The Chevrolet SS never got the chance of getting a supercharged V8 engine. General Motors atoned for it with the far more luxurious and expensive Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, which rolled out for the 2022 model year with a recommended sticker price of $84,990 for the six-speed manual or $88,165 for the ten-speed automatic.
What makes the CT5-V Blackwing such a tantalizing car in the midsize luxury performance sedan segment? Of course, it all comes down to the small block hiding under the hood. Based on the LT1, the LT4 makes 668 horsepower at 6,500 rpm with the help of a 1.7-liter blower.
Torque peaks at 3,600 revolutions per minute to the tune of 659 pound-feet, which means 893 Nm in metric. Those numbers wouldn't mean a thing without context, said context being the curb weight of 4,123 pounds (1,870 kilograms) for the manual and 4,142 pound (1,879 kilograms) for the automatic. By comparison, the BMW M5 CS flaunts 627 horsepower and 553 pound-feet (750 Nm), and a curb weight of 4,023 pounds (1,825 kilos).
Texas-based Hennessey Performance Engineering dyno'd the CT5-V Blackwing to find out how many of those ponies actually get to the rear wheels. The answer is most of them, namely 596.99 at 6,010 revolutions per minute. When it comes to torque, HPE recorded 632.62 pound-feet (858 Nm) at 3,730 revolutions per minute.
The black-painted car in the video below is currently undergoing a transformation. John Hennessey made a name for himself by means of no-nonsense tuning packages. In this case, the CT5-V Blackwing will be taken to a Bugatti Veyron-shaming 1,000 horsepower.
H1000 is what Hennessy calls the upgrade package, which further elevates the peak torque rating to 966 pound-feet (1,310 Nm). That's turbo diesel heavy-duty pickup truck territory, with the Silverado HD Duramax coming to mind with its 975 pound-feet (1,322 Nm).
Covered by a two-year limited warranty, the H1000 upgrade package comprises an auxiliary fuel system, ported cylinder heads, a high-performance camshaft, high-flow induction, new intake and exhaust valves, new springs and retainers, new lifters and pushrods, and better cooling in the form of an oversized heat exchanger. Of course, Hennessey Performance Engineering also works its magic on the headers and cats.
Every build is tested for up to 500 miles (805 kilometers) before delivery, with every build further boasting Hennessey and H1000 exterior badging. Curiously enough, the tuner didn't mention a thing about transmission upgrades when the H1000 CT5-V Blackwing was officially presented in June 2023.
The Hydra-Matic 10L90 transmission of the pictured vehicle is rated from the factory at circa 900 Nm, which converts to 664 pound-feet of torque. Ford uses a similar nomenclature for its ten-speed automatic. The 10R60 of the Bronco, for example, takes 600 Nm (443 lb-ft).
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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