So I was heading westbound on I-70 today, heading towards the mountains when I see a white and black checked car with a distinctive Caddy grill heading the other way (as in coming down from the hills). As I moved over to the far left lane to get as close a view of it as possible, I swear it looks like a new CTS! It looked lower, a little wider and well, as near as I could tell, just "mean". It reminded me of the photochop that was going around a couple months ago of the 'supposed" 2008 CTS. Now it could have been pure coincidence, but about two cars before the camo'd car was a green CTS, and I definitely saw a familial resemblance between the two. But as I said, the camo'd one looked to have a much more muscular stance. Anyways, was my first time actually seeing a detroit camo'd car, thought I would share.

 

Did it have any black vinyl on it?

 

BLS doing testing? This seems to early for the next CTS, to me.

 

There are/were tons of STS (and STS-V) development cars that were painted as you described. For all I know there are probably still some that have not met their fate with the crusher yet. It could have been one of those that you saw, especially since the big-brother STS is on the Sigma platform (same as CTS), but is a couple of inches wider than the CTS.

Not saying you didn't see anything; just offering a possible explanation.

 

Joe would this be within the correct testing time frame for a 2008 launch?

 

When is the next CTS due to be out? next winter?

 

It's defiitely possible. I did come home and look at the STS and CTS on the web, and it didn't look like either. However, it was a brief glimpse, on the highway, going the opposite direction. So I fully admit the possiblity.

 

So no memory of black vinyl on the front, back or door panels? I just ask because at this point its probably too early to see ANY CTS prototypes. But if there was one out there, it would be pretty heavily camouflaged.

 

Chris, no I have seen Asian cars with the tarps all over them before (seems like manufacturers like to do altitude testing in Colorado, go figure). What caught my eye was the black checker board camo that looked like the Holden paint job, but the car was angular and I am pretty sure that it had the CTS style grill and a big emblem in the center.

Like I said, I am not adamant that what I saw WAS the new CTS, but the olive green CTS that was a couple cars in front of it definitely showed some resemblance.

 

Oh well maybe it WAS a Holden Commodore. Those have been testing with the full checker board camo job.

 

I look foward to the CTS, and I have very high hopes for this car. I would love to see the 3 series be dethroned. I was reading the review of the 330i vs IS350 and C350 and the IS comes very close, but I think that the CTS could hig closer where the IS failed in handling and chassis feel. I think that a 300hp 3.6 combined with a great handling chassis, and we have ourselves a 3 series killer. Lets not forget about the next gen G35 either.

 

Did it resemble this computer rendering...

http://forums.autoweek.com/servlet/J...llac%20CTS.jpg