SPY PICS: Caddy shock?

Cadillac is just as likely to leave concepts on the shelf as base a production car around them. To list just two examples, whatever happened to the beautiful Cien or the rather baroque Sixteen?

Still, the American company with a heritage dating back to the early years of the 20th Century does occasionally have a bet each way. No one who saw the CTS Coupe Concept at the North American International Auto Show was left in any doubt that it would make its way into production.

The Provoq fuel cell concept was perhaps not quite as clear-cut.

Now however, we can reveal these pics -- supplied by our favourite spy photographers at Carparazzi -- which prove that not only will the CTS Coupe go into production (perhaps to be marketed as the CTC), but the Provoq concept will also make it to the showrooms -- without the fuel cell drivetrain -- under the name of BRX.

According to the blokes at Carparazzi, production of the CTS Coupe/CTC is expected to commence around May next year. The project for this vehicle is coded GMX226 and the car will be built at the Lansing Grand River Plant in Michigan. Cadillac will do away with conventional door handles, fitting the CTC with touch-sensitive pads instead. The coupe will come equipped with a reversing camera, which is not currently available on the CTS sedan -- although we could well see that coming, if you'll pardon the expression.

The BRX SUV shown here will share its platform -- coded GMT166 for the BRX -- with the Saab 9-4x Crossover SUV (or CUV as the Americans are in the habit of labelling them). Saab's version will be build under the engineering code GMT168.

As for the CTC, the BRX is slated for a May 2009 production start at GM's Ramos Arizpe plant. Initial forecast is for 75,000 units a year

Carparazzi surmise that the BRX will be fitted with the 3.6-litre direct injection V6 already offered in the current CTS -- basically a direct injection version of Holden's Alloytech V6 fitted to the Commodore.

In addition, the BRX is believed to be engineered for a 2.0-litre turbodiesel, although that may not be sold in the US, remaining exclusively for markets such as Europe. There's no word as yet on whether either the CTC or the BRX will be sold in RHD markets.

-- with Carparazzi