Although Cadillac is currently mulling over an all-electric future, the luxury brand still has plenty to say with regard to internal combustion. That much is evident by the upcoming next-level Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing sedan, which was recently spotted in prototype form with a new, production-intent front fascia, complete with revised front intakes and a new grille. This is our first look at the new fascia without the usual netted covering.
For those who may be unaware, Cadillac is brewing up a fresh two-tiered V-Series performance model strategy, which starts with the “standard” V-Sport models (such as the Cadillac CT5-V), followed by next-level go-faster V-Series models under the Blackwing name. This particular model is the CT5-V Blackwing, but a Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is also in the cards. We first got a look at the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing in May at the 2019 Belle Isle Grand Prix, followed by spy shots captured in October.
In addition to a revised front fascia, the new Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is expected to come equipped with wider alloy wheels and Michelin rubber, wider wheel arches, and heat extractors on the back of the front fenders. We’re also expecting a rear lip spoiler to finish off the trunk line.
The new look will be complemented by upgraded suspension and braking.
The big question is what’s going under under the hood. It’s currently unclear if the CT5-V Blackwing will come equipped with the twin-turbo 4.2L LTA V8 engine, which incidentally is also tagged with the Blackwing name. Another possibility is one of GM’s 6.2L supercharged V8s.
We previously got to hear the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing as it laid into the loud pedal over the summer, lending evidence to the theory that the supercharged 6.2L LT4 V8 engine was in play.
As for cog swaps, a manual remains a possibility, while the latest GM 10-speed automatic is pretty much a certainty.
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Comments
Watch them kill it less than a year after it goes on sale.
I’d bet it happens faster than a year.
I’m confused. GM is really good at confusing people. It’s a “gift”, I guess?
Why on earth would they call it “Blackwing-V” when reports have them throwing that awesome/yet expensive experiment in the dumpster? If there isn’t a Blackwing engine, call it, V-Plus? That’s a stupid enough name, Cadillac just might use it.
I need beer…
Cadillac spent so long building up the V name to a respectable level and then decides to dilute it like this. I just dont understand.
Nonetheless, I can’t wait for this vehicle. Looks mighty impressive so far.
These will be going out soon, like the CT6 V blackwing which is no longer in production, less than a year after they did build them! Hopefully theyll keep the V model with the 6.2L supercharged motor and they change the look a bit! As a V owner, not really liking it at all!
The Blackwing in the CT5-V+ (I’ll call it that just for the sake of consistency and time) was something, weirdly, that I never really got on board with. Is the Blackwing a sweet engine? Absolutely, its fantastic by all accounts (and sounds wicked too). Should Cadillac be trying to maximize their investment in such a great engine? You would think, following basic business strategy. But at the same time, it would always feel like a…downgrade I guess.
Coming from the 640 hp CTS-V, going down to a 550 hp CT5-V+ would always feel like a letdown.
I’m torn between my love of the Blackwing and my love of the beloved deceased CTS-V. But in the end, I’d rather have a 670 hp CT5-V+ with the LT4 than with the lesser Blackwing. We Cadillac fans need SOMETHING to root for around here – the loss of the CTS-V for a lesser car would just be another slap in the face. It would be great for Cadillac to utilize their exclusive engine…but they should have put it in the Escalalade. I want my CT5-V+ with close to 700 hp and a stick as an option, dammit.
Also, it’d be just fantastic to have an idea of then these cars are bowing. I’m so sick of waiting, its been 8 months.
When it comes to the CT5-V or Blackwing, GM needs to cater to the wants of car guys because those vehicle trims are for people who love cars and love driving. The masses of old ladies and old men who choose to buy a CTS/CT5 base or mid-level trim don’t give a darn about halo models like the V or the Blackwing.
G8Burnout – “ Coming from the 640 hp CTS-V, going down to a 550 hp CT5-V+ would always feel like a letdown.”
But the bigger heavier CT6 – V with the Blackwing is faster 0-60 then the 640 hp CTS-V.
