2008 Cadillac CTS 2

We’ve shot several “ordinary” CTS test cars in mild camouflage in recent weeks, but this is NOT the run-of-the-mill (future) CTS: Our prototype, as seen here, has a huge bubble in the hood, performance wheels and wide tires, unique (larger) exhaust pipes and – our photographer swears – an obvious “supercharger sound.”

Engine-wise, we’ve heard more rumours than jellybeans in a bottle. One of our most dependable sources claims the CTS V Series will be powered by a 4.6-liter non-supercharged V8, while others insist (and our pictures likely show) a supercharged V8 is in store for the hot CTS. And some even claim this will share the Stingray’s supercharged V8 – which could be why these two test groups are working in the same “neighbourhood.”

Horsepower estimates have also been all over the board, but we’re guessing the CTS V will have somewhere between 550-600-hp. Production should start in the autumn of 2008, and an annual run of 7500 V-Series units is expected.

550-600 de cai pe cts-v? vad ca americanii vor sa ii ajunga din urma pe cei de la amg sau //M

This year's North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) will serve as the venue for Cadillac to debut the redesigned 2008 Cadillac CTS. The entry-level and uber-popular sedan will receive a thorough exterior tweaking, as seen during the 60 Minutes spot back in April. The revised look of the CTS will foretell the future of Cadillac designs, just as the current generation had; however, little information has been made available about what will be beneath the new CTS' sheetmetal. Rumors of a 3.6-liter V6 producing somewhere in the 280-300 HP realm have been heard and the forthcoming V-series model is expected to make around 400+ HP, when it debuts, likely sometime in 2009.

The press release (posted after the jump) states that the CTS will come to market in late 2007 as a 2008 model.

PRESS RELEASE:
Cadillac To Premiere All-New 2008 CTS In January

DETROIT, Mich. - It is the subject of online discussions, rumors and spy photographers. It is the successor to an award-winning and popular luxury car. And it's coming in January. Cadillac confirms that the all-new 2008 CTS will make its world premiere in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

"Cadillac has engineered an historic renaissance, with a completely new product portfolio, driven in large part by the original CTS," said general manager Jim Taylor. "Success can drive conservatism, but not for Cadillac. The next chapter, beginning in January, promises to be even more dramatic."

The debut of the redesigned 2008 CTS in the marketplace is scheduled for late-summer of 2007 in the U.S., with worldwide exports to follow in the fall. As this new chapter prepares to open, the current CTS model continues to be an automotive success story.

"CTS has built a strong record of success on many levels," Taylor said. "It has exceeded our goals for sales volume, set new design trends, won championships in racing, and earned awards for quality and customer satisfaction."

Cadillac sold more than 61,000 copies of the CTS in the U.S. in 2005, compared to roughly 38,000 in 2002, an increase of 60% over that period. This sustained sales growth over nearly five years is counter to conventional industry logic that says a new car's hottest sales occur shortly after launch. There are roughly 275,000 CTS owners worldwide, and industry researchers say they are among the most satisfied in the automotive market. AutoPacific rated CTS as the top Entry Luxury Car in its annual Vehicle Satisfaction Awards in 2006