Photo: c_zr1 / Instagram
Like many of its peers, Cadillac has had to adapt to the new realities of the global automotive industry – and it had to do it fast. As such, there is now less focus on traditional passenger cars and more attention given to CUVs and SUVs, even from the high-performance POV.
Sure, just like any other self-respecting luxury automaker, Cadillac is resisting change with poise and elegance. This is why its General Motors peers from Buick and Chevrolet together have just one passenger car nameplate (Chevy's mid-size Malibu) left on sale, while Caddy fans can order the CT4, CT5, and Celestiq, plus derivatives.
And, speaking of the latter, of course, they're all of the feisty high-performance variety. The base option is the replacement of the Cadillac ATS model in V-performance form. That would be the CT4-V, which kicks off at an MSRP of $46,595 and offers some cool driving feelings through an inline-four turbo 2.7-liter packing 325 horsepower. Next up on the ladder is the replacement of the CTS series, the CT5 with its CT5-V sibling that rocks a 3.0-liter turbo V6 with a little more oomph – 360 hp for a starting quotation of at least $50,995.
But wait, as we are not done yet. Not at all, as we also have the Blackwings to discuss, a bonkers last hurrah for the passenger car series from Cadillac. The CT4-V Blackwing starts from $61k and has a relatively large 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 tuned to 472 hp and 445 lb-ft (603 Nm) to claim a zero to 60 mph (96 kph) sprint time of 3.9 seconds on the way to a maximum speed of 189 mph (304 kph). Of course, everyone knows the CT5-V Blackwing is even more significant, thanks to the use of a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that unleashes no less than 668 ponies and 659 lb-ft (893 Nm) of torque to smoke rivals like the BMW M5 in 3.4 seconds to 60 mph and also hit a top speed of 209 mph (336 kph).
And, since we said Cadillac is slowly but steadily adapting to the CUV, SUV, and truck-loving times, they now also have the first-ever behemoth V-series model, the Caddy Escalade-V, which can also be had in humongous Escalade-V ESV form with the same Blackwing V8 and some additional ponies (682 hp and 653 lb-ft or 885 Nm). That pretty much signaled the paradigm shift for the traditional V-series models – and from now on, we have to also think of them in high-rider terms.
For now, the real world only has the massive Escalade-V, but things will change soon. And the imaginative realm of digital car content creators thinks this will be done by starting with the recently updated 2024 Cadillac XT4 to ensure they have covered both the top and base before proceeding further inside the range. And the virtual artist tucked behind the c_zr1 moniker on social media is ready to give us CGI food for thought in the form of a high-performance Cadillac XT4-V modeled after the 2024 XT4, but also the CT4-V Blackwing.
Naturally, that also helps with the powertrain recommendations. So, instead of the current XT4's same 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder lump of 235 hp also shared with the pre-facelifted model, the CGI expert quickly dreamt of the unofficial XT4-V sporting the CT4-V Blackwing's neat 3.6-liter V6 with 472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft or 603 Nm! Cool, right?
And, speaking of the latter, of course, they're all of the feisty high-performance variety. The base option is the replacement of the Cadillac ATS model in V-performance form. That would be the CT4-V, which kicks off at an MSRP of $46,595 and offers some cool driving feelings through an inline-four turbo 2.7-liter packing 325 horsepower. Next up on the ladder is the replacement of the CTS series, the CT5 with its CT5-V sibling that rocks a 3.0-liter turbo V6 with a little more oomph – 360 hp for a starting quotation of at least $50,995.
But wait, as we are not done yet. Not at all, as we also have the Blackwings to discuss, a bonkers last hurrah for the passenger car series from Cadillac. The CT4-V Blackwing starts from $61k and has a relatively large 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 tuned to 472 hp and 445 lb-ft (603 Nm) to claim a zero to 60 mph (96 kph) sprint time of 3.9 seconds on the way to a maximum speed of 189 mph (304 kph). Of course, everyone knows the CT5-V Blackwing is even more significant, thanks to the use of a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 that unleashes no less than 668 ponies and 659 lb-ft (893 Nm) of torque to smoke rivals like the BMW M5 in 3.4 seconds to 60 mph and also hit a top speed of 209 mph (336 kph).
And, since we said Cadillac is slowly but steadily adapting to the CUV, SUV, and truck-loving times, they now also have the first-ever behemoth V-series model, the Caddy Escalade-V, which can also be had in humongous Escalade-V ESV form with the same Blackwing V8 and some additional ponies (682 hp and 653 lb-ft or 885 Nm). That pretty much signaled the paradigm shift for the traditional V-series models – and from now on, we have to also think of them in high-rider terms.
For now, the real world only has the massive Escalade-V, but things will change soon. And the imaginative realm of digital car content creators thinks this will be done by starting with the recently updated 2024 Cadillac XT4 to ensure they have covered both the top and base before proceeding further inside the range. And the virtual artist tucked behind the c_zr1 moniker on social media is ready to give us CGI food for thought in the form of a high-performance Cadillac XT4-V modeled after the 2024 XT4, but also the CT4-V Blackwing.
Naturally, that also helps with the powertrain recommendations. So, instead of the current XT4's same 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder lump of 235 hp also shared with the pre-facelifted model, the CGI expert quickly dreamt of the unofficial XT4-V sporting the CT4-V Blackwing's neat 3.6-liter V6 with 472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft or 603 Nm! Cool, right?
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