Detroit — A pair of Cadillac performance cars have begun arriving at dealers, and the CT4-V Blackwing and CT-5 Blackwing aren’t just powerful, track-ready racers. They’re the last new gas-powered sedans from General Motors’ flagship luxury brand, which is going electric by decade’s end.
The CT5-V, GM says, “is the most powerful and fastest Cadillac production model in history,” with a top track speed of more than 200 mph. And the CT4-V Blackwing “is the most powerful and fastest-ever Cadillac subcompact,” according to the Detroit automaker.
Cadillac aims to have an all-electric lineup by 2030, starting first with the Lyriq electric crossover, expected to launch in the first quarter of 2022. Experts say the transition to all-electric makes sense for Cadillac, which has struggled for years to compete with European rivals.
“What GM, in general, and Cadillac specifically are now trying to do is be ahead of the market,” said Karl Brauer, executive analyst for iseecars.com, a vehicle search site. “They’re moving into this electric vehicle world aggressively and trying to carve out their own space and define their brand at the leading edge of a market shift as opposed to the trailing edge.
“And that’s smart. I think they’ve learned from the past. They’ve said, ‘OK, be super aggressive this time around and see if we can be the ones that everyone else has to say: ‘Is this as good as the Cadillac?'”
The CT4-V Blackwing automatic goes 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, according to GM estimates. Its top speed on the racetrack was clocked at 189 mph. The CT5-V Blackwing automatic goes an estimated 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds.
The CT5-V Blackwing has an upgraded, hand-assembled 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 engine with 668 horsepower. The CT4-V Blackwing has Cadillac’s 3.6-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine with 472 horsepower.
Each comes standard with a six-speed manual gearbox. There’s also a 10-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission option.
“Driving is always a blend of the quantifiable and the subjective, and in both regards, the new CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing deliver like few other luxury sport sedans,” said Mirza Grebovic, Cadillac performance variant manager, in a statement. “They’ve got the numbers to stand with the world’s best, but they also transcend the stopwatch with the sort of satisfying driver experience that cannot be defined by lap times alone.”
The Blackwing cars, unveiled in February, are a progression from previous ATS-V and CTS-V performance sedans.
Using these race vehicles as the last internal combustion sedans for Cadillac “adds to the send-off celebration,” Brauer said. “People are gonna have this feeling that this isn’t just the last time I can buy an internal combustion luxury-oriented sedan from Cadillac but the performance version. It’s the limited production last version of this model … that does — for people who recognize the unique moment in time that it’s in — drive additional purchases.”
The first 250 builds of both models sold out in minutes, according to Cadillac. These first “Collector Series” vehicles will have two special plates on the sills and B-pillars.
The remaining 2022 CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing models are on sale now with limited availability
The CT4-V Blackwing starts at $59,990 and the fully configured version at $87,775. The CT5-V Blackwing starts at $84,990 and tops out fully configured at $125,980.
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