2008 Cadillac CTS pics/video

[gasoline]

1. Edmunds video!!

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=119071?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..3.*

2. Cadillac's own video with running footage (3 videos so far):

http://www.cadillac.com/allnewcts (Look for the video link)

3. MotorTrend video:

http://www.motortrend.com/av/autoshow/detroit/112_0701_2007_detroit_2008_cadillac_cts_unveiling

4. Car and Driver video:

http://www.caranddriver.com/autoshows/12202/2008-cadillac-cts.html

5. Road and Track video:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=15&article_id=4547 (Click "play").

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Pictures below--

















http://www.automobilemag.com/auto_shows/2007_detroit/0612_2008_cadillac_cts/

I'll be honest--I do not like the rear. But the shot is with a fisheye lens, so we will see. Black chrome anyone?

[JYODER240]

Horrible color and you can't tell that much from the pics. I thought it was going to be unveiled at 9:40am?

[gasoline]

Horrible color and you can't tell that much from the pics. I thought it was going to be unveiled at 9:40am?

Well, they did wait quite long. Maybe Automobile Magazine broke an embargo?

I am waiting for larger pics in the morning from Autoblog or something.

[VetteZ06]

Awesome!

The engine choices are spot-on: base is a 258-horsepower V-6, optional is a 300-horsepower V-6.

[cozmik]

Exterior isn't bad. I despise that color though.

Interior looks alright too. Not bad, but it doesn't really stand out as something special either. Seems rather generic. Maybe it'll look different with wood trim.


Better than the current one though I'd say.

[850CSi]

Nice! 

[JYODER240]

Still no handbrake

[gasoline]

Exterior isn't bad. I despise that color though.

Interior looks alright too. Not bad, but it doesn't really stand out as something special either. Seems rather generic. Maybe it'll look different with wood trim.


Better than the current one though I'd say.

I think that's the base interior.

[VetteZ06]

The interior pictured in the first post is a base model. Here's the uplevel model.

Follow the link for more pictures (this time in red).

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Features/articleId=119071?tid=edmunds.il.home.photopanel..2.*#6

[gasoline]

Standard six-speed manual.

Automatic optional!

[VetteZ06]

Ambient lighting under the dash trim pieces, in the interior grab-handle recesses, and in the passenger footwell.

AWD, a double sunroof, and a pop-up 8-inch navigation screen.

[gasoline]

I will say that I now like the rear.
I will also say that 300hp is barely going to be enough. It was supposed to be at least 315 to compensate for all the weight.
I love it though!

[gasoline]

2008 Cadillac CTS Preview
Cadillac revamps the sedan that revamped its image.
by Marty Padgett             (2007-01-09)

Thomas Jefferson, it's been said, believed a revolution was needed, every 50 years or so in order to keep our democracy fresh and responsive to the American public. In the automotive world, revolutions must occur on a much more frequent schedule, at least if a manufacturer hopes to respond to fast-changing consumer trends.

It wasn't all that long ago, January 2002, to be precise, that Cadillac staged an insurrection of its own, overthrowing the staid and directionless order that had led "the standard to the world" to become little more than an American also-ran.

The weapon of choice was the CTS, a strikingly stylish sedan that, for the first time in decades, positioned Caddy as a true design leader. Better yet, the CTS's Sigma architecture - GM-speak for platform - proved stiff and solid and an unexpected match-up to the better German competitors.

That's not to say the first-generation CTS was truly world-class. As General Motors' product czar, Bob Lutz, admits, "We managed to spend a lot of money on the interior and still make it look cheap."

So it was with plenty of anticipation that TheCarConnection.com accepted an invitation to check out the second-generation CTS, which Caddy snuck onto the back lot of the Sony Studios, just prior to the L.A. Auto Show last November. The new CTS made its debut at the 2007 Detroit show.

The first CTS had two "pillars," recalled Jim Taylor, the chief engineer on the original car and now the division's general manager, "bold styling and performance." The '08 CTS is not going to deliver the same visual knock-out punch. It's more refined and dare say even subtle - though not blanded out like the somewhat disappointing Cadillac STS.

