The CTS sedan's exterior is angular, but the new CTS coupe takes the design theme to a new level. There are creases everywhere, and while most meet and intersect to create a unique-looking coupe that's instantly recognizable as a Cadillac, they don't do the trick at the rear of the car.

One of the issues is that the coupe's trunklid is quite tall. That probably makes for enhanced trunk space, but it also creates an aesthetic problem — and a visibility one. In many cars, you can get by just fine without a backup camera, but the CTS coupe's tail is so tall that the optional camera is not just useful, it borders on necessary. The rising rear also gives the coupe a bustled shape at the back that's not the most flattering.

V-Series coupes have a number of special styling cues, like a mesh chrome grille in place of the regular coupe's eggcrate design. I like the eggcrate look a lot and wouldn't have minded if it had carried over to the CTS-V. The CTS-V's hood also has a pronounced power bulge.

It's worth mentioning that the CTS-V generated quite a bit of attention during a video shoot. A number of passers-by came over to ask about it and get a closer look. The attention was even more notable because our test car was painted a relatively anonymous color: Thunder Gray, a $995 option. People knew what the car was, and that's a testament to its design.