Road Test: The Beastly 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Is the American Muscle Car Refined

Date:2025-08-27 20:17:08 Category:tech Views:1 Comment:0

Back in the early aughts, executives at Cadillac took a look at what the Germans were up to and decided that they wanted to distance the company’s longstanding association with stodgy land yachts. Keen to reel in a younger demographic, the stateside automaker introduced the V-Series in 2003, a line of high-performance models designed to go toe-to-toe with those from the likes of BMW’s M division and AMG. By 2008, Cadillac had captured the Nürburgring lap record for production sedans with the CTS-V—a midsize, rear-wheel-drive sedan that packed a variant of the supercharged V-8 that powered the sixth-generation Corvette ZR1. Thus, Cadillac definitively proved that the V-Series badge wasn’t just a marketing exercise.

But while BMW’s high-performance design philosophies have changed significantly in the time since, Cadillac’s CT5-V Blackwing is essentially an evolution of the same formula that guided the development of its record-breaking forebear nearly two decades ago: Rear-wheel-drive simplicity, a honed chassis, and a boosted V-8 that dominates the conversation. Compared to the latest BMW M5, it feels like an atavism of sorts, and it’s all the better for it.

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What’s New For 2025

In production since 2022, the CT5-V Blackwing has been revamped for the 2025 model year. While rivals turn to electrification and all-wheel drive in pursuit of loftier performance stats, the Blackwing’s core ethos remains unaltered. A 668 hp, 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 still feeds its grunt exclusively to the rear wheels through either a 10-speed automatic or a six-speed manual gearbox, while big Brembo brakes and a sport-tuned suspension outfitted with GM’s excellent fourth-generation Magnetic Ride Control dampers provide the footing.

A redesigned fascia featuring vertically stacked LED headlights and larger air intakes gives the front end a more aggressive look, while a new 33-inch curved LED display—serving as both the gauge cluster and the infotainment touchscreen—provides the cabin with a significant technological glow-up. The new system features an array of real-time performance telemetry, such as G-force, tire temperature, and engine vitals, and the available Performance Data Recorder can provide a sector-by-sector analysis of track laps alongside video playback on the display.

Three new colors—Drift Metallic, Deep Space Metallic, and Typhoon Metallic—also join the options sheet for 2025, as does the Precision Package. Designed to further hone the CT5-V Blackwing’s track performance, the Precision Package includes cross-drilled carbon-ceramic brake rotors as well as new calibrations for the dampers, steering system, and the electronically controlled limited-slip differential. Stiffer springs, a larger front stabilizer bar, and revised suspension bushings are also part of the deal, as are new steering knuckles and rear suspension toe links that allow for more aggressive wheel alignment.

Design

Although the CT5-V Blackwing doesn’t have the commanding visual presence of, say, an Audi RS7, or the inherent utility of a BMW M5 Touring, it has always effectively played up the “brute in a suit” vibe thanks to its hunkered down stance, comparatively slender bodywork, and fastback-style roofline. The styling tweaks made for 2025 aren’t a huge departure from the outgoing model, but the new front end does give the car a more overtly performance-oriented persona while also bringing it closer in the line with Cadillac’s current design language. Our tester was outfitted with the Carbon Fiber 1 package, which includes a front splitter, front wheel well deflectors, and a rear spoiler all made from the racy lightweight material, but the overarching theme here is as much about exercising restraint as it is about projecting performance intent.

The cabin, meanwhile, retains its excellent 18-way massaging sport seats that are adjustable, heated, and ventilated. Such features as quilted leather and the customizable “V Mode” button on the steering wheel (which allows you to call up your favorite combination of performance settings with one button press) serve as reminders that you’re piloting something special. But on the other hand, misaligned stitching and switchgear that looks like it was plucked from a Silverado also serve as reminders that you’re piloting a GM product.

Although the new curved display looks great and tangibly elevates the sense of luxury, its odd menu layout regularly sent us on extended searches for features and settings. Also, the fact that 2025 CT5-V Blackwings equipped with an automatic transmission get a volume knob and a rotary dial for infotainment control, while models outfitted with the manual gearbox do not, smacks of ill-advised cost cutting. The transmission options have required two different center-console designs since the Blackwing’s debut in 2022, both of which carry over for 2025. Those controls are located on the center console in automatic-equipped cars, but the shifter for the manual transmission requires too much space to include them there, so they had previously been located on a panel right below the infotainment display.

