How does it look?

A test drive of the CTS coupe can bring out its superiority on tarmac. This is because it is a high performance vehicle; fulfilling the desires of speed lovers. The design appears to be aggressive and gives any driver the need for speed before sitting behind the wheel. The standard coupe is not the same as the other supercharged versions but still delivers.   The angles in this version is not all that but the exterior still boasts of a great design with hard edges. The car has a wedge shape that is enhanced by perpendicular and parallel lines combined with open plains and tight angles. The shape starts at the bottom grille of the front fascia and extends to the back. The headlamps are designed in an irregular shape which sets the width of the vehicle. Moving from the headlamps backwards it’s difficult to avoid noticing the 19-inch allow wheels having seven well crafted spokes.

The main reason why everyone tends to move their eyes toward the back is because the shape demands it. There is no interruption at any point because the coupe version has C6 corvette-style doors in place of the more traditional handle doors. At the back there is a centered dual exhaust outlet with a vertical line that runs from the top and divides the two outlets. The car leans towards its anticipation owing to the raise rear end.

The Cadillac CTS Coupe Interior

The cabin looks like a combination of sporty and luxurious touches but the materials used tend to say otherwise. Contrary to other dash boards in other cars, the dash in the 2011 CTS does not have padding beneath the leather and consequently feels hard as a rock. There is a metallic colored plastic surrounding the center stack which is a bit complex thanks to the buttons that are not easy to read especially if you pass a quick glance.

The base price of the coupe is set at $38,165 with a premium version that can be acquired for $51,030 because of the additional special features such as headlamps with high intensity discharge, heated and cooled front seats that can be power adjusted in ten different ways, an improved Bose sound system, ambient lighting in the interior, Bluetooth, heated steering wheel and a navigation system with a touch screen with a camera for the rear view displays.

The down side is that the base price rises from the $38,165 mark to a staggering $47,010. This can hit the $50,000 mark as a result of purchasing the extras such as the steering wheel with shift controls, the summer tire performance with the 19 inch alloys, a brake upgrade and other additional charges.

The fact that the CTS coupe comes in two doors tells a lot about what type of a car it is. This is probably the type of car that is meant for two people and the rear seats should be use to carry small items and not people. The front is comfortable and luxurious but complaining about lack of ample space in the back is not reasonable for a two door coupe. It would be like complaining of too much space in a minivan.

The most important part of driving is the windscreen, which allows you to see where you are going. Well, this is taken care of in the 2011 Cadillac CTS coupe thanks to the massive slab of glass used. Trying to see what is at the sides can be tricky but the coupe has got all this covered with the use of a rear view camera display that makes reversing the car child’s play, though you need to pay more attention when switching lanes. There is a touch screen display on top of the center stack that is used for interfacing with the infotainment system and also used for navigation. The display at its normal position in the dash shows basic information about the audio system but can rise and display more functions. For safety reasons, it is advisable to keep the screen hidden but it automatically deploys every time the car is being reversed to display the rear view.

Does it stop?

The braking system can seem to be a bit tricky and if you are not yet used to it you will find the connection between the braking action and the pedal application not communicating effectively. With time it is easy to get used to the process and you won’t have to be forced towards the safety belt every time you brake. The aerodynamic styling used in making the CTS puts it at a better performance position compared to coupes from other manufacturers. German manufacturers have the say when it comes to cabin quality and though the Cadillac’s interior is comfortable it can not compete with the qualities that the BMW, Audi or Benz possess. However, Cadillac is superior when it comes to the engine performance and fuel consumption. Every aspect of Cadillac’s 2011 CTS coupe contributes to the performance and beauty of this machine.

Looking at the coupe, you can classify it in a sports and luxury category, but after driving it for a while you will notice that though the exterior is outstanding and the interior super
cool, the luxury part is over shadowed by the sporty appearance and feel. The 2011 CTS coupe has earned Cadillac a Masters degree in science and art used in the motor industry.  The 2011 CTS coupe is the ultimate sports machine with an element of luxury.

So what are the specs?

The CTS coupe comes with Cadillac’s direct injected V6 putting up 304 horsepower.

Upgrading the Cadillac’s CTS-V Coupe will bring you up to 556 hp as a result of a supercharged V8. Plus, you’ll be upgrading to 19 inch wheels and some amazing sport seats.

The car can rocket from 0 to 62.14 mph or 100 km/h in about four and a half seconds with a top speed of 155.34 mph or 250 km/h. The car is compact and weighs about 3,472.28 or 1,575 kilograms and the fuel consumption is an amazing 26 mpg and the emission of carbon dioxide is at 341.18 g/mile or 212 g CO2/km. All this is possible by the technology used in the regenerative system, which is meant to recover some energy during the car’s decelerations.

