Last January, we showed you the Cadillac CTS Coupe Concept, a stunning two-door take on the new-for-2008 Cadillac CTS sedan. This weekend at the Pebble Beach Concours, Cadillac spilled the beans on the new CTS Sport Wagon--and though we can't show the final version to you now, they also showed TheCarConnection.com the final version of the CTS Coupe headed to showrooms soon.

The 2010 Cadillac CTS Coupe is remarkably similar to the concept shown above, with a dramatic wedge shape taking on V-shaped cues in the rear. The styling works for a roofed car, but Cadillac designers admit there's no practical way to turn the Coupe into a hardtop coupe-convertible, as Infiniti has done with the G37 and as another high-profile import luxury brand will do at the Paris auto show in October.

The production coupe is likely to get some of the tech features of the concept, like LED taillamps, 20-inch wheels and a 40GB hard drive for music storage and navigation. Also in the cards, we're betting, is the lineup of standard and direct-injection engines common with the other CTS variants--and maybe, the 2.9-liter turbodiesel and all-wheel drive of the Sport Wagon. Enthusiasts can hope for the 6.2-liter powerplant from the new CTS-V, and it's probably not in vain.

Stay tuned for our Los Angeles auto show coverage in November, and as more details emerge on the CTS Coupe.

We've told you about the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro--and this morning, gave you the brain dump on the 2009 Dodge Challenger with the six-speed manual gearbox you've been idling over.

Now Ford's ready to whet your appetite for the 2010 Mustang in all its musclecar glory. A new Web site, parked over at www.the2010mustang.com, is the place you want to bookmark (other than this blog) to read the latest about the upcoming pony car.

The new Web site has a place for you to tell your own Mustang story and a place to log in all your vital information so that Ford can reach you with every photo and every sound bite over the next three months. There's also a Mustang Stories contest on the site, where you can sign up for a chance to win one of the new cars.

In addition, Ford's posted a ticker that's counting down until the 2010 Ford Mustang becomes a reality--and it looks like they're planning a release of embargoed information for the Los Angeles auto show, at or on November 18 at 12:01 a.m. We'll be here with all the information, of course, and everything Mustang we can publish right through November's Los Angeles Auto Show.

Just as the last of the limited-production 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 models are finding homes, Dodge is ready to restock its dealers with a full range of Challenger models.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger line, which goes on sale in September, now includes a V-6-powered SE, a 5.7-liter HEMI-powered R/T, and the 6.1-liter HEMI SRT8. To the delight of enthusiasts everywhere, Dodge also made the tough Tremec TR6060 six-speed manual gearbox standard on the R/T and SRT8. This is the same gearbox as used in the Viper, and harking back to the 1970 Challenger, the shifter is topped with a pistol-style grip--well, it's kind of pistol grip, but nothing like the handle that Hurst provided on the original.

Details on the expanded pony car line follow: the 2009 Challenger SE's 3.5-liter V-6 produces 250 horsepower and with its standard four-speed automatic, delivers 0-60-mph times in the high 7-second range. This combination achieves EPA numbers of 17 mpg city/25 mpg highway. We put some serious miles on an SE and found it plenty peppy and relatively refined. The grearbox shifts smoothly, and the powertrain is a good match to the suspension that we deem sporty but not harsh. While we understand the need to keep the price of the SE low, with fuel economy growing a concern for many buyers, the improved mileage gained by having a five-speed transmission might have been a good idea.

The 2009 Dodge Challenger R/T is a car many enthusiasts have been waiting for. Dodge is planning on it being their best-selling model. With the improved 5.7-liter HEMI producing 376 horsepower (standard six-speed manual) or 372 hp (optional five-speed automatic), the R/T is a runner. Sixty mph comes up in the mid-5-second range and Dodge claims a 14-second quarter-mile time. Top speed is limited to 138 mph. On the road, the HEMI blasts to its horsepower peak at a modest 5,150 rpm (manual) with so much gusto that it feels like the engine could use a higher rpm limit. Thankfully, the rev limiter at 5,700 rpm is soft, so you don't feel too stupid bumping into it. According to Chrysler powertrain experts, the HEMI's valvetrain doesn't like spinning too fast, hence the modest redline.