Working from nose to tail, the front end lifts some cues from the striking Sixteen concept car; the grille is better integrated into the nose, flowing under the bumper, Audi style, and blending into the curvaceous hood. The lamps feature light pipes that remain lit whenever the engine is on. (And in the upscale version, those lamps are steerable. The European edition lights will also be auto-leveling.)

The new CTS's track has been extended two inches, front and rear, which notably enhances the visual stance and, Caddy engineers promise, also improves performance. To show off the changes, the fenders flare out at the wheel wells. Immediately behind, are new air extractors that, according to Cadillac senior engineer Randall Schway, "are 90 percent visual, but 10 percent functional."

The so-called "character line" that defines the CTS from a side view has been enhanced. The look is still angular, but not quite as squared off as the first-generation sedan. "We've tended to move a little more towards art than science," noted Schway, a reference to the Art & Science design theme the CTS ushered in.

Like the front, the rear of the car is far better integrated into the whole than the car that was first previewed in mid-2001. The taillights are striking but not garish, and the license plate holder - downright cheesy in its original, gray plastic - is carefully incorporated into the overall look.

Pick up its game

For '08, Cadillac added a third pillar to the CTS project, explained Schway. "We're trying to pick up the game on perceived quality," a place where the original car fell down. There are the high-end touches, such as new sill plates. And a close inspection reveals significantly tightened body gaps, at no more than 3 millimeters, the most precise GM has ever done. New, triple-seal doors reduce wind and road noise, while providing the sort of bank vault "thunk" luxury buyers expect.

While the new exterior certainly grabbed our attention, we couldn't wait to slip inside the '08 CTS prototype. And it was well worth the wait. If the original had all the plastic charm of an IBM PC, the new cockpit has the warm and welcoming refinement of a Bang & Olufson sound system. As with the exterior, gaps have been significantly tightened and the new material choices are elegant and expensive-looking. The center stack flows at a graceful cant, something made possible by tucking the actual electronics - including radio and navigation systems - elsewhere in the car.

The huge, eight-inch nav screen reveals a design theme we'll start seeing across the GM lineup. The mapping display is tucked out of sight until you need it.

The sill plates are a decidedly upscale touch, as is the new, ambient lighting, which gently glows from behind the flowing wood pieces accenting dash and doors.

There are entirely new seats for the '08 CTS. They feel more comfortable - at least after five minutes in a static display. They're heated and ventilated. They're also thinner, which provides a couple more inches of rear knee room.

For 2008, the base CTS will be powered by the "high-feature" 3.6-liter V-6, the midrange engine on the '07 sedan. This port-injected powertrain makes 255 horsepower. For a little more kick, there'll be a new, 3.6-liter, direct-injection V-6 making about 300 hp (final figures haven't been released as of this writing).

Both engines will be mated to a new six-speed automatic. One surprise was the lack of paddle shifter. You can put the transmission in manual mode, but you need shift with the console-mounted lever. That's one oversight Caddy needs to quickly address. And when they do, we hope they copy makers like Audi, who no long require you to shift into manumatic mode. Simply tap a paddle and you go into manual, even if just for a moment.

For the true performance geeks in the Cadillac fold, the '08 CTS will offer an optional six-speed manual gearbox.

Other notable touches include a heavily modified front short/long-arm suspension. Major changes have been made to the rear multi-link package, as well. And there's an all-new steering system.

We expect to see a lot of demand for the "Ultraview" roof; it features a positively massive piece of glass, the front portion of which slides back, while the rear is fixed.

Another strange decision will make American buyers wait to get a Bluetooth option for hands-free cellphoning. It will debut in Europe and follow, we're told, months later for the U.S. market.

Indeed, look for more to come wearing a CTS badge. We expect to see a high-performance V-Series model, of course, and there's likely to be both a coupe and even a wagon in the lineup over the next year or two. The latter model would be aimed primarily at Europe, where these two-box designs are hot, but we'd expect to see Caddy add it to the U.S. lineup as well.

