Back in the olden days, Cadillac used to mean luxobarges. But ever since the 2004 model year CTS-V, the premier marque of the General Motors roster started making sporty automobiles.
The original came with the LS6 naturally-aspirated small block, rated at 400 horsepower and 395 pound-feet (536 Nm) of torque. Fast forward to the 2022 model year CT5-V Blackwing's LT4, a supercharged lump that belts out a staggering 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet (893 Nm).
Those numbers are better than the Chevy Camaro ZL1. More powerful and torquier than the F90-generation BMW M5 CS, the CT5-V Blackwing is capable of hitting more than 200 miles per hour (a little over 320 kilometers per hour). The manual-equipped sedan in the video below topped 196 miles per hour (315 kilometers per hour) on a closed course, two miles per hour over the Corvette Stingray's top end.
From the sound alone you can tell this isn't your ordinary CT5-V Blackwing. As the headline implies, we're dealing with a 1,000-horsepower upgrade package. Hennessey H1000 is what it's called, and the secret sauce comes in the form of a high-flow supercharger upgrade. The Texas-based tuner also works its magic on the induction system, heads, camshafts, valves, springs, retainers, lifters, pushrods, and fuel system.
An oversized heat exchanger also needs to be mentioned, together with long-tube headers that allow the 6.2-liter engine to breathe out better. The list of modifications further includes high-flow catalytic converters, along with an ECU calibration, a serial-numbered engine bay plaque, and some badges. In typical fashion, Hennessey doesn't say how much these upgrades add to the CT5-V Blackwing's price tag.
The successor to the CTS-V carries a sticker price of $91,995 at press time, excluding the destination charge. By comparison, the CT5-V without the Blackwing suffix can be yours for $50,995 with 360 ponies on deck from a twin-turbo V6. The regular CT5, which relies on a four-cylinder turbo, is listed by the configurator at $38,195.
Cadillac's pinnacle of performance is joined by a 682-hp take on the Escalade. For some reason or another, the Escalade-V doesn't feature the Blackwing suffix of its three-box sibling. It does make a little more power, though, yet produces six pound-feet of torque less than the sedan.
The only GM truck-based SUV to feature the LT4 engine is – of course – the most expensive of the bunch as well. Even by GMC Hummer EV Edition 1 standards, the Escalade-V is a helluva lot of money at $149,695 for the standard wheelbase or $3,000 more for the long-wheelbase ESV.
General Motors will discontinue the combustion-engined Camaro in early 2024 for – supposedly – an electric sedan. Be that as it may, the biggest of the Big Three in Detroit isn't abandoning the small-block architecture anytime soon.
Back in January 2023, the company announced that it would allocate $579 million to prepare Flint Engine Operations in Michigan for the sixth-gen small block. Although it remains to be seen if the next Escalade will receive a V8, we're utmost certain the next Corvette and full-size pickup trucks will make use of the sixth-generation small block.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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