The Last and Best Gas Powered Cadillacs Ever - CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing
It isn’t a surprise to fans of the Cadillac brand, but they are making some of the best sports sedans on the market.
1st Generation CTS-V
Beginning with the Sigma platform in 2003, Cadillac dove head-first into the taut suspension, sport sedan space that had been the exclusive territory of the European brands. Not long after they dropped GM’s fabled small-block V-8 into the CTS and brought us the first V-Series. To better highlight the V-Series’ performance credentials, the V only came with a 6-speed manual transmission.
In 2008, a second generation of the Sigma chassis underpinned the next CTS and CTS-V. Unexpectedly Cadillac also brought a coupe and wagon body style to the CTS. All body styles were also in V-Series form, this time with a supercharger (though an automatic was now optional). These cars were legendary for their ability to attack both road and track in many ways the equal of their German competition.
2nd Generation CTS-V (Coupe)
However, the Sigma-based cars were all slightly larger than the competition and that somewhat muddled the market with consumers not knowing if the CTS was a 3-Series/C-Class/A4 or 5-Series/E-Class/A6 competitor.
Next up, Cadillac developed a new rear-drive platform, the Alpha chassis.
3rd Generation CTS-V(l) and 1st Generation ATS-V(r)
This platform brought two models to market…a new smaller sedan and coupe, sized more like the 3/C/A4 cars, called the ATS as well as a larger CTS that lined up with the 5/E/A6 part of the market. Both received V-Series treatment with the ATS-V getting a twin-turbo V-6 (and either a manual or automatic transmission) and the CTS-V keeping its supercharged V-8 (now only with an automatic).
Fascinatingly, the ATS ended up as a better driver’s car than any of the European competitors which had, almost at the same time, grown larger and softer. The ATS-V was easily more like the BMW M3 that had just been replaced than the new M3 of that generation.
The ATS/CTS platform mates were not long for this world, however. Cadillac’s naming scheme shifted under then president Johan de Nysschen where sedans would all be named CT with a number to denote relative size. The ATS became the new CT4 and the CTS became the new CT5.
CT4-V Blackwing
Around the same time, Cadillac decided that V-Series would split into truly track-focused products as well as merely street-focused performance/sporty trims. For s short time the sporty trim was called VSport with the track focused models retaining the V-Series name. For reasons that are somewhat lost to time, this shifted after a couple years to V-Series name becoming the VSport replacement and a brand new sub-brand of V-Series taking on the track focused duty. These track monsters became the V-Series Blackwing.
So…we were left with second generation Alpha chassis products CT4 and CT5. Their sporty trims were known as CT4-V (with a 2.7L turbo 4-cylinder @ 325hp and CT5-V (with a 3.0L twin-turbo V-6 with 360hp). Then taking the place of the old high-performance monsters are the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing.
The CT4-V Blackwing, replacing the old ATS-V, gets a 3.6L twin-turbo V-6 packing a whopping 472hp and backed by either a 6-speed manual or 10-speed automatic.
CT5-V Blackwing
The CT5-V Blackwing, which similarly replaces the old CTS-V, gets a supercharged 6.2L V-8 with 668hp and brings back the availability in the big sedan of a 6-speed manual to the 10-speed automatic.
So, why the retrospective to get us to talking about the current cars?
As you’ve heard from us or elsewhere, Cadillac is going electric. These transition is likely to be complete near 2030. This means that the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing are not only the last ultra-performance sedans from Cadillac, but are likely some of the last gasoline powered cars the brand may sell.
These will be historic cars not only for that reason but also as some of the most amazing examples of their kind from any manufacturer.
These are designed to circle road tracks around the country faster than anything that came before. As some of the last manual transmission equipped cars from GM as well, they speak to a traditional enthusiast unlike anything we may ever see again.
Are they the fastest Cadillacs ever to exist?
Certainly no.
Will Cadillac bring an electric performance sedan to market in the future that could circle a track faster still?
Certainly yes.
But, something about these cars won’t be duplicated and we’ll be sad to have seen them go…but so happy that they existed at all.