SEMA 2007: Cadillac CTS Sport Concept
Click image above for high-res gallery of the Cadillac CTS Sports Concept
Cadillac is intent on branding the CTS as a performance player that can hold its own against the stalwarts of the segment, and until a V-badged version comes to market, those who have shunned its Germanic competition are forced to come to the party packing at most 300 ponies. The CTS Sport is a stopgap concept that brings the interior and exterior up a few notches, while boosting performance via a free flowing Corsa cat-back exhaust.
The majority of the tweaks come from a revised exterior that includes a modified hood, new front and rear fascias incorporating wire mesh and carbon fiber, along with a new spoiler, revised headlamps, polished dubs, yellow calipers and brake ducting with LED lighting. On the inside, the CTS Sport features thrones by Recaro, carbon fiber trim and BlueConnect Bluetooth integration wired into the headliner.
As a whole it certainly has our attention, even though our good taste has had to take a back seat.
Cadillac's full press release is after the jump.
Gallery: Cadillac CTS Sport Concept
PRESS RELEASE:
CADILLAC CTS SPORT
As the new 2008 Cadillac CTS sedan garners critical acclaim, the CTS Sport concept puts a unique twist on this hot new luxury sedan. The CTS Sport concept suggests a customization theme emphasizing the car's performance character. The show car includes new front and rear fascias, a modified hood, rear spoiler and 20-inch wheels Recaro sport seats highlight the cabin. Performance is derived from a production-spec 304-hp 3.6L Direct Injection V-6 that exhales through a Corsa cat-back exhaust system with 3.5-inch outlets.
Vehicle highlights:
• CTS Sport concept
• 3.6L V-6 with direct injection
• Modified hood with wire mesh inserts
• Unique front and rear fascias with carbon fiber and wire mesh inserts
• Carbon-fiber front fender extractors
• Export-model taillamps and CHMSL with clear lenses
• Unique rear deck spoiler
• Headlamps with unique housing finish
• Roof-mounted OnStar antenna
• Brake ducting with LED lighting
• Polished, forged 20-inch wheels
• High-performance brakes with painted calipers and drilled/slotted rotors
• Carbon-fiber interior trim plates
• BlueConnect Bluetooth integrated into the headliner
• Recaro sport seats with leather trim
• Corsa cat-back exhaust with rectangular outlet tips and wire mesh inserts
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
J.Crew 12:25AM (10/29/2007)
Apparently GM released all of its SEMA info tonight...
This looks interesting, monochrome look works, but the rear looks pretty busy. I see the clear lamps they were testing in pre-production have shown up here.
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Reuben 12:33AM (10/29/2007)
I see indications of the future CTS-V, hope they build it...I think it's pretty as hell.
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meshies 12:33AM (10/29/2007)
MEH. Its OK. I like the standard CTS front end better. Will have to see it in person to make full judgement.
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iQuack 12:53AM (10/29/2007)
Well, it's SEMA time again with one proof after another that good styling can be screwed up by weird paint jobs, over-styled wheels, and hanging pieces of plastic crap.
Quite boring, really!
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mk 1:42AM (10/29/2007)
This car actually looks a bit sedate, save for two things.
The body kit. A bit over-wrought for a caddy. Pontiac maybe. a bit to boy-racer for the top line. Tone down the front and rear bumper covers, tone down the rear lip spoiler and the hood vents... and this thing would be quite a looker. (basically somewhere between stock CTS and this car...)
the wheels are too bling. Nice mesh style or split 7-spoke would look fantastic.
The dark headlights and tail lights look great. the grille looks fantastic. I wonder if other colors would get dark lights, or body-color lights... I would take one in a nice red or blue, and tinted windows. with a supercharged Northstar V8, if I could somehow afford one.
Looks like the CTS-V could be interesting...
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Nick 1:41AM (10/29/2007)
I think it looks fantastic. Muscular yet sleek, like something that would roll out of the AMG facility. I have loved those Euro tails ever since I saw them during the car's testing stages, and they look great in this application. The wheels go completely against the styles I usually like, but for some reason, I think they fit in quite well here...
All in all, I think this is a home run, it's just a shame that there wasn't more done to the powertrain to back up those new aggressive looks.
