The front fenders of the ’08 Cadillac CTS are the most complicated metal stamping GM has ever produced. And the direct-injection engine is the most powerful V6 GM has ever built.

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The highest compliment I can pay the 2008 Cadillac CTS is that five minutes behind the wheel turned me into as big a jerk as when I test a new BMW.

The drivers of really good sport sedans aren’t really rude, callous oafs. They just seem that way because their cars are so much quicker and more responsive than most of what’s on the road.

They accelerate faster, brake later and turn more sharply than lesser vehicles.

It’s like walking alongside a much taller person. They don’t mean to leave you gasping for breath; they just cover more ground faster than you do.

That’s not to say some BMW drivers aren’t arrogant twits, but so are some of the people who drive vastly inferior brands, like ... no, I’ve made enough enemies for one day.

The virtually all-new 2008 CTS is a terrific car, an excellent successor to the very good first-generation CTS that re-established Cadillac as a luxury brand to be reckoned with.

The 2008 CTS is better looking and much more luxurious and technically sophisticated than the car it replaces, able to stand alongside the BMW 3-series as the world’s best sports sedan. In addition to the 3-series, the CTS’ prime competition includes the Audi A4, Infiniti G35, Lexus GS 300 and Mercedes-Benz C-class.

Prices for the 2008 CTS start at $32,245 for a rear-wheel- drive model with a 263-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 and a six-speed manual transmission. The least expensive CTS with an automatic transmission mates that engine to a slick six-speed with a price starting at $33,545.

Add Cadillac’s powerful and fuel-efficient 304-horsepower version of the same V6 and prices for a rear drive CTS start at $33,245 with a manual transmission and $34,545 with the automatic.

All-wheel drive is available with either engine, but not with the manual transmission. All-wheel drive models get bigger brakes to deal with their increased weight and a badge identifying the car as the CTS4.

For this review, I tested very well equipped versions of the rear drive and all-wheel drive CTS with the direct-injection engine and automatic transmission. The rear drive stickered at $45,545; the CTS4 $47,840. (All prices exclude destination charges.)

We’re talking real money here, but the CTS is a bargain in its class. According to Edmunds.com, comparable all-wheel drive models — the BMW 335xi, Infiniti M35X and Lexus GS350 AWD — run from $4,100 to $9,800 more than the CTS.

Only the Audi A4 Quattro, which will be replaced by a new model next year, came in with a lower sticker price, checking in at $450 less than a comparably equipped CTS.

It’s not just a good value at the dealership, though. The CTS will save you serious bucks at the pump. It’s the only one of the cars I’ve mentioned that recommends regular gasoline, so you’ll save about $4.50 every time you fill the tank.

The CTS’ EPA fuel economy ratings of 18 mpg in the city and 26 on the highway are as good as or better than the Audi, BMW, Infiniti and Lexus. An all-new model of the C-class goes on sale shortly, so EPA fuel economy numbers and detailed pricing information are not available.

Frugality doesn’t sell performance sedans, though; fun and flair do, and the CTS provides plenty of both.

The direct-injection engine — the most powerful V6 GM has ever built — provides oodles of power across the rev range for hotshot standing starts, blitzing through traffic and high-speed highway cruising.

The six-speed automatic delivers smooth, quick shifts. I ended up using its sport mode all the time, though the normal mode will probably satisfy most owners. The lack of steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters was one of the few areas where the CTS doesn’t at least match its competition.

The speed-variable steering consistently provided the right amount of assist, making parking lot maneuvers easy and providing good response at high speeds and dependable on-center feel in highway cruising.

The large disc brakes stop the CTS confidently. The suspension clung to the road but also absorbed bumps from rough pavement. The CTS4’s extra 244 pounds impart some noticeable body roll in tight, fast turns, but the all-wheel-drive model was otherwise just as responsive and enjoyable as the rear drive CTS I tested.

Inside and out, the new car’s design is more sophisticated and luxurious than the first CTS.

The new CTS’ body is a graceful contemporary beauty. Every piece of exterior sheet metal is new, including front fenders that have some of the trickiest shapes ever executed in steel and functional air vents that help cool the engine compartment.

Flowing from the CTS’ luscious curving wheel wells into multiple sharp creases, indentations and more curves around the vents, the front fenders are the most complicated metal stamping GM has ever produced.

Think about that. We’re talking about the company that invented the tailfin and built the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado, and GM has just topped that masterpiece of metal bending.

The car’s front and rear tracks are about two inches wider, and the flared fenders enclosing the pushed-out wheels contribute to the CTS’ sure-footed look.

The interior replaces the hard plastic that marred the first CTS with hand-cut and -sewn soft-touch materials and a creative design that puts elegant and simple controls within easy reach.

The interior includes a few small snafus, though. The gaps around the glove box door are larger than they should be; the plastic cover for the front-seat cupholders feels flimsy; and the steering wheel blocks one of the vents, reducing the air conditioning’s effectiveness on hot days.

Interior room is good, with plenty of front head, leg and shoulder room. The rear seat is far more accommodating than in the 3-series and A4, but smaller than the GS 350 or M35.

The CTS’ safety equipment includes standard antilock brakes, stability control, front-seat side and curtain air bags.

Add advanced features like a hard drive to store music and navigation information and the best real-time traffic information system of any car I’ve tested, and the CTS is second to none in the speedy world of sports sedans.