navigation system from OnStar.