Cadillac says goodbye to performance V8 with 200 mph CT5-V Blackwing

ALTON, Virginia — Cadillac is in the process of transforming itself into an all-electric brand, with the first of these electric vehicles due for delivery next year. Which means the end of high-performance V-series versions of its cars, at least until General Motors develops a performance version of its future Ultium battery technology. In the meantime, the engineers responsible for these V-series cars have just completed their latest projects. Last week we discussed the excellent track manners of the CT4-V Blackwing sedan. Today, it’s the turn of its big brother, the CT5-V Blackwing at $ 84,990.

“This is our latest version of the family’s internal combustion engine here. We really felt like we wanted to come out on a high note,” said Tony Roma, Cadillac chief engineer. “The results, especially with the CT5, are by far the fastest and most powerful Cadillac we’ve ever made,” he said. And he thinks so. The hand-built 6.2L supercharged V8 provides the CT5-V Blackwing with 668 hp (498 kW) and 659 lb-ft (893 Nm), which translates into flagship performance such as 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds and a top speed that Roma says is “well above 200 mph” (321 km / h). Not bad for a midsize sedan that weighs 4,123 lbs (1.870 kg).

To go along with the extremely powerful engine, Cadillac added massive brakes – 398mm rotors up front and 374mm rear – which, thanks to upgrades like a dedicated parking brake caliper, helped engineers. of the CT5-V Blackwing to lose 65 lbs (29 kg) of the car’s unsprung mass. For those who wish to lose even more spinning mass, or perhaps just don’t like dealing with brake dust, there is now also an option of carbon-ceramic rotors (400mm front, 370mm in back).

The chassis has been beefed up and stiffened compared to the non-V version of the CT5, and the suspension uses the same fourth-generation Magnetic Ride Control magnetorheological shocks as the CT4-V Blackwing – Cadillac says that’s the suspension. most responsive in the world. During the development of the car, Cadillac subjected prototypes to thousands of hours on kinematic platforms, and then to hundreds of laps of test tracks (including 12 and 24 track durability tests. hours) to make sure the Blackwing could run repeatedly at the driver’s request. .

As with the smaller car, there is a choice of six-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmissions. The 10-speed starts at $ 88,165, but that includes some amenities you can’t get with the three-pedal car, including adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping and physical controls for the infotainment system. with touch screen. But you get a gearbox that Roma says will change gears faster than Porsche’s PDK dual-clutch transmission.

The end result is a sports sedan that is almost unbelievably fast on the track. We spent the morning touring the CT5-V Blackwings at Virginia International Raceway, a day after we regained the track’s awareness from the CT4-V Blackwing. Where the smaller sedan was relatively subtle, the larger CT5-V was a much more bombastic experience.

VIR’s forward straight could be more accurately called the forward parabola, as it turns from Turn 17 to Turn 1. With a decent exit from Turn 17 and my foot flat on the throttle, my brain was able to register the fact. than heads- The upward display was showing 141 mph (226 km / h) as I crossed the start and finish line, pulling a few healthy side Gs in the process. I have no doubt that the CT5-V Blackwing would hit 160 mph (257 km / h) before the first brake marker if I had kept my footing, nor that the big brakes would do their job.

Turns out 141 mph in a four-door sedan is actually pretty quick for me, especially when the only issues are the potential embarrassment (or worse) of stowing the car away. Likewise, I found that I had to brake before the Climbing Esses to avoid going into this difficult left-right-left uphill streak at over 130 mph (209 km / h). And without the temporary chicane on the long back straight, I imagine the CT5-V Blackwing would easily go above 170 mph before braking for Turn 13.

Despite the immense speed of which it is capable, the CT5-V Blackwing was remarkably well-bred on track. Even with the Performance Traction Management system in its most permissive setting (Race 2, which only kicks in to control traction out of a corner), the car was remarkably stable and balanced as long as you’re not a complete idiot with it. the accelerator pedal.

Unlike the smaller car (where the automatic transmission is the way to go), I think I would choose the manual CT5-V Blackwing over the 10-speed car. You lose a few gimmicks, and the six gears will be slower in terms of lap times. But it’s also more engaging at low speeds, and its no-lift shifting feature and rpm matching on downshifts work very well. And my concerns about using the car on the street are the same as with the CT4-V Blackwing, but magnified: it’s too fast to enjoy it properly and too thirsty to drive on a daily basis.

But to be honest, I think the CT4-V Blackwing is the perfect fit. In the CT5-V Blackwing, you get around corners much faster and have to brake harder, on top of the car’s extra mass to deal with. I’m not denying that it’s a lot of fun, because it is, and remarkably well raised for a car with so much power being sent to the rear axle. But the smaller, cheaper and lighter car is more usable on the track and on the road.

Listing image by Jonathan Gitlin