This is the end. Cadillac the brand with a rich history of putting giant gasoline engines under the hood of luxury sedans, is about to end internal combustion, but not before it explodes. Well, two strokes, one called CT5-V Blackwing, one 668-6.2-liter supercharged V8 sedan with a standard … standard transmission. The other is the CT4-V Blackwing, a smaller 472-HP 3.6-liter V6 biturbo sedan that also comes with manual transmission, according to the orders of the car gods. Let’s take a first look at these latest heaters for high-performance gasoline Cadillacs.
The auto industry is quickly entering the electrical age, so it seems a little strange for Cadillac to be debuting two fully conventional main cars. But this is the last position for high-performance gasoline Cadillacs, and my God is GM’s premium brand coming out to rock.
So much power, so many pedals
The CT5-V is a 668-HP, 659 lb-ft supercharged V8 sedan with a six-speed manual transmission sending torque to the rear wheels. On paper, it’s epic, given Maslow’s entire Automotive Needs Hierarchy (except, perhaps, “reduced weight” – the CT5-V Blackwing weighs about two tons). I can’t wait to drive this machine.
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The other car that Cadillac showed was the CT4-V, which also comes standard with a manual transmission and also has a driven engine that sends torque to the rear wheels, although that engine is a V6, and the high air pressure from the manifold of intake comes from a pair of turbochargers instead of a supercompressor.
Here is a small demonstration of these two cars with marketing manager Ken Kornas:
When Cadillac released power values for the regular CT4-V and CT5-V, the automotive media practically spat out their drink and laughed. “We regret to inform you that the Cadillac CT4-V has only 24 HP more than a Toyota Camry, ”My colleague wrote after Jalopnik’s initial article entitled“Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V 2020 arrive without the big power we are used to. “
After being spoiled by 464 HP ATS-V and 640 HP CTS-V, we were not thrilled with the insignificant 325 HP turbocharged inline – four on the CT4-V or 360-HP twin-turbo V6 on the CT5-V. “Hey, this isn’t the real V, is it?” mine andditor-in-Chief Rory Carroll He asked Cadillac at an event in 2019. The brand responded that a “big V” was in development. Now he’s here with his little brother.
The 668-The HP CT5-V Blackwing can supposedly get a 0-60 mph time of 3.7 seconds and reach a top speed of more than 320 mph. The 472-HP, 445 lb-ft CT4-V Blackwing takes a tenth more to reach 60, and its top speed reaches about 189 mph, per Cadillac. Both cars are built on the Alpha II platform, the successor to the Alpha platform that underpinned the Chevy Camaro and the Cadillac ATS. Like the ATS and Camaro, the CT4 and CT5 have MacPherson struts and five link configurations at the rear.
Speaking of ATS, the CT4-V Blackwing will probably be quite similar to the V model of that car, which was a excellent driver car thanks to the incredible sense of direction and precise handling. The CT4 has essentially the same engine and transmission, with approximately the same power (up to 8 HP). Car And Driver analyzes the differences, writing in its history 472-HP 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is like an ATS-V, but better:
Chassis upgrades include larger front and rear brake rotors, a newer version of standard magnetoreological dampers and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires instead of the old Pilot Super Sport rubber. These tires involve 18-inch wheels with a staggered width configuration; The magnesium wheels that Cadillac sparked before it will not be available until later in the production run. The box for the limited-slip electronic differential is now made of aluminum, which Cadillac says saves 22 pounds. The curb’s total weight increased by about 77 pounds.
I’m in conflict here, because as much as I love the idea of an improved ATS-V that handles well, the bigger and heavier CT5-V Blackwing has the V8 with a 1.7 liter Eaton compressor in it, and you know it it will sound much, much better. So the question is, do you choose agile handling (ish) or do you choose the glorious sound of a powered V8?
Maybe I’m a little basic, but my initial primary instinct is to go with option B.
The Hardware
Cadillac had no engineers in my preview session at a warehouse in Warren, Michigan, so the brand was unable to delve into the technology of the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing. But right away, it was obvious how epic cooling systems are – not surprising, given that the ATS-V was a masterpiece in this area.
Each car has about a dozen heat exchangers, with tiny outboard motors tilted and slightly angled inward:
My favorite heat exchanger (everyone should have a favorite heat exchanger, right?) In the CT4-V it’s the plane at the front, which I’m pretty sure will cool the transmission and the rear differential.
A heat exchanger whose face is actually parallel to the air flow ?! It seems counterintuitive, but it makes sense if you consider that it is located just in front of the main cooling module, which – due to your restriction – creates a high pressure area in front of you. This high pressure, together with the low pressure under the vehicle as the air passes at high speed, forces the air through the heat exchanger mounted parallel to the floor of the car:
While we are on the topic of aerodynamics, Cadillac says the new grille design is a key enabler to improve airflow over the ATS-V, and the brand mentions a new carbon fiber Aero Pack, which is supposed to reduce lift 214 percent in the CT4 -V Blackwing and 75 percent in the CT5-V Blackwing. Needless to say, there is a drag penalty.
Also exciting are the “airflow channeling strakes” that make above what Cadillac calls “Underwing” – basically, an underbody airflow strategy that Cadillac says reduces drag and improves runway performance:
Speaking of the bottom of the body, here is a V series logo “Easter Egg” on the bottom of the electronic liquid cooling cover differential:
The bthe rakes are huge. The rotors of the CT4-V Blackwing are 15 inches at the front and 13.4 at the rear, while the bigger brother has rotors at 15.7 inches at the front of the driver and 14.7s at the rear. Both cars have six piston calipers on the nose and four piston jaws on the tail.
The standard manual transmission is a six-speed Tremec, with a double-disc LuK clutch. If you are not familiar with how a double disc clutch works, it essentially involves bolting a housing to the steering wheel, using the axial space to create an additional surface for an additional clutch to cling to. Here, watch this Aussie show how it works:
Both cars have rotation matching capability and “No-Lift Shift”, which is what it looks like: you can hold the gas pedal hard while shifting – something that, by Cadillac, helps to keep the CT4-V Blacking’s turbos up.
There is also a 10-speed automatic firearm available if you like that sort of thing.
Prices
The CT4-V Blackwing costs $ 59,990, while the CT5-V Blackwing costs $ 84,990. These are higher base prices than those of the Audi RS3 and BMW M3 with which GM says the two cars compete, respectively. I can’t wait to find out how the Caddies will fare on the track against their German colleagues. Will Cadillac’s Series V internal combustion engine do cars come out on top?