2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

The sheet was barely off the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept at the 2008 Detroit auto show when members of the Cadillac team were talking about a production model. Just shy of two years later, the rakish 2011 Cadillac CTS coupe is here.
At first glance, you can barely tell the concept and production car apart. And that’s a very, very good thing.
In fact, the CTS Coupe has stayed nearly the same from day one. Back when the concept debuted, exterior design director John Manoogian told us that the concept was almost identical to both the original sketch and the scale models. He then proceeded to make the bold promise that the production car would be nearly identical as well, something that rarely happens in the automotive industry. To his credit, Manoogian was right -- Cadillac didn’t mess with success.
2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe Side
Put pictures of the concept and production cars next to each other and only the eagle-eyes will spot the differences. The production car wears smaller wheels borrowed from the CTS sedan that don’t fill the wheel arches as much, but they don’t look like they don’t fit, either. In front, the lower fascia is unique to the coupe has been revised slightly from the concept with a less-prominent splitter, larger brake ducts and smaller fog lights.
As with most coupes, everything behind the A-pillar is unique from the sedan. It starts with fender vents that are toned down from the concept but differ in size and shape from those found on the sedan. The rocker panels are scaled back slightly from the concept, and aluminum-looking trim frames the side windows on the production car -- a touch not found on the concept.
In the rear, the center-outlet exhaust remains but now features mirror-image side-by-side pipes rather than the concept’s stacked pipes. To the sides, the concept’s wire mesh has been replaced with a less-flashy mesh that features long, horizontal vents in the middle.
And that’s it. The sharply-raked windshield and rear window are still there, as are the gun-slit side windows. The big rear end with signature third brake light/spoiler remains, as does the big hood bulge. Even the Corvette-style electronic push-button door handles are there. Despite everything it shares with the concept, the production coupe shares only its headlights, grille and front fenders with the sedan.
2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe Front
It’s much the same story under the skin. At launch, the only engine available is the CTS sedan’s 3.6L V-6 with variable valve timing and direct injection. As in the sedan, it pumps out 304 hp and 273 lb-ft of torque and with curb weights nearly identical to the sedan, performance should be nearly identical as well. Based on our instrumented testing of the sedan, that means a 0 to 60 time of just over six seconds with the automatic transmission and a quarter-mile run in just under 15 seconds at around 95 mph. Identical brakes means 60 mph to 0 panic stops should still fall in the range of 104 ft.
In fact, the only performance metric likely to change is the skid pad number, and by extension, our unique figure-eight test. While the Coupe retains the sedan’s short/long arm front suspension, multi-link rear suspension and 113.4-in wheelbase, the rear stabilizer bar has been substantially thickened and should give the car less body roll and, hopefully, even better handling. The Coupe will also be offered with two wheel and tire packages, a Performance Package that includes 18-in wheels and all-season tires and a Summer Tire Performance Package that upgrades you to 19-in rolling stock and stickier summer tires. The former is available with either AWD or RWD while the latter is only available on RWD models. GM’s Stabilitrack stability control system is standard.
Like the sedan, the CTS Coupe will be offered with either an Aisin six-speed manual transmission in RWD configuration only or GM’s 6L50 six-speed automatic gearbox in either RWD or AWD configuration. GM says the manual box has received a revised clutch and dual-mass flywheel to give the clutch pedal better feel and reduce vibration in the car. A limited-slip differential comes standard with both transmissions and both drivetrains.
Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept Rear Three Quarter
If you’re disappointed by those specs, you needn’t worry. Cadillac says a high-performance V-Series model of the CTS Coupe is coming later in 2010. No details have been announced yet, but we expect it to borrow the CTS-V sedan’s 556-hp supercharged V-8, trick Magnetorheological adjustable suspension and big brakes.
Though the sedan and Coupe are nearly identical under the sharply-creased skin, put the two next to each other and you might notice they’re not quite identical in size. The Coupe is roughly three inches shorter in overall length than the sedan and is roughly two inches shorter in height. Meanwhile, the bulging rear fenders make the Coupe more than an inch wider than the sedan.
Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept Side
Cadillac CTS Coupe Concep...
