The coming Cadillac CTS Coupe has been photographed almost naked, and as with the new Camaro, it is remarkably true to the concept. While this version in white is said to be a vanilla V6 sample, the CTS Coupe should be hot enough to effectively replace the outgoing XLR as the Caddy with the mostest when it's given some wheels large enough to match the body's presence. As for the timeline, the Coupe remains on schedule to arrive next year, preceded by the CTS Sportwagon, which will arrive this June. Hat tip to Matthew!



[Source: AutoWeek]

Earlier today, General Motors presented its Viability Plan to the U.S. Treasury Department, outlining how GM plans to restructure, what it needs to turn around the company and how it plans to spend our tax dollars. If you took the time to look through the 117 page document (we're guessing not many), you might have caught a few interesting peaks into GM's future, including the first photo of the production Cadillac CTS Coupe. Prior to this, we've only been able to speculate on the final form from the various spy photos we've seen and the concept unveiled last year. The document also gives a few other details, including that production will start in 2010 and that at least one powertrain combination will be the 3.6L V6 mated to a six-speed automatic.

Along with the CTS Coupe, the Viability Plan provides a look at GM's medium and long term plans. According to the document, a dry, dual-clutch transmission, a new range of four-cylinder gas engines, and additional extended range vehicles such as the Opel Ampera and Cadillac Converj are in the works for 2012, while a fuel cell and third generation hybrid system are planned for 2015. More details can be found on page 22 of the GM Viability Plan.

[Source: GM]

The launch of the Cadillac CTS Coupe, which was supposed to be shown at last year's LA Auto Show, has been pushed back to the summer of 2010. Cadillac's director of communications cited "changes to the overall portfolio" as the reason, which is understandable, but doesn't make us any less happy about having to wait. The CTS Wagon is still on schedule for this spring, as is the SRX for this summer. When the CTS Coupe does arrive, it could either be a 2010 or 2011 model.



[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

According to a report by Reuters, General Motors has nixed plans to debut production versions of the Cadillac CTS coupe and new Buick LaCrosse at the LA Auto Show next month. The report goes on to say that the Buick unveiling has been delayed until the Detroit Auto Show in January, and after navigating Cadillac's voice-mail Hell, we weren't able to get confirmation on when GM plans to reveal of the CTS coupe. The decision by GM to delay both debuts is reportedly intended to reduce costs. If you buy that one, there's a bridge we think you might be interested in. Top tip Scott S.



[Source: Reuters]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Cadillac CTS coupe.

This past Saturday in Monterey, Cadillac invited a select group of journalists to see the production version of the CTS coupe. Naturally, cameras weren't allowed inside the Caddy tent to keep images leaking out ahead of the coupe's official unveiling this November at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

However, a lack of pictures hasn't stopped InsideLine from going into detail about what the CTS coupe will look like when it rolls onto the stand in LA. According to the report, the coupe is virtually unchanged from its conceptual predecessor, with everything ahead of the A-pillars pulled directly from its sedan counterpart. The massive C-pillars have remained, along with the vertical taillights and steeply raked rear window. Thankfully, Cadillac saw fit to include a back-up camera to make up for the lack of rearward visibility.

Production will begin next summer at GM's Lansing Grand River plant, and while GM execs remain mum on engine choices, expect the same duo of V6s available on the sedan and sport wagon to carry over to the coupe, along with the CTS-V's 550 hp, supercharged 6.2-liter V8 later down the line.



[Source: InsideLine]

Click above for new high-res gallery of Cadillac CTS Coupe spy shots

Past spy shots of the upcoming Cadillac CTS Coupe have shown the prototype wearing baggy pants on its butt that obscured exactly how much of the CTS Coupe Concept's rotund rear end would make it to production. These new shots from KGP Photography, however, show a prototype that's wearing only a form fitting body suit of checkered tape. They reveal that the overall shape of the CTS Coupe's hindquarters will neatly mimic the concept car, though small details have been changed for production purposes. The mesh vents that flanked the center exhaust tips on the concept have been replaced with red reflectors, for instance, and the license plate housing has been reshaped to accept plates from the U.S. or Europe and is now topped by a bigger strip of chrome. Another notable difference is the addition of a true B-pillar where the concept had nothing but glass. Still, the car is largely the same as the one we saw rotating on a stand in Detroit last January and will serve to fill out the CTS lineup along with a sport wagon that should be arriving shortly. Check out all the new spy shots in our gallery below, and pardon the bluriness in some shots as the photographers tell us they were taken through light fog from over a half mile away.