That’s because it has AWD. If the CTS-V had AWD, it’d be nearly a second ahead of the CT6-V in the quarter.
The letdown comes from the power numbers and bragging rights more than the actual performance anyway (especially when compared to the CTS-V’s old enemies anyway, which all continue to ascend and get more power). But even going by your performance perspective, I can guarantee you that if the CT5-V+ had the Blackwing and RWD, the CTS-V would still smoke it.
I wonder if anyone from GM ever reads the comments here or similar ones elsewhere to know what a joke the public thinks Cadillac has become. It’s pretty much universal that Cadillac is a hopeless, lost, laughingstock. Every forum I go to, I see some variation of that thought.
Why in the world is this car even out there testing when GM has already said Cadillac is slated to become an all-electric brand by the end of the decade. Instead, where are the E-Caddys? Why aren’t we seeing them already. This is like looking to the future and seeing the past. The Blackwing engine is dead. It was merely a blip in Cadillac’s history. I don’t understand why an electric brand is out there testing a “future” Cadillac with a 6.2 liter V8 which is the polar opposite of the Silicon Valley wannabe brand they’ve now embarked on becoming. Lost. They are simply lost.
I don’t believe this all-electric talk. Cadillac has no consistency and ten years from now is a long time. In seven years I predict GM will have a new CEO and Cadillac will have a new division leader. Will they still want to adhere to this all-electric goal? Who knows.
General Motors CEO Mary Barra essentially has admitted that it was a mistake to go away from Cadillac heritage and will go back to familiar names of Cadillac vehicles when the lineup jumps to EVs; but why wait, why not rename the CT5 as the Seville.
Omegatalon,
Seville was once a design leader for GM. The original 1975 Cadillac Seville was quite radical at launch and set the styling direction for nearly everything GM built for 15 years thereafter. The second-generation was much more controversial but still had a cutting edge design that nobody could forget. Subsequent Sevilles like the 1992 were also, though not up to previous standards, still GM’s best designs for their era.
I am all for reusing some of the old names but any new car using that name, the Seville, would have to have the design chops to pull it off. Most of the comments I’ve read on the CT5 lament that car’s looks; especially the cheap-looking C-pilar. Thus, I wouldn’t be too quick to slap the Seville name on any of the cars from today. It just wouldn’t fit.
I read that the design folks over at Ford were struggling with a shape for the new 2017 Lincoln MKS and it just wasn’t coming together. Nobody liked any of the proposals. Then when management made the decision to ax the MKS moniker and return to the Continental name, all the sudden their design staff was inspired. They had vision for the first time. The result was the gorgeous Continental Concept that appeared at the 2015 New York Auto Show. I think GM would have to tell the designers first that they needed a 21st Century design for the Cadillac Seville. I think then you’d inspire them and would get a design befitting the history of the name.
Well said
@Ci2Eye
Automobile Magazine did an interview with Cadillac’s Director of Global Design (Andrew Smith).
Here’s what he said about the C-Pillar: “??? ??????????? ????? ????? ?? ?? ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ?? ? ????? ?????? ??, ??? ?? ?? ??’? ???? ????????? ??? ??’? ? ???? ???????? ??? ??? ???? ???????? ?? ????. ??????????? ? ???? ????? ?? ???? ?? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?????? ?? ??? ???????.”
He’s delusional and disconnected!
The vehicle in the photos is a test mule, but even in all black, it’s really bad to look at. Surely some type of feedback has made its way back to Smith that the design element in the overall is considered a flop.
It’s unrealistic, but I keep hoping they would do a quick design revamp for that aspect of the car before it starts hitting dealerships.
It’s a shame because the CT5 will probably one of the last sedans Cadillac makes and the C pillar design will be the reason for its failure. Of course, no one at Cadillac will admit this and will blame market forces, which are definitely a factor. But that means the exterior design just needs to be that much better.
