When Cadillac first unveiled the CT4-V and CT5-V at the end of May last year, it felt as if it something was missing. While the prospect of having two performance sedans to salivate over certainly pleased many enthusiasts, some were left wanting more power. Especially considering that the V-Series models that came before them packed much more muscle under the hood. Cadillac even paraded the Blackwings out on the track during the 2019 Detroit Grand Prix to give the public a fleeting glimpse at the duo. Fast forward to 2020, and Cadillac has officially confirmed that both the CT4 and CT5-V Blackwings are indeed going into production.
In the case of the CT5-V, it will have a very formidable pair of shoes to fill considering that the outgoing CTS-V packed over 640 horsepower and used a supercharged Corvette sourced V8. With only 355 horsepower on hand, the lower spec V felt a bit weak in the knees. While GM did not formally reveal whether the V8 will surpass the CTS-V’s rather insane horsepower figure, we suspect that it will be dialed back just a bit, though the idea of a V8 pushing over 500 horsepower is not entirely out of the equation. Cadillac naturally has chosen not to disclose official performance figures, but it is known that both Blackwing models were able to shave several seconds off the lap times that were previously recorded by the CTS and ATS-V models during time trial runs at Virginia International Raceway. Cadillac revealed that more information will be released in the near future, but did let slip that both will be available in limited numbers with “specially tuned chassis, vehicle control technologies, and engines.”
This makes us wonder even more what will ultimately end up under the hood. As mentioned earlier, Cadillac is holding that information close to the holster, but if prior rumors from the rumor mill are to be believed then a number of potential suspects emerge out into the open. For instance, the smaller CT4-V is projected to get a twin-turbocharged V6, wheras the bigger CT5-V could get its mojo from a 6.2 liter supercharged V8. For those that notice the similarities here, that’s because both of these possible engines are carried over from the ATS-V and CTS-V respectively. Cadillac also revealed that a manual transmission will be offered, though we suspect that the 10-speed automatic seen in other GM offerings would also be offered as an option to help shore up sales prospects for both models somewhat.
But don’t be fooled by the Blackwing portion of their moniker, both models are most likely not going to use that particular engine. The Blackwing V8 itself has had a very rough history in GM, and was originally envisioned to be a wider spread offering for Cadillac entries. It ultimately ended up in the short-lived CT6 V-Sport where the 4.2 liter V8 makes a healthy 550 horsepower. The fate of the engine itself has been tossed around like a proverbial hot potato in the halls of the company, and Cadillac did recently confirm that the engine will not be installed in any other cars beyond the CT6. So instead, look for Blackwing to serve as a distinctive piece of identity for these spicier models to help them stand out more from the base V-models while also giving Cadillac buyers a bit of exclusivity at the same time. Cadillac’s closing remarks in its release highlights this newfound identity revealing that the Blackwing series will represent “the pinnacle of Cadillac performance, craftsmanship and technology.”
Consider us interested. In the meantime Cadillac even released a brief video teaser of the duo which can be seen below.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.