[Source: KGP Photography]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Cadillac CTS Wagon.

Cadillac's product onslaught will continue with another iteration of the CTS that takes aim at the Kraut-wagons from Mercedes and BMW. The CTS wagon will debut in 2009 and will be sold worldwide, and it's expected that the CTS coupe will debut later that year.

As expected, the Provoq concept will replace the SRX in 2010 and will ditch its predecessor's Sigma underpinnings and utilize a new platform created by blending the Theta and Epsilon architectures. Power will be provided by a V6 and Cadillac's general manager, Jim Taylor, expects annual sales to land somewhere between 60,000 and 70,000 units.



[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

We're all fidgety waiting for the arrival of the Cadillac CTS coupe, but GM has already axed a potentially popular variant of the two door entry-Caddy. Despite indications that GM's turnaround plan is making headway, resources still need to be allocated carefully, so we're guessing that an alfresco CTS Coupe didn't make a good enough business case to justify the cost to bring it to market. While it certainly cost GM money to make the CTS a two-door, significant investment would have been necessary to engineer and fine-tune the reported retractable hardtop the convertible would have gotten. Convertible buyers are often a little different than hardcore coupe purchasers, opening up another sales niche. GM also misses out on another challenge to BMW, which offers a Skyliner-ized 3-series. If there's enough clamor for a convertible CTS Coupe, GM may eventually commit to it as Cadillac takes aim at BMW with it's awesomeized CTS.

[Source: Inside Line, Photo: Inside Line]

Click above for more high-res spy shots of the Cadillac CTS Coupe

Not long after Car and Driver snagged the first shots of the production Cadillac CTS Coupe, we now have new spy shots showing the coupe's profile and front end, and a few surprises were awaiting us at these angles. For one, this preproduction prototype has no door handles, instead incorporating the same door-opening mechanism used on the Corvette in which the recess for the door latch comes after the door and is completely flush. The Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept also featured this type of door handle, though we honestly didn't expect it to see it on the production version. Also of note that wasn't totally obvious in the C&D images is that the CTS Coupe Concept's fastback profile will make it to production intact. Some, including us, were worried that Old GM could resurface and cost cut the production CTS Coupe to the point that it became the sedan with a longer pair of doors. This doesn't seem to be the case, as the production CTS Coupe appears to feature completely different sheetmetal than the sedan from the A-pillar back. While the front end and front fenders don't exhibit quite the level of flare seen on the concept, the production car will retain a center exhaust, sporty side sills and new wheels. Check out the spy photographer's notes after the jump and all the pics in the gallery below.



[Source: KGP Photography]

Click above to view more new high-res shots of the 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS

Everything looks better with proper lighting. The 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS just stepped into the studio for its glamour shots and they didn't come out half bad. Though the Cobalt itself is somewhat ancient compared to other small cars that have been significantly redesigned in the past few years, it still sells well and the Cobalt SS will likely be the cheapest cost of entry into the wonderful world of direct injection technology when it goes on sale. Its motor is the same one used in the Pontiac Solstice GXP, Saturn Sky Red Line and Chevy HHR SS. The turbocharged, direct-inject 2.0L four cylinder produces 260 horsepower and 260 pound feet of torque, though is tasked with towing around a lighter weight package than other inexpensive pocket rockets like the Dodge Caliber SRT-4 and Mazdaspeed3. Torque steer, of course, is always an issue, but the FE5 sport suspension package was tuned on the famed Nürburgring Nordschleife in Germany and GM promises a ride you can live with on a daily basis. As for the design, it's 95% Cobalt and 5% go-fast tomfoolery. That combination makes for a great sleeper car, as the Cobalt SS does not announce itself on arrival. The 10-split-spoke wheels, subtle (and still useless on a FWD car) rear spoiler, new fog lamps and side sills are extremely tasteful. No scoops and fender vents here, thank you very much. We'll start bothering GM for one to review right now, but in the meantime check out the new 2008 Chevy Cobalt SS shots in the gallery below.

BONUS: GM also release four new shots of the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept



[Source: GM]