2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show

• Competes with: Audi A5, Mercedes Benz E-Class coupe, BMW 3 Series coupe
• Looks like: The new GM isn’t going to shelve sexy sports cars
• Drivetrain: 304-hp, 3.6-liter V-6 with six-speed manual or automatic transmission, rear or all-wheel drive
• Hits dealerships: Spring 2010

If you were hoping that the CTS coupe would go on sale earlier than next spring, you had good reason. GM showed the concept at the 2008 Detroit auto show and promised a production model would quickly arrive on dealer lots. However, a little thing called government-run bankruptcy got in the way of its development, and the very future of the model was in limbo for a short time.
 
Now that GM is up and running again, it’s showing the 2011 CTS coupe in full-production trim at the 2009 L.A. Auto Show starting next week.
 
The final car looks nearly identical to the concept car and features the same 304-horsepower, direct-injected V-6 from the CTS sedan. The coupe looks a bit stubby in profile, but it’s just 3 inches shorter than the sedan. While the exterior design may be a dramatic take on its sedan sibling, the coupe’s interior is virtually identical to the sedan because the two sport the same gauges and center console. Those are winning attributes to be sure.
 
We’re surprised to see that the coupe will also come with all-wheel drive as an option, which should help sales in the north. The coupe also comes in either a standard Performance Package with 18-inch wheels and all-season tires or a Summer Tire Performance Package, which adds 19-inch wheels and optional summer tires — obviously. We’re not sure why they don’t just call the Performance Package the base model.
 
A CTS-V ultra-performance version of the coupe is sure to be on its way in the future; for now, buyers can order the Recaro seats from the CTS-V sedan as a stand-alone option.
 
What we’re also unsure of is the price but the coupe shouldn’t vary too much from a similarly equipped sedan, which starts at $43,825. More images below.

2009 Cash-Back Deals You Can Still Find

As the 2010 models push out nearly all of the old 2009s on dealer lots, a lot of buyers become annoyed by valid, advertised cash-back offers on 2009 cars that basically aren’t available anymore.

We tracked down some interesting offers on 2009s that are:
a.)    Cars we wouldn’t mind buying
b.)    Have a significant cash-back offer
c.)    Readily available, according to Cars.com’s new-car inventory

Check out our list below. And if you want to search our inventory scroll to the end of the post for handy links for each model.

Through Ian's Lens: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

I stumbled across a great quote from @TheRealAutoBlog on Twitter the other day that summed up the performance driving experience that is the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V: “It should come with a trunk full of bail money.” Outside that commentary, because I'm not a car reviewer by trade, I’ll just let the car speak for itself.

Aesthetically, the CTS-V is the pinnacle sedan design in GM’s lineup. I have been in love with the radical direction that Cadillac has taken in the past 10 years. After all its design accomplishments and failures, the interior and exterior of this car are nearly flawless. Featuring hard lines from front to back, mixed with premium materials and one mean-looking face, the CTS-V connects with both luxury and performance audiences.

My favorite exterior aspect of this car is the headlight casings and the framing they create for the front of the car. Whether you see a CTS-V in the middle of the night or the middle of the day, these distinct angled lights and casings give off a unique impression. On the inside, Cadillac’s disappearing touch navigation screen is above and beyond anything else on the market and just one minor detail in what I would argue is the best dashboard I’ve seen.

The design of this car raises the bar for the Cadillac brand. Let's hope that when the new GM has risen from its own ashes we'll see more cars that meet the design standard set by the CTS-V.  

Let me know what you think in the comments section below. As always, feel free to use the full-screen mode on the photo browser.

2009 Cadillac CTS-V Video

The question is not whether the 2009 Cadillac CTS-V’s scorching performance numbers make it fun to drive. No, the question is if Cars.com’s Joe Bruzek can find a decent road to let the supercharged V-8 engine out to play. It would be nice to fact-check Cadillac’s claim that the CTS-V will make 0-60 in under four seconds, but Bruzek has other issues. For instance, does the CTS-V cut it as a day-to-day vehicle?