This is the end. Cadillac, a brand with a rich history of filling giant gasoline engines under the hoods of luxury sedans, is about to quit by internal combustion, but not before leaving with an explosion. Well, twice, with one of them called CT5-V Blackwing, a 668-6.2 liter supercharged V8 sedan with a standard transmission … standard. The other is the CT4-V Blackwing, a smaller 472HP 3.6-liter twin-turbo sedan V6 that also includes a stick change, according to the orders of the car gods. Let’s take a first look at these latest hurray for the high-performance gasoline Cadillacs.
The auto industry is rapidly entering the electric age, so it feels a little strange for Cadillac to release two totally conventional flagship sedans. But this is Cadillacs ’latest performance petrol support, and my god is GM’s premium brand that comes out on the scales.
So much power, so many pedals
The CT5-V is 668 hp, 659-pound supercharged V8 sedan with six-speed manual transmission that sends torque to the rear wheels. On paper, it’s epic and fulfills the entirety of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Automotive Needs (apart from perhaps the “low weight of the curb”) – the CT5-V Blackwing weighs about two tons). I can’t wait to drive this machine.
G / O Media may receive a commission
The other car that Cadillac showed was the CT4-V, which also comes standard with a manual transmission, and also has a driven engine that sends torque to the rear wheels, although this engine is a V6, and the High intake manifold air pressure comes from a pair of turbochargers instead of a supercharger.
Here’s a little ride of these two cars with Marketing Director Ken Kornas:
When Cadillac released power figures for the normal CT4-V and CT5-V, the automotive media almost spat out their drink and laughed. “We are sorry to inform you that the Cadillac CT4-V has only 24 hp more than a Toyota Camry“My colleague wrote after Jalopnik’s initial article titled”The Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V 2020 arrive without the great power we are used to“.
After being damaged by the 464 CV ATS-V i 640 hp CTS-V, we were not excited to have the poor turbocharged 325 hp in line-four of the CT4-V or 360-HP twin-turbo V6 to CT5-V. “Hey, this isn’t the real V, is it?” my ECreator in 100hief Rory Carroll he asked Cadillac at an event in 2019. The brand responded that a “big V” was being developed. He is now here along with his little brother.
The 668-HP CT5-V Blackwing can presumably reach a time of 0.7 km / h of 3.7 seconds and reach a top speed of more than 200 mph. The 472-HP, 445 lb-ft CT4-V Blackwing takes a tenth more when it reaches 60 and its top speed plateaus at about 189 mph, for Cadillac. Both cars are built on the Alpha II platform, the successor to the Alpha platform that underpinned the Chevy Camaro and Cadillac ATS. Like the ATS and Camaro, the CT4 and CT5 have MacPherson strut front suspensions and five-link configurations at the rear.
Speaking of ATS, the CT4-V Blackwing will probably be quite similar to the V model of this car, which was a excellent driver car thanks to the incredible steering feel and sharp handling. The CT4 has basically the same engine and transmission, with approximately the same power (up 8 hp). Car ANd Driver gets into the differences, writing in his story 472-HP 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is like an ATS-V, but better:
Chassis upgrades include larger front and rear brake rotors, a newer version of the standard magnetoreological shock absorbers and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires instead of the old Pilot Super Sport tire. These tires surround 18-inch wheels with a stepped-width configuration; the magnesium wheels that Cadillac caused before it will not be available until later in production. The housing of the electronic limited slip differential is now aluminum, which according to Cadillac saves 22 kilos. The total weight of the frequency increases by 77 pounds.
Here I am in conflict, because as much as I love the idea of an improved ATS-V that fits well, the larger CT5-V Blackwing and a couple of hundred pounds has the V8 with a 1 Eaton supercharger. 7 liters. about that, and you know it will sound much, much better. So the question is: Do you choose agile handling (ish) or choose the glorious sound of a powered V8?
Maybe I’m a little basic, but my initial primary instinct is to go with option B.
The hardware
Cadillac didn’t have engineers in my preview session at a warehouse in Warren, Michigan, so the brand couldn’t delve into CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing technology. But then it was obvious how epic the cooling systems are – not surprising, as the ATS-V was one masterpiece in this area.
All cars have about a dozen heat exchangers, with bumpers sloping and tilted slightly inward:
My favorite heat exchanger (everyone should have a favorite heat exchanger, right?) On the CT4-V is the front plane, which I’m pretty sure cools the transmission and rear differential.
A heat exchanger whose face is really parallel to the airflow ?! It sounds counterintuitive, but it makes sense if you consider that it is located just in front of the main cooling module, which – due to its restriction – it creates a high pressure zone in front of itself. This high pressure, along with the low pressure under the vehicle while the air is running at high speed, forces the air through the heat exchanger mounted parallel to the car floor:
As we talk about aerodynamics, Cadillac claims that the new grille design is a key factor in improving airflow over the ATS-V and that the brand mentions a new Aero Fiber Carbon package, which supposedly reduces the elevation by 214 percent on the CT4-V Blackwing and 75 percent on the CT5-V Blackwing. Needless to say, there is a drag penalty.
Also exciting are the “airflow duct stripes” that are made underneath up what Cadillac calls “Underwing” – basically, a lower airflow strategy that according to Cadillac reduces drag and improves runway performance:
Speaking of the bottom box, here’s a “Easter Egg” V-Series logo on the bottom of the liquid-cooled electronic slip differential:
The bthe rakes are huge. The CT4-V Blackwing rotors are 15 inches in front and 13.4 behind, while the older sibling has 15.7-inch rotors in front of the driver and 14.7 seconds behind. Both cars have six-piston calipers on the nose and four-piston grips on the tail.
The standard manual transmission is a six-speed Tremec, with a dual-disc LuK clutch. In case you are unfamiliar with the operation of a two-disc clutch, it is basically screwing a housing to the steering wheel, using axial space to create an extra surface to grab an additional clutch. Here, take a look at this Australian that shows you how it works:
Both cars have the ability to match revs and “no lift”, which is what it sounds like: you can stay hard on the accelerator pedal while shifting – something that, for Cadillac, helps keep the CT4-V Blacking’s turbos on momentum.
There’s also a 10-speed automatic available if you’re engaged in this sort of thing.
Prices
The CT4-V Blackwing starts at $ 59,990, while the CT5-V Blackwing costs $ 84,990. These are higher base prices than those of the Audi RS3 and BMW M3 with which GM claims to compete the two cars, respectively. What the Caddies will put up on the court against their German counterparts is something I can’t wait to find out. Will Cadillac’s internal combustion engine Series V do the cars come out?