Cadillac has released the first photographs of the CTS-V Coupe race car, which will debut at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit on Monday, Jan. 10. The event takes place at Cobo Hall in downtown Detroit.

Cadillac announced last month it was re-entering the Sports Car Club of America World Challenge GT racing series for the 2011 season, which begins March 25-27 in St. Petersburg, FL. The move sees Cadillac return to a series where it competed from 2004 to 2007. In the GT Class, using the CTS-V Sport Sedan, Cadillac captured the Manufacturer’s Championship in both 2005 and 2007, as well as the Driver’s Championship in 2005.

Johnny O’Connell, a three-time GT1 champion in the America Le Mans Series, and Andy Pilgrim, who won the 2005 SCCA World Challenge GT class in a Cadillac, will be behind the wheel of the CTS-V race cars. The first on-track tests will be conducted in late January at Sebring International Raceway.

The SCCA World Challenge series provides teams, manufacturers and aftermarket suppliers a competitive production-based race series in which to prove their products. The 2011 World Challenge Championships campaign is a 12-race series, using top line tracks such as the Streets of Long Beach, Miller Motorsports Park and Infineon Raceway.