Bud Davis Cadillac

The CTS Coupe Concept takes Cadillac's acclaimed Art and Science design language and adds more of both. More expressive, more technical and very personal, the CTS Coupe Concept extends the dramatic design of its sedan predecessor with all-new sculpted bodywork aft of the front fenders.

"The CTS Coupe Concept is pure design," said Ed Welburn, vice president of global design. "We did not create it because market research demanded it, nor is its shape trimmed to suit the input collected at a consumer clinic - it is emotion on four wheels and the very essence of what defines Cadillac today."

The CTS Coupe Concept has a classic 2+2 interior layout, highlighted by black leather and Alcantara microfiber trim that is complemented by yellow ochre-colored seat inserts and leather stitching. It is designed to accommodate a range of engines for the global luxury market, including Cadillac's popular 3.6L Direct Injection V-6, as well as a new 2.9L turbo diesel currently in development.

"This Coupe Concept is a natural extension of our design language, and of the CTS itself," said Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager. "Very simply, the dramatic design of the sedan begged the question of what it would look like in the unbridled form of a Coupe."

Generated from the spark of the CTS design team's imagination, the CTS Coupe Concept casts a profile unlike anything else on the road. Its fast-rake styling - it has the same wheelbase as the CTS, but an overall height that is approximately four inches (101 mm) shorter - blends with hand-sculpted bodywork that bulges around the wheels, giving the vehicle a ready-to-pounce stance that is dramatic, powerful and sleek.

"Just about every decade, Cadillac designs a landmark car that becomes synonymous with the brand's character of the period, such as the 1938 60 Special, the 1959 lineup and 1975 Seville," said John Manoogian II, director of exterior design for Cadillac. "The CTS Coupe Concept is the next great design, carrying the baton from the Evoq Concept that ushered in the Art and Science era in 1999."

Among the CTS Coupe Concept's signature design cues are a number of elements that suggest the look of a carefully cut diamond - particularly at the rear. These elements are seen in everything from the chrome header above the rear license plate holder to the indents that comprise the basic form of the rear fascia.

"The diamond-cut elements enhance the sleek profile of the car," said Manoogian. "The CTS Coupe Concept uses the elements, along with other nods to classic Cadillac cues - such as vertical headlamps and taillamps - to acknowledge the brand's heritage without resorting to nostalgia. It is a forward-looking design in every sense of the term."

Although based on the sedan, the CTS Coupe Concept shares only the headlamps, front fenders and grille with the production model. Unique elements include:

• Classic hardtop styling, with no "B" pillar
• CTS production windshield laid at a faster angle to create a sleeker profile
• Chrome, split seven-spoke wheel design; 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rear wheels
• Sculpted lower front fascia with unique brake-cooling vents
• Slim-profile outside mirrors
• XLR-type hidden door handles with proximity remote opening
• Unique front fender vents
• Diamond-cut rear fascia with mesh lower grilles and center-outlet exhaust
• Taillamps with a subtle fin profile and are highlighted with LED lighting technology with light pipes
• Rear spoiler integrated into the center high-mounted stop lamp
• Sculpted roof-mounted antenna for OnStar, XM Satellite Radio, etc.