Car-spotting is a pastime that almost every automotive enthusiast enjoys. We go about our daily lives while keeping an eye open for noteworthy vehicles out in the wild. I was out for my morning walk recently when I was seduced by a sculpted coupe lit up by the Arizona sunrise. I knew it was a Cadillac ATS, but couldn’t resist the urge to cross the street and get a closer look. With styling so crisp and modern, I was surprised to check the VIN and learn that it was about 10 years old. Without trying to be too much of a creep, I took a few photos of the car to share.
Finished in Red Passion Tintcoat, it was incredibly well-kept, and it made me realize something: This was Cadillac’s last coupe. The ATS paved the way for the Cadillac CT4 which launched in 2020, but there is no CT4 coupe. Cadillac simply does not have a coupe in its production lineup. The Coupe de Ville, launched in 1949, put Cadillac on the map when it came to personal luxury. Who would have thought that 70 years later, Cadillac would phase out coupes entirely.
ATS Attributes
The ATS launched in 2013 as a compact executive sedan on the GM “Alpha” platform, and a coupe version followed two years later in 2015. True to its mission in personal luxury, it boasted a long list of creature comforts like premium interior materials, cutting-edge tech for the time, and a CUE infotainment system. Fun fact: The ATS coupe was actually six inches longer than the ATS sedan. No wonder it had such a commanding presence that I couldn’t take my eyes off it.
There were several engine options available for 2016 when my spotted car rolled off the line: a 272-horsepower 2.0 liter turbocharged inline-four, and a 335-horsepower 3.6-liter V6. At the top-performance end of the ATS coupe hierarchy was the ATS-V. It featured a twin-turbochargers added to the V6, as well as a unique crank and titanium rods. Most impressive of all: the rating for that car was 464 horsepower, making it a formidable competitor compared to the Audi A5/S5, the BMW 4-Series, and the Lexus RC that it competed with. Depending on optioning, the ATS could come with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and transmission offerings included an eight-speed automatic or a six-speed manual.
The ATS coupe that I spotted had the naturally-aspirated V6, which had more than enough performance for most people. Motor Trend said about the car, “The ATS continues to be a quick, responsive car, with a sonorous snarl that makes us eager to wind out the engine as often as possible. The 2016 coupe will tear to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds.” An added bonus: The ATS could also stop with confidence, since Brembo brakes were standard.
Discontinuation and Legacy
The sad truth was that the Cadillac ATS coupe offered features that enthusiasts asked for, yet the car failed to meet sales expectations. As we’ve seen in the marketplace in recent years, buyers are overwhelmingly choosing crossovers for their new vehicles. So, if you’re one of the lucky ones who owns an ATS coupe, enjoy that future collectible. And if you don’t have one yet, maybe this is your sign to start hunting for a clean example of Caddy’s last coupe.
