The first examples of the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing have been auctioned for a lot of money. As the headline implies, the compact executive sedan hammered for $165,000 while the V8-engined land missile went for $265,000. All of the proceeds will benefit Black Ambition, a non-profit charity that helps Black and Latinx entrepreneurs.
To put those figures into perspective, the Monroney sticker for the CT4-V Blackwing reads $59,990 excluding destination charge for the base specification. The CT5-V Blackwing is a little costlier at $84,990 before freight, but then again, the mid-size sedan is the most powerful Caddy ever.
Suck-squeeze-bang-blow comes courtesy of a 6.2-liter V8, a supercharged lump with good ol’ pushrods instead of a DOHC valvetrain as you’ll see under the hood of the upcoming Corvette Z06. The small-block motor develops a whopping 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet (893 Nm) of torque, and being a driver’s car, a six-speed manual is offered. Customers who prefer two pedals can go for the 10-speed auto that was co-developed with Ford.
The lesser sibling takes its mojo from a 3.6-liter V6 with a couple of turbos for good measure. 427 horsepower and 445 pound-feet (603 Nm) of torque are nothing to scoff at, but looking at the bigger picture, BMW offers much more from 3.0 liters of displacement and six cylinders arranged in a line.
Performance Eurowerks of Buffalo Grove, Illinois has recently strapped a non-competition M4 onto the dyno, and the real-world figures are very different from those on paper. More to the point, the S58 engine develops circa 547 force-fed ponies instead of 473 horsepower as quoted by BMW.
On the upside, the Bavarian automaker’s twin-turbocharged M5 CS isn’t as potent as the brand-new CT5-V Blackwing. The North American challenger may also be Cadillac’s final attempt at making an internal combustion-engined performance car, and that’s because GM prepares for an electric future.
General Motors has announced that it will stop making ICE vehicles - from economy cars to pickup trucks - by 2035. In their place, the likes of the GMC Hummer EV and the upcoming Corvette-like SUV will have to suffice.
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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