Being cognizant of customer concerns regarding responsible fuel economy, the R/T's HEMI benefits from efficiency gains totaling 4 percent compared to the same engine used in 2008 Dodge products. Mileage is an identical 16 mpg city/23 mpg highway regardless of transmission. We're surprised that the manual's figure isn't higher even though the gearbox employs a 1-4 skip shift feature under light throttle applications.

There's not much new regarding the highest-performance Challenger, the 2009 SRT8. Enthusiasts will certainly welcome the availability of the manual transmission. This gearbox transforms the SRT8 into the performance car enthusiasts knew it could be. We clicked off many laps at the tight Englishtown Raceway road course, and the responsiveness of the SRT8 with the manual was excellent. This is still a heavy car by sports car standards (about 4,000 pounds), but you can make it hustle. With 425 horsepower and the ability to decommission the traction control, steering with the throttle is easy, the Challenger SRT8 makes you wish you could drive in a sequel to Vanishing Point. For those tracking such things, the SRT8's mileage is 13/19 mpg for the automatic and 14/22 mpg for the new six-speed manual.

Practically, the 2009 Dodge Challenger should work well for people who want to drive something with iconic styling that has more than a modicum of practicality. The Challenger's trunk is huge (16.2 cubic feet), while the backseat is usable but not spacious. A Mustang Bullitt was waiting for us after returning from our Challenger drive, and the Challenger's backseat is certainly larger than the Ford, especially in width and headroom. The editor writing this review is 5'10" and found that he could (just barely) sit behind himself in the Challenger, but would not have wanted to be trapped in the backseat for an extended drive (more than an hour).

As far as gripes, we also found the exhaust on the R/T to be a bit incessant. While the rumble of the V-8 is music to our ears, at cruising speeds, its volume is a little too loud and gets to be a droning irritant. We think most owners will simply turn up the radio.

Dodge hasn't fielded a competitor to the Ford Mustang for decades. For 2009, Dodge offers Challengers that line up against the base Mustang, the GT/Bullitt, and the Shelby GT500. The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro will be here soon enough, and when these three nameplates are back on the road together again, American stop lights will be way more fun.

These are the first real photos of the open-air twin to the 2008 Audi R8.

The Audi R8 Spider is due next year as a 2010 model. Engines will be the same as the R8, and the Spider will also get a version of the V-10 that's also coming to the R8 coupe.

The roof looks pretty much like that on the Lamborghini Gallardo Spider, and without the sideblades that normally are found on the R8 Coupe, the Spider looks even better.

Stay tuned for more info from TheCarConnection.com.

It took a long-range spotting scope to get it, but we just caught the 2010 Cadillac CTS coupe without its heavy camouflage covering.  Now all that separates from the production styling of the CTS coupe is some checkerboard tape--and about a half-mile of distance between the camera and the prototype.  The taped camouflage, long distance, and slightly foggy conditions all conspired to keep some of the CTS coupe's finer styling details obfuscated, but the overall design treatment is clearly revealed.

In its uncovered state, the production CTS coupe still remains faithful to the original concept, but some minor changes are visible on the prototype's rear-end.  The mesh vents which flank the central exhaust on the concept have been replaced with slim red reflectors, in a nod to safety standards on the production model.  Also, the concept's license plate housing has been reshaped (perhaps to accommodate both U.S. and international registration plates), while a larger chrome strip adorns the trunk lid.  The overall shape to the prototype's rear bumper looks nearly identical to the concept, right down to the careful sculpting at the bottom corners which wrap around toward the central exhaust.

The side window lines look just about identical on both cars, while the truly B-pillar-free design on the concept is less exotic on the production car.  Stylists appear to have done an admirable job keep a smooth glass-to-glass effect on the side windows, but a B-pillar is still in place.  The front-end on this prototype looks to be straight off the CTS sedan, without the subtle body kit applied to the concept's front fascia.

With our appetite whetted upon seeing this unclad CTS coupe prototype, we're now eager to get a closer look at a similarly finished prototype running on public roads.  As always, we'll keep our eyes open.--KGP Photography