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Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept Side
Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept
While the Coupe and sedan differ only slightly in exterior dimensions, the differences are much more pronounced inside. Front seat passengers have it the easiest, but they still lose space. While front-seat legroom is nearly identical to the sedan’s, the Coupe’s front-seat passengers lose two inches of headroom, nearly an inch of shoulder room and half an inch of hip room. Rear-seat passengers, predictably, are hit much harder. They lose an inch of legroom compared to the sedan as well as six-and-a-half inches of both shoulder room and hip room and two-and-a-half inches of headroom. On the other hand, they won’t have to share their smaller space with a middle-seat passenger, as the Coupe is strictly a 2+2.
Though the interior may fit a bit more snugly, it should be just as comfortable. The concept’s interior was based heavily on the sedan’s, and GM has so far confirmed that the production Coupe will share an instrument panel with the sedan. Like the sedan, the Coupe will get hand-stitched accents on the new door panels, on the dash and on the center console. The rear seats will have to be new and will likely be buckets while the front seats should be similar to, if not the same as the sedan’s. The Coupe will, however, offer the CTS-V’s 14-way power adjustable Recaro seats as options, while the regular sedan doesn’t. GM hasn’t released interior pictures yet, but we expect it to look similar to the concept, which looked similar to the sedan. We don’t know yet if the concept’s special gold accents and blue interior lighting will remain, but it’s likely the sedan’s ambient lighting will make the trip over. Way in the back, that slick new coupe bodywork has cut into cargo space, losing three cubic-feet over the sedan.
The CTS Coupe will come well-equipped. Cadillac promises its signature pop-up navigation system will be offered, as will Bluetooth, adaptive headlights, a back-up camera, Stabilitrack and OnStar. Entertainment will come courtesy of a Bose 5.1 Cabin Surround stereo system with iPod and MP3 capabilities, a 40-gb hard drive and the ability to pause, record and playback live radio.
Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept Cockpit
When designer Bob Munson originally sketched out the CTS Coupe, the initial reaction from GM was less than stellar. According to Manoogian, the first question asked was why the company should even bother when there isn’t a market for two-doors. Despite corporate pessimism about the viability of a luxury coupe, the design won the favor of design chief Ed Welburn and VP-of-everything Bob Lutz, then stole the show in Detroit two years ago. With the production car ready to touch down on dealer lots next year, the only question left is: who was right, the accountants or the car guys?
2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS
Drivetrain layout    Front engine, RWD or AWD
Engine type    60-deg V-6, alum block/heads
Valvetrain    DOHC, 4 valves/cyl
Displacement    217.5 cu in/3564 cc
Compression ratio    11.3:1
Power (SAE net) *    304 hp @ 6400 rpm
Torque (SAE net) *    273 lb-ft @ 5200 rpm
Redline    7000 rpm
Transmission    6-speed manual, 6-speed automatic
Suspension, front; rear    Control arms, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar
Steering ratio    16.1:1 (RWD), 19.1:1 (AWD)
Turns lock-to-lock    2.8 (RWD), 3.3 (AWD)
Brakes, f;r    12.4-in vented disc, 12.4-in vented disc, ABS; 13.6-in vented disc, 13.4-in vented disc (optional)
Wheels    8.5 x 18 in, cast aluminum; 8.5 x 19 in, cast aluminum
Tires, f;r    235/50R18 V-Rated Michelin All-Season; 245/45ZR19 Y-Rated Continental Summer (Optional)
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase    113.4 in
Track, f/r    62/63 in
Length x width x height    188.5 x 74.1 x 55.9 in
Turning circle    35.9 (RWD); 36.6 (AWD)
Curb weight    3931-4131 lb (mfr)
Weight dist, f/r    53/47% (RWD); 54/46% (AWD)
Seating capacity    4
Headroom, f/r    36.9/34.6 in
Legroom, f/r    42.4/35.0 in
Shoulder room, f/r    56.0/50.9 in
Cargo volume    10.5 cu ft
CONSUMER INFO
Stability/traction control    Yes/yes
Fuel capacity    18.0 gal
EPA city/hwy econ    17/26 mpg (Automatic); 17/25 mpg (Manual)
CO2 emissions    0.96 lb/mile (Automatic); 0.98