2022 CADILLAC CT5-V BLACKWING
Ends on a High Note
Caddy’s last V-8-powered V car is so good, fans will demand a follow-up before the performance subbrand goes electric.
It’s a bittersweet symphony. Hearing the supercharged small-block’s raunchy and bellowing soundtrack reverberate against pit wall is as thrilling as it is sad. Every pass reminds us that the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing will be the 18-year-old subbrand’s last go at a gas-powered performance sedan. At least Cadillac saved the best for last—the new CT4-V Blackwing is just as wonderful—as the CT5-V Blackwing will be remembered as one of best sports sedans ever made, period.
Before you accuse us of getting carried away, consider that the Blackwing’s segment, one that used to be filled with high-revving V-8s and V-10s and plenty of manual transmissions, has changed into something entirely different. When the first-gen CTS-V arrived for the 2004 model year, the competitive set featured rear-drive BMWS and Mercedes-benzes, naturally aspirated engines were the norm, and Jaguar still built super sedans. Lexus hadn’t given an F yet, and that’s pretty much still true. Audis predicted the turbo and all-wheel-drive future, and it’s a recipe the segment now follows, except for Cadillac. Instead of following the crowd, Cadillac doubled down on rear drive, the manual gearbox, and sports-car dynamics.
Investment and constant improvement has brought us to the point that the automatic transmission is now the performance option, and the CT5-V Blackwing is no different. Cadillac’s 10-speed automatic carries a $2275 option price, but the real cost (apart from atrophy of your left leg and your car-loving soul) is $1875 because the auto carries a gas-guzzler tax of $1700 to the manual’s $2100 tariff. Faster around a track and in a straight line, sprints to 60 mph will take less than 4.0 seconds with a few tenths advantage going to the automatic. From just above idle to its 6500-rpm redline, the engine delivers big, supercharged smacks of instant power in a way that will make you forget about electric motors. While the automatic can be considered a performance option, the manual is what you really want. Shifts are positive and mechanical, and Cadillac gives three-pedal buyers more goodies, including a no-lift feature that allows you to safely keep your right foot buried as you upshift and automatic rev matching on downshifts for those of you who have yet to master the heel-and-toe downshift. Purists can turn off rev matching if they are put off when a car does something that they enjoy doing.
At 4150 pounds, the big Blackwing is just that: big. In fact, we haven’t driven a car this large with a manual in some time. It’s as about the size of a short-wheelbase BMW 7-series from the 1990s. Fond memories of youth return, including remembrances of the rad dads in the ‘80s and ‘90s who would rip through the gears of a manual-transmission sports sedan on the way to school.
Part of the big Blackwing’s magic is that it acts like a smaller car. Body motions are kept in close check, the front-to-rear balance doesn’t overly stress the front or the rear end in cornering, and every component is tuned to hide the effects of the mass from the driver. Understeer is resisted to the point that the chassis is daringly neutral,