The 2016 Cadillac ATS-V Coupe just returned to our inbox wearing less camouflage than before. Initially spotted near the Nurburgring->ke999 track with heavy cladding over its front and rear fascias, the upcoming BMW M4->ke4183 competitor took German streets wearing nothing but the familiar swirly wrap seen on most prototypes. It might not sound like a good reason to celebrate since we're still not able to see the vehicle in the metal, but the missing camo confirms some of the details we speculated upon on previous occasions.

The high-performance coupe is currently undergoing testing in Germany before a market launch that's scheduled next year as a 2016 model. The two-door compact is one of the first two ATS models to carry the "V" badge and joins a segment dominated by the BMW M4, Audi RS5->ke2628 and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe. We expect the ATS-V Coupe to shed even more camouflage by the end of the year. Meanwhile, hit the jump to have a look at our fresh spy shots and check out the first details surrounding the vehicle's new design.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2016 Cadillac ATS-V.

Spy Shots

Now that those black canvas pieces are out of the way, the ATS-V Coupe's front fascia is finally starting to take shape. Not surprisingly, the two-door shares the same front end with its sedan sibling, which in turn looks like a shrunken CTS-V Sedan. Thus the ATS-V Coupe benefits from a vertical-slat grille, a three-piece intake apron with a downforce-enhancing splitter on the bottom.

Around back, updates are in line with those seen on the ATS-V Sedan, except for spoiler integrated with the trunk lid, which appears to be a tad smaller on the coupe. Other than that, we're looking at a slightly revised bumper and a new rear diffuser that includes a quad-exhaust configuration with the pipes moved toward the middle. Reshaped side skirts, lightweight, multi-spoke wheels and a lowered suspension round off the aggressive stance of this BMW M4 competitor.

The coupe's engine remains a well-guarded secret, but all the clues lead to a twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter, V-6 powerplant. Output will sit in the 430- horsepower and 440-pound-feet range, just enough to give the BMW M4 a run for its money. Also a novelty is the eight-speed automatic transmission that comes to replace the six-speed unit offered on the regular ATS.

Why It Matters

The ATS-V Coupe was the last V-spec Cadillac to carry heavy camouflage on both ends as of July 2014. Now that the high-performance coupe has hit the 'Ring in swirly wrap, we can rest assured that Caddy's brand new "V" lineup shares a common denominator as far as styling goes. Granted, there are plenty of details left for us to discover, but the fact that Cadillac is already hooning the ATS-V on the "Green Hell" is enough to keep us excited for the future.