Cadillac's->ke18 been making waves this week for all the right reasons. Days after it debuted the all-new ATS Coupe, the U.S. manufacturer confirmed that the car's performance-oriented trim, the aptly named ATS-V, will have performance numbers that would put it right smack in the middle of the BMW M3's crosshairs.

According to Motor Trend, the ATS-V will carry a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V-6 engine that will produce 425 horsepower -- the exact same output as its German competitor. More importantly, or at least until we hear more about it, Caddy also has plans to build an even more powerful ATS-V, which will reportedly be called the ATS-V+. That one is expected to use a bigger V-8 engine that could potentially have as much as 500 horsepower on tap.

These announcements carry a lot of significance for Cadillac in its attempt to be a player in the sports coupe->ke141 segment. With plenty of European brands staking their respective claims in the U.S. market, America had to be represented. Cadillac is trying to answer that call and judging by the way the ATS was received at the North American International Auto Show->ke222, there will be a lot of interested folks out there waiting to for the company to develop the ATS-V.

Note: Photo is of the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe

Click past the jump to read about the 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe

2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe

The 2015 Cadillac ATS Coupe represents America's return to form in the sports coupe market, one that's currently being dominated by European and Japanese companies.

That's why it was important for Cadillac to make an impression with the ATS, and for the most part, it did.

The ATS Coupe is built on the same rear-wheel-drive Alpha platform and is offered with nearly the same engine lineup as the sedan: a turbocharged 2.0-liter, four-cylinder with 270 horsepower, and a 3.6-liter, V-6 with 321 horsepower. The engines are combined with either a six-speed manual transmission or an automatic transmission. There will also be an option for an all-wheel-drive system.