Specialized in go-faster upgrades, Hennessey Performance Engineering is much obliged to level up the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing to a simply insane 1,000 horsepower. The question is, how big of a difference is there between a CT5-V Blackwing with the H1000 upgrade package and a stock one?
Pictured in white and blue, the contenders both rock the six-speed manual transmission rather than the quicker automatic. Exclusive to the CT5-V Blackwing in Cadillac’s lineup, the TR-6060 was developed specifically for high-output flagships.
According to General Motors, the manual-equipped performance sedan hits 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) in 3.6 seconds, merely 0.2 off the automatic’s estimate. Regardless of transmission, Cadillac’s most powerful sedan tops over 200 miles per hour (322 kilometers per hour).
Rated at 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet (893 Nm) of torque on premium dino juice, the V8 hiding underhood is topped by a 1.7-liter supercharger. More powerful and torquier than the C7-generation Corvette Z06, the CT5-V Blackwing runs a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber boots (make that 275/35ZR19 and 305/30ZR19) from the factory.
The Z06 has a 1.7-liter blower as well, with General Motors upgrading to a 2.6-liter unit for the ZR1. To date, the C7-gen ZR1 still is the most powerful series-production Corvette of them all thanks to 755 horsepower and 715 pound-feet (969 Nm) of torque. Dubbed LT5 as opposed to LT4 for the Z06 and CT5-V Blackwing, the ZR1-specific small block is the only LT-series small block to combine direct injection with port injection.
Photo: Hennessey on YouTube
A smidge lighter than the automatic, the manual-equipped sedan tips the scales at 4,123 pounds (1,870 kilograms) as opposed to 4,142 pounds (1,879 kilograms). This being said, how does the blue-painted H1000 differ from its white sibling?
Good for 966 pound-feet (1,310 Nm) at full chatter, this heavily tuned luxury sedan sports more boost, a high-flow air induction system, an auxiliary fuel system, an HPE-developed cam, ported cylinder heads, better cooling, high-flow cats, long-tube headers, upgraded valves, valve springs, retainers, lifers, pushrods, as well as a recalibrated engine control unit. Further gifted with a serial-numbered plaque in the engine bay, the H1000 comes with a three-year warranty (or 36,000 mi / 60,000 km).
From a roll, the Hennessey-tuned monster immediately puts distance between it and the stock car. From a dig with a foot of rollout in first gear, which eliminates the need for launch control and the possibility of wheel spin, the H1000 also makes easy work of the already incredible CT5-V Blackwing. It is in a different league altogether, but then again, that is how Hennessey likes to roll.
The go-big-or-go-home upgrade package hasn’t been priced, at least not publicly. Given that Hennessey used to charge $65,000 for the HPE1000 on top of the price of the now-discontinued Cadillac CTS-V, this fellow definitely isn’t cheap. The stock car isn’t either, with Cadillac charging $93,495 plus $1,395 for destination at press time.
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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