2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe

2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe, about to enter a blind turn on a narrow two lane road. Figuring 60 mph might be just a little hot for this corner, we hit the brakes, making the smart six speed automatic transmission decide a gear change down to second was in order.

As the tach needle swung around to brush the 7,000 rpm redline, the engine sounded off with a strained growl, sounding as if someone were putting a beehive through a bandsaw, not one of the best engine notes we've heard. The wheel felt lifeless as we turned into the corner, its power mechanism tuned more for comfort than track days. But the front end of the car pointed where we wanted, and our still considerable speed in the turn made the summer tires start to slide.

Based on the CTS sedan, the CTS Coupe uses a dramatic design. Cadillac did more than just strip the rear doors from the sedan. The CTS Coupe is 2 inches shorter in length and 2 inches shorter in height, yet has a 2 inch wider rear track. The back glass, nestled in the angular rear of the car, seems almost horizontal. With the Coupe's design, the rear pillars are particularly wide, which Cadillac says leads to greater rigidity than the sedan.

The CTS Coupe didn't change much from the concept shown at the 2008 Detroit auto show. The car still has the handle-less door openers, a touch borrowed from the Cadillac XLR. The exhaust still comes out the center rear of the car from two trapezoidal ports. It cuts a striking figure.

Cadillac brought us out for a preview drive in the new Coupe, but much of it was familiar from the CTS sedan. The CTS Coupe uses the same direct injection 3.6-liter V-6 available in the sedan, producing 304 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Likewise, the car gets the same six speed automatic with its oh so aggressive sport mode.