DETROIT – Cadillac was recognized with two EyesOn Design Awards for Design Excellence honors at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS). The 2009 CTS-V performance sedan captured the production car award and the concept car category honor went to the dramatic CTS Coupe Concept. It was the second straight year the CTS lineup was recognized by the EyesOn Design judges – the 2008 CTS sedan won the production car category at the ’07 NAIAS.
“We are extremely proud that the design of the CTS-V and the CTS Coupe Concept have been recognized by a global group of peers,” said John Manoogian, director of exterior design, Cadillac. “Both vehicles not only characterize that latest phase in Cadillac’s design renaissance, but emphasize the longstanding heritage of landmark designs that have helped define the brand over the decades.”
EyesOn Design Awards for Design Excellence are the only automotive design awards selected and judged by an international panel of top automotive design experts. For 2008, 20 panelists were led by a triumvirate of Chief Judges, including Chris Bangle, Jack Telnack and Nate Young.
Generated from the spark of the CTS design team’s imagination, the CTS Coupe 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 two inches (51 mm) lower and an overall length that is two inches (51 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.
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 surfaces of the CTS Coupe Concept are complex, inviting careful inspection. The rear fenders, for example, were sculpted by hand in the design studio until they provided a perfect, muscular form that wrapped tightly over the wheels. At the top, the rear fenders are beveled – owing to the diamond-cut theme – and become part of a horizontal plane that runs from the leading edge of the taillamps and merges into the roof.
The 2009 CTS-V is Cadillac’s ultimate expression of performance and luxury – wrapped in purposeful design that extends the brand’s acclaimed design language. The CTS-V is powered by a new, supercharged 6.2L V-8 that produces an estimated 550 horsepower (410 kW), making it the most powerful Cadillac ever produced.
The exterior of the new “V” amplifies the assertive stance and elegant details of the CTS, with a blend of elegant and purposeful elements that support the car’s high-performance mission. The dihedral Cadillac grille, for example, is larger to ingest a greater volume of air and features a satin finish. The raised hood encompasses the supercharged engine, and new front and rear fascias identify the vehicle as a V-Series. The car rides on specific 19-inch wheels.
CTS-V’s distinctive, award-winning design will support Cadillac’s ongoing global expansion, as it is planned to be offered outside North America for the first time, including exports to Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
Press release via General Motors/Cadillac