2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing debuts as brand’s most powerful model ever – 6.2L V8; 668 hp and 893 Nm - Latest Car News, Bike news & Reviews, Auto News

Cadillac has officially launched the new CT5-V Blackwing, which is the proper follow-up to the CTS-V that it offered a few years ago. The Blackwing model fixes an issue that the current CT5-V has, and that is the lack of power to be deemed a true successor to the CTS-V.

With the CT5-V Blackwing, Cadillac got rid of the relatively “lethargic” 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 found in CT5-V, replacing it with the CTS-V’s 6.2 litre supercharged V8. It isn’t just a blast from the past and a case of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” as the company gave the LT4 unit a thorough upgrade for more performance.

These include increasing the air flow intake by 46%, aluminium cylinder heads, titanium intake valves, new pulleys and a larger 1.7 litre Eaton supercharger. The end result is a hand-built engine that makes 668 hp and 893 Nm of torque, which is a huge advantage over the CT5-V’s 360 hp and 549 Nm, and more than the CTS-V’s 640 hp and 854 Nm.

For some context, the latest BMW M5 CS has 627 hp and 750 Nm, the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S 4Matic+ has 603 hp and 850 Nm. With the CT5-V’s figures, you’re looking at the most powerful Cadillac ever, capable of a top speed of over 322 km/h (200 mph) and completing the zero to 96 km/h (0-60 mph) sprint in just 3.7 seconds. The latter is with an optional 10-speed automatic transmission and magnesium paddle shifters.

If the idea of an automatic isn’t that appealing, you can save some money by sticking to the standard Tremec six-speed manual that comes with a LuK twin-disc clutch, rev matching, no-lift shift and a transmission cooler.

Regardless of the transmission, the CT5-V Blackwing comes with rear-wheel drive, an electronic limited-slip rear differential and the fourth-generation of Magnetic Ride Control (MR 4.0) adaptive dampers.

For stopping power, the car gets the largest factory-installed brakes in Cadillac history, with front rotors measuring 398 mm at the front and 373.5 mm at the rear. These are paired with Brembo six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers that are available in grey, blue, red and bronze finishes.

The brakes are tucked behind 19-inch forged aluminium alloy wheels, with 275/35 front and 305/30 rear Michelin Sport 4S tyres, which are specially designed for the car. As an option, a carbon-ceramic brake package can be specified to shave 24 kg from the car’s unsprung mass.

According to Cadillac, the CT5-V Blackwing has undergone extensive validation testing to ensure consistent performance on track, with the automatic variant being subjected to 24 hours of continuous track testing, while it’s 12 hours with the manual transmission.

With all the mechanical upgrades, the overall design of the sedan hasn’t been changed heavily. Revisions include black accents, a different front bumper with larger intakes, a front splitter, a rear spoiler, underbody panels, rocker extensions and a rear diffuser. These help to improve cooling and aerodynamics, and some parts can be ordered in carbon-fibre to further improve performance.

The interior gets some carbon-fibre accents, various levels of leather, 18-way powered front seats, a performance steering wheel, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster display, a head-up display, a 10-inch infotainment touchscreen, data logger with video footage, a 15-speaker AKG sound system, and a 3D-printed medallion cap for the manual gear shifter.

Cadillac has already begun accepting reservations, with the first 250 customers of the CT5-V Blackwing set to receive a certificate of authenticity, a special V-Series Blackwing gift and a driving school outing. Prices start at USD83,995 (RM339,718) before options and destination charge, and at the time of writing, all 250 initial units have been spoken for.