Have you ever wondered what would happen if you transformed a Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 into a slightly larger luxury sedan than a BMW 3 Series? You would get something like that. Say hello to the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, the successor to the beloved CTS-V, with a 668 hp V-8 and a six-speed manual transmission. When it arrives at dealerships, it will be the only V-8 sedan with manual transmission on the market, not to mention the most powerful Cadillac ever built.
As a quick upgrade, the CT5 is Cadillac’s current mid-size sedan. It is a slightly smaller replacement for the CTS, based on a revised version of GM’s rear-wheel-drive Alpha platform, which is shared with the smaller Cadillac CT4 and Chevy Camaro. While the nickname “-V” used to represent the most powerful version of a Cadillac model, it is now the mid-range sports offering – all tops are now Blackwing.
The CT5-V Blackwing receives GM’s 6.2-liter LT4 supercharged V-8, updated with a new 1.7-liter Eaton compressor, titanium intake valves and a new intake system. All that finesse adds up to 668 hp and 659 lb-ft of torque, up 28 and 29, respectively, over the old CTS-V. And the manual transmission returns! The standard equipment is a Tremec TR6060 six-speed gearbox with no lift and combination of active (defeatable) speed. There is, of course, an optional automatic, a speed of 10 that helps the Blackwing reach 60 mph in 3.7 seconds. The maximum speed is over 200 MPH, regardless of the transmission.
Like its younger brother, the CT4-V Blackwing, the new CT5-V Blackwing receives the latest iteration of GM’s excellent Magnetic Ride dampers, a limited slip electronic differential and updated Performance Traction Management (PTM). The wheels have 19 inches around and come packed in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires specific to Cadillac, measuring 275/35 in the front and 305/35 in the rear.
The CT5-V Blackwing is also the first Cadillac to offer optional carbon-ceramic brakes, which eliminate 53 pounds of unsprung mass. Sometime after launch, Cadillac will also offer optional light magnesium alloy wheels on the CT5-V Blackwing to further reduce the unsprung and rotating mass.
Inside, there are many carbon fiber finishes, a Blackwing exclusive set of digital gauges and buttons on the steering wheel to select a PTM mode or a “V Mode” customized by the driver. You will be able to easily distinguish Blackwing from the outside, thanks to a wider band and aggressive air intakes on the front panel. Like its predecessor, the CT5-V Blackwing will offer a carbon fiber track package with a divider, spoiler and diffuser, all designed to reduce elevation at high speed.
Cadillac did not announce the option price on the CT5-V Blackwing, but the basic price of the car is $ 84,990 including the destination – about $ 2,000 cheaper than the latest CTS-V. Given that the new Caddy supersedan is more powerful and offers a manual transmission, this seems like a killer deal. Cadillac imagines the CT5-V Blackwing as a BMW M3 fighter, but given the fact that it has 165 hp more than the new M3 Competition, it looks like this Blackwing could take the fight to the M5, which has only 627 hp in its most powerful form of CS.
The CT5-V is a great sports sedan. Blackwing looks like it will be an absolute monster, a successor more than worthy of the old CTS-V.
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