#MOST EXPENSIVE CADILLAC CROSSOVER SUV MANUAL#

“Every part of a race car must serve a purpose,” said Brian Smith, director of exterior design at Cadillac. The new pieces are purely functional, aimed at improving airflow and vehicle dynamics. The Blackwing’s visual changes from the regular CT5s are more subtle and tasteful than the bulges and angularity of the old CTS-V, but leave no doubt about the car’s intent. A new rear valance incorporates a diffuser that’s part of a comprehensive aerodynamic setup incorporating a streamlined undertray. An available carbon-ceramic brake package can reduce unsprung weight by 53 pounds, but Cadillac has not released pricing for the setup. There are also beefed up bushings, hollow stabilizer bars and structural reinforcements to the car’s shell.Īside from slightly larger rotors, the CT5-V Blackwing’s braking system is similar to the old CTS-V’s. The system gave Cadillac’s engineers vast leeway to optimize the suspension for everyday driving and track-ready agility, Vivian said. The CT5-V Blackwing has Cadillac’s fourth-generation magnetic ride control, which uses sensors in the wheels to firm and soften the suspension in fractions of a second. It’s also 22 pounds lighter than the old CTS-V unit.

It can send up to 1,475 pound-feet of torque to the wheel with the most grip. Unlike the regular CT5s, the Blackwing is rear-wheel drive only, but features an enhanced electronic limited slip differential optimized for each driving mode. It’s likely that the automatic will yield faster lap times for those channeling their inner Lewis Hamilton. There are selectable driving modes, some developed specifically through track testing. A 10-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters is optional.

#MOST EXPENSIVE CADILLAC CROSSOVER SUV MANUAL#

The Audi RS6 can’t be far behind on the list either.Ī beefy six-speed manual transmission with automatic rev-matching and no-lift shift capability comes standard. Cadillac says the car is aimed squarely at the BMW M3 CS and Mercedes-AMG C63 S. The numbers can’t match Dodge’s 717- and 793-horsepower Hellcats, but while those cars are more about tire-smoking hooliganism, the CT5-V Blackwing, like the CTS-V, is more about carving up tracks. Cadillac offers to aerodynamics packages on the 2022 CT5-V Blackwing, the standard aero aids and an optional carbon fiber package with larger items that reduce lift by 94% over the standard items. Intake airflow is improved by 46% from the CTS-V, while the supercharger’s smaller rotors put the boost lower in the rev band. There are also internal and metallurgical changes. “There’s a new supercharger, new induction system and exhaust system,” said Brandon Vivian, Cadillac’s executive chief engineer. It’s another iteration of the LT4 V8, which powered the departed CTS-V and C7 Chevrolet Corvette Z06, but there are plenty of upgrades. The CT5-V Blackwing’s attention-grabbing 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque come from its supercharged 6.2-liter V8 and are numbers unequaled by any past Cadillac. The V brand is important to helping Cadillac reach a younger, more affluent audience.

“While these may be the last petrol vehicles we introduce, I can assure you that Cadillac’s commitment to performance will remain no matter what the propulsion system is,” said Cadillac’s global vice president Rory Harvey, at a press conference introducing the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings.įor now, Harvey emphasized their importance to the brand’s ongoing success. The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing (left) and its smaller sibling, the CT4-V Blackwing (right) may be the last gasoline-powered performance cars from GM’s luxury leader. With Cadillac headed toward an electrified future, these could be the last V-series cars with gas engines. But instead of using that engine, the Blackwings build on and improve the technology and motors of their predecessors. The Blackwing label derives from the 550-horsepower “Blackwing” V8 used in the short-lived CT6-V large sedan, dropped with the regular CT6 due to low sales in 2020. The CT5-V Blackwing gets the most superlatives but its junior partner, the CT4-V Blackwing, is no less sedate. It’s the new circuit-ready Blackwings that are the rightful heirs to the late, lamented ATS-V and CTS-V.

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