GM reveals production Cadillac CTS Coupe in Viability Plan

[turbo200]

The CTS is pretty good looking, but is it going to steal sales from the 3er coupe, 6er coupe or E-Class coupe?

good point. the CTS will need better transmission options, including an SMG style trans, better interior materials, a balanced and exciting exterior design, perfect handling/steering, and powerful engine options to compete with those cars and possibly hope to steal from those really well engineered examples. this is the big leagues fellas. they will also need an extensive options list.

from the appearance of this angle, the CTS coupe is already a loser. don't kid yourselves. the rest of the car will show us if it's a winner or a waste of taxpayers money as a poster rightfully dictated above.

>>"The CTS is pretty good looking, but is it going to steal sales from the 3er coupe, 6er coupe or E-Class coupe?"<<

Why not- the CTS sedan stole from the 3-series sedan & the e-class sedan.

how so? do you have facts such as sales figures that show an appreciable drop in sales of 3 and E and similar appreciable gains in CTS? do you have buyer retention figures? do you have survey stats from the automakers showing conquest figures?

[regfootball]

this thing wont crack 10k units in the USA. G8 ute might sell more.........

[Drew Dowdell]

good point. the CTS will need better transmission options, including an SMG style trans, better interior materials, a balanced and exciting exterior design, perfect handling/steering, and powerful engine options to compete with those cars and possibly hope to steal from those really well engineered examples. this is the big leagues fellas. they will also need an extensive options list.

from the appearance of this angle, the CTS coupe is already a loser. don't kid yourselves. the rest of the car will show us if it's a winner or a waste of taxpayers money as a poster rightfully dictated above.

how so? do you have facts such as sales figures that show an appreciable drop in sales of 3 and E and similar appreciable gains in CTS? do you have buyer retention figures? do you have survey stats from the automakers showing conquest figures?

Because the Cadillac isn't selling the CTS to just previous CTS owners. If CTS sedan sales drop by 10,000 when this coupe comes out, then maybe you'll have a point, but if sedan sales remain steady and coupe sales are additional then Caddy is stealing sales from somewhere..... and it's not going to just be grandpa trading in Eldorados en mass.

[Drew Dowdell]

Frankly I'm surprised at some of you being so venomously against this car. The G8 ST, Cruze, Orlando, and Equinox aren't my cup of tea, but I still want to see them being built.

[turbo200]

Because the Cadillac isn't selling the CTS to just previous CTS owners. If CTS sedan sales drop by 10,000 when this coupe comes out, then maybe you'll have a point, but if sedan sales remain steady and coupe sales are additional then Caddy is stealing sales from somewhere..... and it's not going to just be grandpa trading in Eldorados en mass.

it's one thing implying the CTS is seeing major sales gains over the competition [not that you are], and quite another to assume because they are in the same class there is some cross shopping and the CTS is winning some of those comparisons. of course i would assume the CTS is taking some of those buyers, the question is how much. the deville used to sell close to 100k units/year and was the best selling luxury sedan......my assumption/thoughts are CTS has supplanted that car and many traditional caddy buyers go there now, since they priced at similar levels.

as for being harsh. in my post above i'm being realistic, the CTS has major competition and simply trying to be the CTS of the coupe world may and will not be enough. the specialized nature of luxury cars is even stronger and more important in the coupe world. there is even more of a performance image amongst the A5, 3er coupe, etc. simply look at the car in my sig, that will certainly be cross shopped as buyers in the luxury world are a different breed and in many cases not looking for practicality.

[Drew Dowdell]

Think the car that the CTS coupe will hurt the most in sales will be the G37. The BMWs are either too small or too expensive comparative to the CTS.

Remember, the Eldorado was pushing around 20k units right up until the final two years. I still think the CTS coupe is targeting a currently untapped market.

edit: As for the Deville, this is purely personal observation, but in addition to being completely out of style these days, even old people are being much more practical with money.

[Sixty8panther]

I love this car, I REALLY do.

IF only GM had really gotten serious about combating

the MB CLK350/CLK/500 and made it a hardtop.

I'll end it there, but then I could always have a

conversion done.... there is AMPLE room for the rear

side window to drop into the rear 1/4 panel.

At any rate while the 1990s ETC is a nice car, even

w/ its FWD & sideways motor DOUBLE --->

this is WORLDS more original and exciting.

Please GM, give us at least ONE hardtop, this car's

mid-cycle update would be a great opportunity.

----

DF:

What "E-class coupe" are you talking about?

The CLK is a mix of E-class & C-class mechanicals,

and it ABSOLUTELY is a hardtop.

[Satty]

This E-Class coupe, replacement for the CLK, with a ridiculous rear quarter window, for lack of a better description.

[Sixty8panther]

I'm disappointed though not surprised that it isn't a hardtop, but then the E-Class coupe is a hardtop with a fixed window

94% of the Mercedes' side window area drops down out of sight

with ZERO B-pillarige in the way... NO obstruction of visibility

or ugly black-pillar trim causing wind-noise. can you honestly tell

me that Cadillac tried as hard with the CTS-coupe???

They phuccin' glued in the rear side window like it was a flippin'

Honda Civic Ex coupe and took a lunch break.

GM boils my blood.

No #$%*& wonder they;re loosing their customer base

when they abandon the very ideals & breakthrough

features that THEY spearheaded and invented 60 years

ago when Mercedes could not hold a candle to Cadillac.

Look at a 1950s Mercedes and tell me it's better looking

than a Caddy of the same year....?

Thankfully, the new E-Class Coupe also retains the pillar-less glasshouse design and fully retractable side windows of the previous generation CLK.

At the same time the most aerodynamic variant of these achieves an impressive drag coefficient of just 0.24Cd – a figure that is comparable with cars like the Toyota Prius and upcoming Chevrolet Volt.

Mercedes is not given enough credit, esp.

in the recent years of safety-humpers &

massive over-regulation.

Are they perfect? NO, but they're mopping

the floors with Lexus & Acura as far as

giving the customer a great variety of cars

& trucks that epitomize luxury & exclusivity

while constantly being one step ahed in

the styling department, though still one

step behind Cadillac & Infiniti.

Edited February 20, 2009 by Sixty8panther

[cire]

This is one great looking Cadillac! I like the in-your-face grille and stubby decklid. It makes this car look aggressive and ready to pounce on anything that dares to cross its path (which is appropriate for a coupe). As for whether people will buy the coupe body style; this car is an "image" vehicle, not a volume model. The sedan version appeals to the heart of the segment as the volume variant (especially in the U.S.), the wagon version provides more utility (while sort of replacing the Sigma based first gen SRX), and the coupe version serves as a sort of halo product for people who like the look and corresponding sporty image that a coupe bodystyle provides. To me, the CTS coupe will do more to reinforce Cadillac's presence in the luxury segment than the XLR roadster ever did. It's gorgeous and much better looking than its German competitors. I can't believe anyone would want this car to look more like the 90's era Eldo. The 90's Eldo looked more like a grandpa car (as well as a second hand ghetto gangsta special) while this beautiful CTS coupe looks like a product that could possibly attract a much younger demographic to Cadillac while also making the brand relevant again.

[cire]

Think the car that the CTS coupe will hurt the most in sales will be the G37. The BMWs are either too small or too expensive comparative to the CTS.

I thought the same thing when I saw the photo of the production CTS coupe. It is sporty enough that it could very well sway some people away from the G37.