The RS3′s Engine

The 2011 Audi RS3 has a 2.5-liter engine that will surely thrill the passengers because it has a strong pulling power and the 6,800-rpm. The Audi engine’s growling  and roaring soundtrack combined with the signature 5-cylinder firing order creates a strength feeling in the car and gives the driver gobs of power on the road. There is a flap in the exhaust system that is controlled by the sport button, also used in varying engine response, and is used to further intensify the sound.

The 5-cylinder engines have a history in Audi. It was used to edge out the existing competition in race cars in the 80s. The first RS model, 94, had one of these engine types. The engine now is redefined and has earned the top position in engines ranked by a panel of automotive journalists. This means that the engine is created to have high performance and the general parameters used in it will yield great elasticity and excellent acceleration values.

At just about 403 pounds and 19.29 inches the Audi RS3′s 5-cylinder unit is super compact. The vermicular-graphite cast iron use in making the crankcase is a light weight but strong material that contributes a lot in the overall light weight of the unit. In fact, this material has been used in gasoline engines for the first time by Audi. The block loadability is further enhanced by the reinforcement’s which are perfectly placed. The light weight design is meant to keep the weight of the Audi RS3 in check so that it can pay off when it comes to axle load distribution which translates to an excellent and ultimate car handling.

What about boost?

The 2011 Audi RS3 has a turbocharger that is responsible for up to a 1.2 bar pressure boost while the intercooler achieves a cool 80% efficiency. Just like other Audi gasoline turbo engines, the RS3’s unit combines the turbo charging with FSI direct injection system. The combination of the two technologies create high compression ratio (about 10:1) and consequently raise the efficiency ratio. The air is mixed as it is flowing in by the flaps positioned and the intake tract. The mixture formation is further enhanced by the two adjustable (by 42 degrees – crankshaft rotation) camshafts.

Audi RS3′s Transmission

The S Tronic, seven-speed, transmits power straight from the 5-cylinder engine through three shafts. Two of these are output shafts while the other one is the drive shaft. The car has two transmission structures since it is a dual-clutch transmission. This results in a smooth shifting process which takes a very short time during the clutch switch. The two clutches make sure that there is no power interruption during the shifting process. The seventh gear, being very tall, is the ultimate way of saving on fuel consumption.

There is a choice of two automatic modes and a manual mode. The gear shift can be made through the selector lever or via the paddles on the wheel. The control system  manages to launch the car from a dead zero to the explosive turbo power while maintaining the car’s stability and minimum tire slip. The all-wheel drive gives the RS3 dynamics, stability and traction. The main component is its multi-plate clutch that is electronically controlled and placed at the propeller shaft’s end for the purpose of achieving an advantage in axle load distribution.

The famous Audi Quattro

Quattro enables the distribution of propulsive power to all the axles as required. Every time there is slip in any of the axles, the oil pressure is increased in a jiffy by an electric  powered pump. The two clutch plates are pressed on each other in a similar continuous motion which permits the redirection of torque accordingly. No matter how many words are used to describe this process the duration of time the actual process is much faster than the description. This is just to make sure that there are no interruptions caused by the slip.

The stiff body lays the cornerstone in the RS3 handling but the chassis makes everything fall in place. There is a four-link suspension that has a 60.16 inches track anchored to the sub frame. The front suspension is more widened but still has a separate sub frame. The major components of the construction are aluminum. The vertical support is provided by the shock absorbers and the coil springs. Compared to the A3, the sports suspension lowers the RS3 body by 0.98 inches.

The Audi RS3′s Interior

In the interior, there are a number of logos reminding the passenger that they are inside an Audi RS3. The interior comes in black with leather seats that are stitched in contrasting silver stitching. The car has a flat bottomed steering wheel, all leather and multifunctional. The instruments and the selector lever are uniquely designed. The driver information includes a lap timer, boost pressure and the oil temperature. The 2011 Audi RS3 comes with different standard equipment, such as the Sport button, climate control, xenon headlights, chorus radio system, and rear parking system.

The 2011 Audi RS3 not only comes with Quattro permanent all-wheel drive, but the new version will also enjoy the new S Tronic 7-speed transmission from Audi. This transmission uses a tall 7th gear that increases the efficiency levels of the vehicle at motorway speeds. Though the car is sporty, the exterior can appear as though it was a business car.