New Cadillac sports coupe rivals Corvette

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- The Chevy Corvette is an American automotive icon. It's now in its sixth generation and a thoroughly modern sports car. It has always been, and continues to be, a car of automotive lust for many.

The Corvette has really never been better as a performance vehicle and it's one of General Motors' hallmark products, but it does have its limitations, including no backseat and not a lot of trunk room.

But GM now has a high performance sports coupe with a backseat and a good size trunk: the new CTS-V Coupe. It's not a Corvette, it's a Cadillac. The "V" meaning it's part of Caddy's performance lineup.

And perform it does, the supercharged V8 makes a whopping 556-horsepower. The chassis is also built to handle the power and its powerful brakes can easily slow it down in a hurry.

It's still no Corvette when it comes to all-out performance, but it does beat the Chevy in the numbers game. The Cadillac's horsepower trounces even the Corvette Z06's by more than 50.

It also costs less, with a base price of $62,165 compared to the Corvette's $74,305.

The CTS-V Coupe is actually a fairly practical performance car, but if you need even more practicality you can get the same engine in the CTS-V Sport Wagon. The high performance station wagon's base price is also $62,165.

Things aren't all rosy for this screaming new Cadillac. Gas mileage is down in the low to mid-teens, which means a federal gas guzzler tax of $1,300 is tacked onto the sticker price.

You can get this rakish shape with better mileage and a much lower price. If you're willing to do without all the performance, the regular CTS Coupe would be your answer.

But for those who crave power and luxury, Cadillac's new two-door is like nothing else that's worn the company's badge before.

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