With CTS Coupe, which hit dealers earlier this month, Cadillac has once again put ze Germans on notice. Jim Vurpillat, VP of Marketing at Cadillac, tells me that the chiseled 2-door represents the most dramatic expression of the brand’s Art & Science design language to date. I can’t really disagree with him based on the extreme proportions and razor sharp surface transitions scattered throughout this modern day shooting brake. Talk about form meeting function, the edgy rear brake light doubles as a spoiler and actually adds downforce at speed. Love it or hate it, this thing turns a lot of heads. I got all varieties of oohs and ahs driving my sleek black tester in and around Manhattan.

The new coupe rounds out the CTS line-up, adding an unabashed sense of sport and grand touring to sedan and wagon variants already in showrooms. Most importantly, the CTS family cadence now more closely mirrors that of Audi, BMW and Mercedes with their A4/A5, 3-Series and C-Class body style offerings. All that’s missing now is a drop top. Note to Cadillac…get on that.

In typical Cadillac fashion, the absurdly powerful and track-happy CTS-V Coupe is not far behind the V6-powered base model and should be trickling into dealerships right about the time you read this. Like the CTS-V Sedan, the coupe is an absolute beast with 556 horsepower and 551 lb-ft. of torque coming from the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 found under hood. Other goodies like GM’s road-scanning Magnetic Ride Control, Performance Traction Management and racing-bred Brembo brakes keep this American hot rod well between the apexes. And I’m not just saying that…GM was good enough to have us out to Monticello Motorclub to sample CTS-V Coupe on the track. Aside from the staggering power (0-60 in 3.9 seconds) keeping you firmly planted to the available Recaro racing seats, you have never seen or felt 4,200 pounds rip around corners quite like this.

Lots of pictures and video after the jump. Also check out our CTS-V Coupe featured gallery.

Enjoy!

Where Eagles Dare Comparo Video Courtesy of Motor Trend via Youtube

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The Vegas-rivaling glow in Times Square provided ample illumination for these tasty twilight shots of Cadillac’s all-new CTS Sport Wagon. Good thing it’s the only neighborhood in Manhattan with zoning ordinances requiring building owners to display illuminated signs. Like Ron Burgundy, the Cadillac of station wagons is kind of a big deal. Not only is it aiming directly at European rivals like the supercharged Audi A6 Avant and turbocharged BMW 535i xDrive Sport Wagon but it’s currently the sole domestic wagon on sale in North America now that Dodge Magnum and Malibu Maxx have been laid to rest.

As you can see from the stealth aircraft-inspired Art & Science bodywork, this razor sharp “station wagon” is a far cry from the Detroit’s wood-paneled monstrosities circa 1970. The optional 3.6L direct injection mill found under hood is shared with Camaro and makes a throaty 304 HP for nearly $15,000 less than ze Germans. Couple that in with GM’s rear wheel drive (optional AWD) Sigma II platform and you have yourself a pretty competent dance partner for attacking the twisties. Still think wagons are lame?

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Those who recall the unfortunate Caddy that Zigs likely jumped for joy when the silk veil came off CTS in 2002. Slow selling and utterly forgettable styling made way for sharp creases and a new found level of American sex appeal in the luxury automotive space. All hail CTS and the Art & Science design language it ushered in for the then transitioning brand that was founded in 1902 as the Cadillac Automobile Company. 

We spotted this first generation CTS lighting up east 61st street with its bold Copper Sunburst paint scheme. Interestingly, the color was only offered in 2003, the debut model year for CTS. Perhaps the limited edition shade was GM’s way of making an entrance? In case you really like being seen from space, and have trouble finding a used gen 1 example, Cadillac offered an equally loud hue in 2008 and dubbed it Hot Lava.

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The CTS looks right at home parked alongside slab-sided Lexington Avenue office buildings. This “Crystal Red”, second generation example absolutely reeks of urban sophistication and represents version 2.0 for Cadillac’s edgy Art & Science design language. We waited around for Kate Walsh but she never showed.

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