That panel has been tossed out with the introduction of the new curved display, and as a result, these controls have been eliminated from manual-equipped CT5-V Blackwings entirely. And that means that the only way to adjust the audio system’s output level, for example, is to repeatedly press one of the volume buttons on the steering wheel. If there’s a mute button, or even a home button, we couldn’t find either of them. This might sound like a nitpick, but in a car with an as-tested price that’s within a few grand of the M5 we drove earlier this year, it can’t really be dismissed as par for the course. Cadillac does, however, win back a few points for keeping some physical controls around instead of relegating everything to the touchscreen, even if some of the buttons look a bit chintzy.

Power Train And Hardware

The power-train configuration carries over unchanged from the outgoing CT5-V Blackwing, but to be fair, it didn’t really need much. The 6.2-liter pushrod V-8 is outfitted with a 1.7-liter Eaton blower that adds up to 10 psi of boost to the mix and dishes out that 668 hp and 659 ft lbs of torque in turn. Essentially a mildly reworked version of the LT4 V-8 that motivated the seventh-generation Corvette Z06 and the sixth-generation Camaro ZL1, it’s a muscle-car engine through and through, as evidenced by its 6,600 rpm redline. But the absence of turbo lag is a refreshing change of pace; the power plant sounds like you’re exiting pit lane at the Daytona 500, and its all-aluminum construction keeps the weight down.

Paired with the six-speed manual, the CT5-V Blackwing is capable of reaching 60 mph from rest in 3.6 seconds; opting for the ten-speed automatic reduces this figure by two-tenths of a second. Regardless of which transmission you choose, Cadillac says the sedan will blow past 200 mph.

While those power figures are a few ponies shy of the latest M5, it’s important to keep in mind that, with a curb weight of just over 4,100 pounds, this Caddy is more than 1,200 pounds lighter than BMW’s 717 hp, hybridized, all-wheel-drive Autobahn stormer. This gives the Blackwing a significant advantage when it comes to its power-to-weight ratio, which can be seen in the telemetry and felt from behind the wheel in just about every metric that isn’t accelerating to freeway speeds from a dead stop.

Performance

A midsize performance sedan with a manual transmission may seem like an anachronism in 2025, but those who are looking for a more engaging drive experience will have a hard time finding it with one of the Blackwing’s rivals. The clutch is perfectly weighted and has a clearly defined bite point, the smooth precision of the shifter makes it satisfying to row through the gears (even when just tooling around town), and the feral bark of the V-8 during automatically rev-matched downshifts (a feature which can be turned on or off via a button on the center console) adds to the sense of occasion.

The six-speed manual also supports “no lift” shifting, which allows the driver to keep the throttle pinned to the floorboard during upshifts, but recalibrating one’s own muscle memory to take advantage of this feature does take some deliberate effort. Earlier this year, we got to spend some time with a Blackwing that was equipped with the automatic, and while the ten-speed is generally competent and unobtrusive, this car is simply a lot more fun to drive with three pedals.

Our test vehicle was also equipped with the aforementioned Precision Package, and while the suspension tuning is noticeably firmer than that of the standard Blackwing, its ride quality still isn’t as harsh as the latest M5 around town and out on the highway. This car showed up on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S summer tires, but super-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R track tires are also optionally available. As for the latter rubber, it undoubtedly brings an additional dose of stiffness to the proceedings alongside its enhanced grip and more immediate response to steering inputs.

Out in the hills, the Blackwing’s V-8 bellows through the canyons while its rear-drive layout and sophisticated Performance Traction Management system equate to precisely measured drama whenever the loud pedal is called upon to deliver some theatrics on corner exit. The Precision Package unsurprisingly earns its keep out here, offering even better body control and more immediate turn-in than the standard CT5-V Blackwing, and the firm, linear pedal feel from the carbon-ceramic brake setup makes it easy to dole out just the right amount of stopping power for the situation. However, it’s worth noting that the CT5-V Blackwing can certainly hold its own on a fast backroad with the standard suspension and brake hardware, and that makes this $18,000 option ultimately feel a bit gratuitous for all but the hottest track-day hot shoes.

Is It Worth It?

Yes. The CT5-V Blackwing may not be the last word in straight-line performance in this segment, but the fact that it’s the only four-door that still offers the timeless combination of rowdy V-8 power, rear-wheel drive, and a manual transmission makes it feel legitimately special amongst a crop of bloated sports sedans that are becoming more and more alike. While certain options can erode some of the value proposition that the model offers over its German rivals, the starting price is still under six figures, and the driving experience for the coin is simply unparalleled. Now, if only Cadillac would bring back the wagon . . .