Click above for a high-res gallery of the Cadillac CTS coupe.
News of facility closings and truck and SUV production cuts have been very sobering to GM's plant towns and the union workforce. While GM's live press conference was bad news for many, the General's Lansing Grand River plant had plenty of reason to smile. The facility received word that the CTS Coupe and Sport Wagon were green-lighted for production, giving the plant more variations of the strong-selling CTS. The two-door CTS should provide Cadillac a shot in the arm here in the States, but the Sport Wagon could be a wild card. The sporty family hauler will likely sell well in the wagon-loving Euro market, while also giving US buyers a fashionable alternative to the SUV. The CTS will supposedly receive a 2.9L turbo-diesel powerplant, which will give Cadillac a stronger presence overseas, while giving shoppers States an oil-burning alternative.
One potential downer for the plant is that the SRX will be moving to a front drive platform, meaning that production could potentially move to another plant. The SRX never sold in high volumes and it didn't have a market overseas. The CTS Sport Wagon will arrive in the spring, with the CTS Coupe following during the summer.
[Source: Lansing State Journal]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Kumail @ Jul 17th 2008 5:00PM
i don't care who makes it, i want one!
Johnny @ Jul 17th 2008 5:03PM
I wish GM all the best and I hope this coupe works out but I have two concerns:
1-The back end is way too high. The proportions in the front is great but not the rear.
2-Its really hard to battle the G37 and 335i coupe segment. I hope it does well but unfortunately I see it in third place in sales to those two.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Jul 17th 2008 5:08PM
The butt on the coupe is awesome. It's almost a bustleback. I just hope you can see out the rear window.
If Caddy jumps to 3rd in this market, I'm sure they'll be thrilled.
Zane @ Jul 17th 2008 5:59PM
Jumps to third? Well, there are only two credible players in the market - the 3xx and G37. Acura and Lexus don't have any presence in this segment while the A5 and CLK are more of a boulevard cruiser than a sports coupe.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Jul 17th 2008 6:26PM
Yeah. Let's see, Cadillac currently makes, um, zero coupes, so they're not even ranked. So if they bring one out and it is the third most popular model, they jump to third.
Zane @ Jul 17th 2008 8:32PM
That was exactly my point. They'll occupy the third slot by default. To jump would mean overtaking some other manufacturer, which isn't going to be the case unless Lexus or Acura release an IS/TSX coupe before the summer of '09.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Jul 17th 2008 9:03PM
Zane:
They jump from last to third.
That is overtaking. Yes, it's a big jump to 2nd, and I think I agree they can't make it. One step at a time.
Brent Malesich @ Jul 17th 2008 9:33PM
Well, for argument's sake, I have a 2004 Infiniti G35 6MT with the performance wheel/brake/tire package sitting in my garage. When this Cadillac coupe comes out, that Infiniti will be a used car on some Caddy dealer's lot! I am SALIVATING over this thing and I have been for months!
The Other Bob @ Jul 18th 2008 10:51AM
"Yeah. Let's see, Cadillac currently makes, um, zero coupes, so they're not even ranked."
XLR?
why not the LS2LS7? @ Jul 18th 2008 11:45AM
The Other Bob:
A coupe has 4 seats, the XLR has two. It's a Roadster or a sports car, depending on how you want to put it.
why not the LS2LS7? @ Jul 17th 2008 5:06PM
Sportwagon please. Can we get the specs soonish so I can make a decision? Obviously from the name there will be no base model with 250HP and regular suspension. But what is the other info?
Torrent @ Jul 17th 2008 5:07PM
I don't care if it's made in the bowels of hell, I just want one.
CORVETTE ZR1 @ Jul 17th 2008 6:22PM
I Wish It were made in Hell !!! So there will be a V. Model... im already getting a CTS-V Sedan... But i could wait another year for a Coupe...
TStik @ Jul 17th 2008 5:16PM
Me 3 (licks lips).
Rafael Illan @ Jul 17th 2008 5:18PM
i would like to see a CTS-V sports wagon, That will give the Fire Breathing Audi RS6 estate a run for its money
Kumail @ Jul 17th 2008 5:20PM
+1, but you also forgot about the AMG E wagon and the M5 wagon
Joce03 @ Jul 17th 2008 7:53PM
Would the CTS-V be more lined up against the RS4/M3 or the RS6/M5?
G-Meister @ Jul 17th 2008 10:06PM
good question, since it's as big as the 5 and E but still Cadillac's entry model (forgetting the forgettable BLS). I would lean to comparing it with the A6/5series/E class.
baffledu2 @ Jul 17th 2008 5:20PM
How anyone can think the front end of this car and all CTS models is anything but grotesque eludes me.
Tourian @ Jul 17th 2008 5:40PM
I'm glad you don't like it. A luxury car like this that is meant to be different and turn heads is usually going to be a polarizing design. Maybe they should have gone with the bubble, soft bar of soap, egg or jellybean shape that every import coupe has and possibly get a sliver of those sales. OR better yet take a more risque approach and lure people back from all of those other marques and restore themselves as the "World Standard" as opposed to also ran.