In the long and rich history books of racing, the name Cadillac doesn’t take the first page, or even the opening chapter, despite some successful attempts to shed its business garment a few times and put on the track shoes. Lately, the luxury brand from General Motors has announced its intentions to build Formula One engines. But that’s still in the wraps, and it won’t quench the thirst for a proper street car for the track.
The Blackwings from the CT4-V and CT5-V are probably the owner’s closest call to a full-blown track-ready Cadillac that can also get the kids to and from school every day. But both are four-door sedans and the last go-fast coupe from the luxury brand, the ATS-V, came too long ago. It’s been five years since the nameplate left the showrooms and left a void that can’t be filled with just anything else.
Well, there is always a cure for reality – and you guessed it by now, it lives in the binary happy hunting grounds of virtuality. It’s a full-blown coupe with a massive overdose of attitude, and the shardy profile will almost splice an onlooker’s eyesight with aggressive lines and abrupt angles.
The greatest part about this imaginative exercise in Cadillac sportiness bearing the signature of Jeff Hunter (social media call sign generalmotorsjeff) is the critical piece lying under the hood. The car visualist leaves no room for speculation and plants generous breathing outlets in the rear for what would/could/should/ought to be a fire-spitting V8. (Hey, it’s a nonexistent reality, so why should it abide by the V6 trends of today’s piston decimation?)
Photo: instagram.com/@generalmotorsjeff
The megalodon-sized grille is another strong hint at internal combustion, and those front and rear aerodynamic elements aren’t there just for the sake of illustrative deception (or so we hope). Undeniably quick, unmistakable Cadillac – look at those interiors. Sport seats and all, but the comfort doesn’t have to get a notice of eviction just because the powertrain, wheels, tires, and body are all built with corner-slashing ability in mind.
Panoramic roof, enough leg room in the front to hold a dance-off for all four occupants, and a main screen big enough to watch the Superbowl from across the street, did I leave something out? Maybe the cupholder In the console because there’s no better track day than one that ends with a can of celebration.
The designer proposes several body kits for the vaguely named car, but all include low skirts and front aprons, massive canards and diffusers, flared fenders that barely fit the fat tires, road-hugging ground effects, and an aircraft carrier landing deck instead of the main wing at the back. Alas, if the hypothetical engineering were to match its looks, this car would probably fare better than the nefariously elusive CT6-V. The first of the Blackwing family has turned out to be – at least for some owners – a money pit that Mount Rushmore couldn’t fill.
I sure hope the bright yellow accents on the interior of this pixel-carved Blackwing Coupe are simply a coincidence and not an omen about its build quality. Then again, when life gives you lemons, make virtual plans about lemonade.
After nearly two decades in news television, Răzvan turned to a different medium. He’s been a field journalist, a TV producer, and a seafarer but found that he feels right at home among petrolheads. Full profile
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