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naggs 1:42AM (10/29/2007)
304 hp, doesnt the direct injection motor make 306?
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500 2:03AM (10/29/2007)
Something just bothers me about the look of this car. Cadillac for over 50 years has stood for "longer, lower, wider," which always worked for them when they stuck to it. Beginning with the previous CTS, the new Cadillac design language has been exactly the opposite: "shorter, taller and narrower," like an econobox. The ground effects on this concept only exaggerate that look.
While the new CTS is a big improvement over the last one, the styling still doesn't say "luxury" to me. Now if GM would only build a modern-day dead ringer for the '67 Eldorado, then they'd have my business!
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Derek 12:14PM (10/29/2007)
Completley agree about Cadillacs being too tall and short thesedays. The STS design is just begging for a longer trunklid and maybe a bit more hood.
I saw the racing CTS-V's on TV yesterday and just thought that's how the CTS really should look. Low and mean...
Eric Biran 2:15AM (10/29/2007)
I think you guys misread the GM release. The stock DI 3.6L V6 CTS already has 304 HP (see link below). This one is based on it, but no performance figures are listed.
http://www.cadillac.com/cadillacjsp/model/gallery.jsp?model=cts&year=2008
As they say, "Performance is derived from a production-spec 304-hp 3.6L Direct Injection V-6 that exhales through a Corsa cat-back exhaust system with 3.5-inch outlets."
My guess is that this probably puts out between 310-325HP at most.
Styling wise, the rims are awesome. They definitely are right for this car. The ground hugging appearance is nice, but the rear end is a bit too tuner and not very lux. The gril is a nice touch, and the de-chromed exterior is an interesting take on things. I would have liked to seen some black chrome, personally. The taillights and rear wing should be optional on the regular CTS, IMHO.
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Damon Lavrinc 2:25AM (10/29/2007)
Thanks. It's been fixed. Still working off the Japanese jetlag.
JaysonAych 4:34AM (10/29/2007)
I always liked the previous CTS. The new CTS has been awesome, and the sport version shown here is a slam dunk. Great to see Cadillac put out such a sexy sleek car with its own unique identity compared to its competition.
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94 taurus owner 8:24AM (10/29/2007)
Ehh looks alright but they can do better.
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John R 7:14AM (10/29/2007)
Who ever said the body kit was over-wrought was right on the money. I'd say the same for the rims. I'd be satisfied if they just stuck on the cat-back and be done with it. The body kit is almost as bad as the IS-F. Why would you do that to an already good looking car?
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nissanfreak87 9:50AM (10/29/2007)
Yes please! A very aggressive version of the CTS that communicates it's performance!
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Menice 8:36AM (10/29/2007)
some old guy's going to rip that front lip right off when he pulls too far forward at the diner.
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Killenmedpirogen 8:46AM (10/29/2007)
Jijkes!
thats one ugly ass car!
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TBlueMax 9:46AM (10/29/2007)
This CTS Sport Concept has a similar feel to the Cadillac Cien concept car from 2002 http://www.autoblog.com/2007/03/12/100k-caddy-a-go-again/
I find the overall look to be sporty (as intended) without being distracting. Some of the design elements are a little exaggerated, but this is SEMA afterall.
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Greg Jeffries 10:35AM (10/29/2007)
This is what I have been waiting for from Caddy...Last year I ordered an STS as my new company car, only to find the center console seriously bothered my right knee and no amount of adjustment in the seat could provide relief. I am driving a loaner Impala LTZ while I wait for something different, and this could be it. Believe it or not, the driving position in the CTS is more comfortable to me than the STS. I have an XLR in my garage, but I need a sedan for company ops.
Build it Caddy and I will buy!
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kaplan_mark 10:53AM (10/29/2007)
It's nice to have an aggressive front profile, but that front air dam seems really low to the ground.
I had a '98 Audi A6 with a low front air dam, which I was constantly scraping and crushing on speed bumps, curb cuts and those concrete tire-stop things in parking lots. Audi eventually was slapped with a class action lawsuit and had to engineer a fix and repair everyone's bumpers.
The "normal" CTS looks like it has a low air dam as well - anyone driven the car and experienced any issues with this?
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