One of the things we noticed about the new CTS is that it has an even more imposing presence than the prior sedan. It moves up a bit to more squarely tackle the likes of the BMW 5-Series, rather than the smaller 3er. That's great news for buyers, but could be problematic for Cadillac. It will become just that much harder to justify buying the bland STS.

Selling the car without drawing buyers down from the larger STS "will be our hardest job, no question," acknowledged Cadillac General Manager Taylor, admitting the likelihood a lot of potential STS buyers will be "cannibalized."

What that's likely to mean, Taylor continued, is that, "We've got to ensure we upgrade the STS." What that means, we'll wait and see, but we would hope for a sharpening of the bigger car's exterior and a big advance in its less-than-stellar cabin.

What we're seeing with the new CTS gives us hope that Cadillac has found the formula. It's not easy to give a revolution going, but if the GM brand hopes to compete with the big guys, it's going to have to keep its guns loaded and ready to fire.

http://www.thecarconnection.com/pf/Vehicle_Reviews/Luxury_Cars/2008_Cadillac_CTS_Preview.S183.A11488.html

[cozmik]

The wood helps a lot with the interior. The shape of the center stack reminds me a lot of the RL.

[850CSi]

From gas's latest pictures...

I wish the front end was a little less droopy. Also, I like the interior overall, but I think they could have done much better with the placement and shape of the AC ducts.


I still think the STS is the best looking Caddy.

[ifcar]

The wood helps a lot with the interior. The shape of the center stack reminds me a lot of the RL.

A toned-down RL came immidiately to mind, wood strips across the dash with metal-ish trim down the center.

Exterior looks great, and I'm sure the interior quality will impress, but I can't say I'm overwhelmed by the interior styling, even in the upper version.

[omicron]

This is a very nice view. It looks aggressive and sporty:



This is a terrible view. Talk about rubbish proportions. Did Sir want his car to have the Rosie O'Donnell arse, or would he have preferred the Pre-Oprah Kirstie Alley version?



Fiddly detail, it seems, has won out over basic design quality.

[Catman]

Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gasoline]

Here you go...
I will try to find larger pics later:

[omicron]

Please, please, grow on me. I want it to. I really do.

[SJ_GTI]

Wow, I love it.

Only downside for me, personally, is that I think its even bigger than the current model.

[TheIntrepid]

I like it.

[gasoline]

Please, please, grow on me. I want it to. I really do.

Wait for better pictures. It might.
I will add though--the current one does not photograph well.
You may have to wait until it comes to Oz to really know if you like it.




Or you can come here.

Wow, I love it.

Only downside for me, personally, is that I think its even bigger than the current model.

Yes. It is, unfortunately. I think the wheelbase is the same though--don't ask me how.

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Here are additional photos:

[nickdrinkwater]

A good improvement.  Much better looking than the Mk1, but the proportions still aren't great and and the front end is too fussy.  It would look a bit better if it didn't appear to be leaning forward so much.  But the interior looks good and the engines sound nice too.

Any word on pricing (including European)?

[gasoline]

Interior!!



Full gallery here.

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2008-cadillac-cts-1/

I will attach smaller pics now, so you won't have to scroll:















I'd give it an "A". You?

[gasoline]

Seats:



Other exterior pictures:

[Vinsanity]

it's official: this will be my next car

I really wouldn't mind that orange color, either

the base interior looks pretty impressive to me - much better than base interiors of BMW's...I like the little boomerang thingy on the seats.

although I agree some angles make the car look oddly proportioned, my favorite angle is the side profile and the pic of the silver one on the turnstile

[Raza]

The interior looks great, but the exterior is more of the same, but that grille is just too big.

[VetteZ06]

The interior looks fantastic in real-life pics. I liked it in the studio shots, but it looks amazing in the pictures gas just posted. Very high-quality.

[Raza]

The interior looks fantastic in real-life pics. I liked it in the studio shots, but it looks amazing in the pictures gas just posted. Very high-quality.

That interior is fucking decades worth of progress compared to the original CTS.  I'm very impressed.