2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing PP | PH Review

The 'Standard of the World' has been making some big moves of late - it's about time we checked in

I’d wager that most of us have heard more about Cadillac in the last 12 months than in the 12 years prior. Between going toe-to-toe with the motorsport establishment at Le Mans and finally realising its long-held ambition to enter Formula 1, the brand is making a bold attempt to reestablish itself as an internationally respected name. And the legacy it’s trying to reclaim is far greater than many on this side of the pond might realise.

‘You Can Kill A Horse, But Not A Cadillac’ the fledgling marque declared in 1905 - an exceptional slogan which remains objectively true to this day. With every steed presumably slain, the motto was replaced in 1908 by a phrase that would become as synonymous with the brand as The Ultimate Driving Machine would with BMW, or Vorsprung durch Technik with Audi. Cadillac: Standard of the World.

There was indeed a very strong case to be made for this position. Earlier that year, Cadillac had become the first American marque to win the Royal Automobile Club’s prestigious Dewar Trophy, presented for advancements in automotive engineering. Three Model K cars were driven from London to Brooklands, where they were each disassembled and all of their 2,160 components were mixed together. Three new cars were then reassembled from the resulting pile, before being successfully driven for a further 500 miles, thus demonstrating the first implementation of precision-manufactured, interchangeable parts.

Such innovation prompted General Motors to purchase the company the following year and, via further strides including the world’s first fully enclosed cabin and first electric starter motor - and an additional array of equally peerless marketing slogans - the brand grew to become a symbol of American progress, status and success. By its peak in the '60s, Cadillac wasn’t just Elegance in Action! but a sales juggernaut too, selling over 200,000 cars a year.

To cut a long story short, and as you’re likely well aware, it was pretty much all downhill from there. The oil crisis, arrival of premium European imports, advent of Lexus, and an aging customer base all meant that by the turn of the new millennium the brand was a shadow of its former self. Saved from obsolescence only by the Escalade, its 2015 determination to Dare Greatly seemed like one final, noble stand before the lights went out.

And yet here we are. F1, WEC, and this: the CT5-V Blackwing Precision Package. The Blackwing has been around for a few years now, but while its rivals have steadily fallen prey to downsizing, hybridisation, and even full electrification, it has soldiered on. Powered by a hand-built 6.2-litre supercharged V8, the super saloon produces a sensational 668hp and 659lb ft of torque, all of which is sent directly to the rear wheels via a choice of two transmissions, the standard six-speed manual or an optional 10-speed automatic.

It’s the manual that we’ve opted for here, of course, which sacrifices two tenths of a second in the 0-60 sprint in the name of enhanced driver engagement – the resulting 3.6-second time still being enough to embarrass almost anyone foolish enough to mistake the Blackwing for one of its less potent range-mates at a set of lights.

That’s easier said than done though, because the Blackwing looks absolutely mega. Its squat, purposeful stance and muscular styling contribute to a compact appearance that belies the car’s 4,950mm length. Striking the ideal balance between rowdy and refined, it’s an achievement further enhanced by this example’s lovely Drift Metallic paintwork, resulting in one of those silhouettes that you can’t help but look back at every time you walk away.

The aggressive styling is for much more than show, though, with the new front grilles designed to increase airflow by 46 per cent and those flared arches accommodating 19-inch forged aluminium wheels, shod with custom Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. They’re backed up in keeping everything pointing where it should by Cadillac’s Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 adaptive dampers, which are said to analyse the road surface 1,000 times per second to maximise compliance, and a five-mode Performance Traction Management system, allowing precise adjustment of how and when the electronic stability and differential will intervene.

All well and good, but what does it actually mean? Well, locate an empty stretch of road and you soon find out. The Blackwing is pure automotive drama, with unrelenting power delivery no matter which gear you’re in or where in the rev band you happen to find yourself. Accompanied by an exhilarating supercharger whine and raucous but authentic exhaust note, every dip of your right toe reminds you of the 677, very much alive, horses at your command.

‘No-lift shift’ capability allows the throttle to be kept flat to the floor during upshifts – all the way to more than 200mph if you dare - while active rev-matching helps smooth changes on the way back down. As with the PTM system, however, these aids can be easily disengaged by those who prefer a more traditional connection between man and machine.

Such prodigious pace is all well and good, but it’s in the Californian canyons that the Blackwing’s ability to stand alongside its European rivals is really revealed. It’s there, too, that this car’s optional Precision Package comes into its own. For an extra $18k (or around £13k), it introduces stiffer spring rates, a thicker front anti-roll bar, revised suspension bushings and more aggressive camber. It also benefits from retuned Magnetic Ride Control and updates to the PTM. Oh, and a set of carbon-ceramic brakes with Brembo calipers.

In this guise, turn-in is razor-sharp, with the quality of the body control taking a few corners to fully compute in a car of this size. Direct, responsive steering lends the confidence to go chasing after the apex and huge levels of grip ensure neither end ever breaks traction unpredictably. This confidence-inspiring set-up creates a virtuous circle, encouraging the driver to explore the car’s limits and rewarding them with the realisation that the more you push, the greater its capability seems to become.

The entire experience being conducted via the pleasingly weighted shift of the six-speed manual - the Finest Expression of Motordom’s Highest Ideal - ensures proceedings remain as engaging at lower speeds as they do when you open things up. It’s a joyful experience, but to put too fine a point on the more emotive aspects of the Blackwing, how entertaining it is, how frequently it elicits a smile, or even an audible laugh of incredulity, feels like selling it short. This isn’t a car that needs to be defended in the name of entertainment value; it’s both really bloody good and an absolute riot.

What else do you need to know? Well, the cabin is a nice enough place to be, centred around a sweeping 33-inch 9K LED display, it features bucket seats with sporty carbon-fibre backs, a pleasingly girthy ‘performance’ steering wheel with a dedicated 'V' button for access to custom driving modes, and a Performance Data Recorder that captures 1080p video with overlaid telemetry for track sessions. The leathers and plastics don’t feel quite as premium as its rivals, and after a few days some creaks and rattles did make themselves heard, which isn’t ideal at this price point - although it wasn’t enough to sully the experience.

Rear legroom is plentiful, as is boot space at 337 litres, and though fuel economy could hardly be praised at 15mpg (around 18mpg in old money), it also wasn’t as catastrophic as perhaps expected.

The irony of the Blackwing is hard to ignore. A brand that once built its reputation on being at the vanguard of progress is today celebrated for standing still while its rivals try to innovate their way to more sustainable, economical and socially responsible performance. The fact remains, though, that this is the last bastion of manual, V8 saloons, and in the here and now that’s obviously something to be enjoyed.

Who knows what the future holds for the brand more broadly, or whether it will ever find its way back to those halcyon days. But the Blackwing certainly demonstrates that it hasn’t lost its way entirely; that when it really puts its mind to it, Cadillac Shows the World How Truly Magnificent a Motor Car Can Be.

Specification | Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Precision Package

Engine: 6162cc V8, supercharged
Transmission: Six-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 668 @ 6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 659 @ 3,600rpm
0-60mph: 3.6-sec
Top speed: 202mph
Weight: 1,870kg
CO2: 587g/mile
Price: $97,600 (base), $140,840 (as tested, including $18,000 Precision Package)

Image credit: Trevor Wood

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