CTS Coupe is art at heart

The CTS Coupe probably won't appreciate in value like a rare book or painting, but it does manage to possess enough style to be considered a piece of rolling sculpture.

The Coupe is a derivative of Cadillac's CTS sedan that has become the mainstay model for General Motors' 108-year-old premium division. The sedan was also the basis for the CTS Sport Wagon spin-off that was introduced for the 2010 model year.

Although it now forms one-third of the CTS family, the Coupe is certainly the most radical looking of the trio, highlighted by the dramatic sweep of its roof that abruptly ends just behind the rear wheels (even though trunk room is at least average for the class). Equally distinctive is the car's lack of conventional door handles (replaced by a hidden electronic touch pad), hardtop styling (no pillar behind your left elbow) and a windshield that is more steeply raked than that of a sedan. According to Cadillac, the Coupe's rear fenders were specifically designed to accentuate the car's rear-wheel-drive architecture. Translation? A taut and muscular appearance.

The Coupe, which is slated to arrive this June, and sedan share the same platform, but the lowered roofline means a 2-inch reduction in height. Meanwhile, overall length is, surprisingly, a mere 2 inches shorter than sedan.

The Coupe provides enough space for up to four passengers, each of whom is perched in his or her own leather-covered bucket seat, separated by a neatly integrated floor console. Access to the rear cabin area shouldn't prove to be too difficult due to the extra-long doors. On the downside, headroom will be at a premium for most adult-sized rear-seaters and a tight parking spot will require some extra ingress/egress body articulation if the doors can't be fully opened.

To maintain its sports-luxury persona, the Coupe's base engine is a 304-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 instead of the sedan's base 270-horsepower 3.0. But for truly outstanding performance -- we're talking world class here -- the Coupe can be had in CTS-V trim. This monster uses the same 556-horsepower 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 available in the CTS-V sedan. It's basically the same engine you'll find in the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, which means there are pushrods, one camshaft located in the engine block and two-valves per cylinder. Simple, but effective, indeed.

A six-speed manual transmission is standard on both the CTS and CTS-V, while a six-speed automatic with driver-controlled steering-wheel-mounted shift buttons is available for both. All-wheel-drive is a $3,200 option for the V-6 Coupe, but requires the automatic transmission.

Standard content includes many of the features built into the sedan, but extras include keyless access and remote push-button start as well as a performance suspension setup (tuned on the demanding Nurburgring race course in Germany) with 18-inch all-season tires

The extensive list of available options includes 14-way adjustable Recaro-brand front sport seats, premium leather and wood trim, backup camera and adaptive headlights that pivot in the direction that the car is turning. An up-level Bose-brand audio system includes a sizable 40-gigabyte computer hard drive for music storage. Buyers can opt for 19-inch summer tires that provide more road-holding while sharpening up the steering.

The CTS-V Coupe's content pretty much mirrors its sedan sibling with a unique mesh grille, massive Brembo-brand brakes, shock-absorbers that instantly adjust to surface and load conditions, 19-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires and a premium interior that uses contrasting leather and suede-like seat coverings.

Cadillac claims that the CTS-V Coupe is capable of reaching 60 mph from rest in just 3.9 seconds. That's certainly quick enough for most people, but it will take around $17,000 more than the estimated $48,000 base price to make it happen.

Most buyers will go for the V-6 model, however, simply to stand apart from the crowd with their excellent taste in automotive art.