Playing it straight

Allergic to curves? Addicted to ruler-straight lines? If so, pray let us introduce for your viewing pleasure the Cadillac CTS Coupe. Just unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show, it's the two-door version of the muscle car chosen by James May for the boys' American road trip a couple of series back. Well, almost. That car was the CTS-V, the 556bhp V8 monster capable of lapping the Nurburgring in under eight minutes. The CTS Coupe, however, will be launched with a slightly more circumspect 3.6-litre V6 putting out 304bhp, and will be available in rear-wheel or four-wheel drive. But don't worry: a V8 CTS-V is in the pipeline, expected to arrive in the USA some time late next year. For now, though, take a good look at the Coupe. Even without the adding archery and bodykitting of the V version, it's a handsome thing: identical to the four-door as far as the A-pillar, and decidedly taut, wedgy and muscular beyond that. The Coupe is some two inches shorter than the saloon, despite sharing an identical wheelbase. The windscreen is more steeply raked, too. Our favourite touch, quite literally, are the touch-sensitive pads that replace the CTS's doorhandles. That's, like, the future and stuff right there. Will it reach the UK? Here's hoping: if Cadillac can get its act together and actually get some CTS Coupes on the forecourts here, we reckon they could shift like moderately warm cakes. Just think how fast it'll get round the 'Ring when that V8 version arrives… - have your own say about this story on the forum