Hopefully it’s performance will make up for it’s visual shortcomings and decontenting. The class stalwarts have upped the ante though. Yes, I know this is supposed to compete against the M3, AMG C63 S – But c’mon, is anyone really believing and drinking the Kool-Aid? This will be compared against the M5 and AMG E63 S which now come with AWD. If it doesn’t come with AWD, it’ll be a hard pill to swallow.
My opinion is like others here, Cadillac has become a laughing stock in the USA.
I love the new Corvette – OK,
I love the Cadillac CT5-V – OK.
I also we all are talking over decisions that were made 3 to 5 years ago, so it is irrelevant to discuss today.
I don’t see Why the low level V is not just a Cadillac, and drop the non Cadillac 2.0T crap !
Why did they build up the V-Series just to tear it down ?
I would see progression if that were the case like, this car preforms like the old V but now we have a even higher V-Blackwing. But this is what GM has thought they have been good at the last 5 years or so, selling a name not a product. The trouble is by doing so GM is ruining both the name and the product. Like a cheap lower level Denali, or a lower level V-series,
It is just wrong and Cadillac should make it stop faster than they killed the sedan. Just use the v badges where they belong and make the lower V series the standard Cadillac. At this point GM would not loose anymore than they have already lost, and renaming now does not matter as everyone in the world except China thinks Cadillac doesn’t have a clue today anyway.
Also I would love to know who truly was to blame for the biggest mistake at Cadillac in the last 5 to 8 years, and that is:
The largest vehicle segment in the USA today is the mid-sized SUV- OK, We are all in agreement on that one !
The vehicle segment loosing sales the fastest in the USA is first the sedan and second the performance car !
Why were the ” new ” mid-sized Cadillac SUVs not the very thing the ” new ” mid-sized Cadillac sedans are ?
Mark Reuss, care to answer ?
I hope the new Cadillac sedans stay in production, but I think it will be a struggle. But the vehicle the most people drive and the vehicle most people want to drive is a mid-sized SUV.
And GM is to late, GM should have had it released instead of the CT5 !
I would love to be wrong here, but the CT5 is not enough to draw competitive owners over to Cadillac, and I an a Cadillac owner it will not even keep a Cadillac owner, so I can predict where this is headed.
So that leaves us with a future EV ?
Development, Engineering and Supplier Contracts probably were too far along in development to pull the plug without incurring significant loss. One can best believe that GM ran the numbers.
Any CUV coming from Cadillac should’ve done well to be on the Alpha and Omega platforms.
Does anyone know or if it’s even possible the this beast could be had with AWD. I’d be feeling the need that I would have to buy it for sure, if that was the case
Always interesting to read the comments.
I am not a Cadillac owner but I really love the new look of this. Not in the market for a Sedan because I have a GMC Sierra AT4 and have a 2020 Vette on order so no need but if I did, it would be on the short list.
I hope GM delivers a competitive performance sedan here.
Car and Driver and MT have both universally derided the base CT5 model. CD was particularly scathing “They’ve taken out all that was good about the ATS and CTS and added nothing to the mix.” I guess I’m a bit worried.
Let’s hope not.
I’m Sick of the , carousel of uncertainty- ruling GM.
I realize the automotive landscape is always changing. But one factor is true.
Look at your past. Don’t copy and paste history. But realize what made you great, and put that into work in a modern/ current interpretation .
Translation: Quit cutting corners and learn from the past.
GM used to try and be on top. What’s wrong with that philosophy still being relevant. ??
May I suggest a new slogan for Cadillac?
“Too little, too late.”
So true !!
Just wait a year or a year and a half, the new onslaught of Cadillacs will be 20% to 25 % off just to recoup some costs.
I was just at a Cadillac dealership, you should have seen the line of new XT6’s, there wasn’t one footprint in the snow. looked like an apocalypse parking lot ! The dealer had a CT5 on its way, we could test drive, you should have seen the look an the sales persons face when I said ” well we will test-drive what you have coming but will never buy a 2.0T again in a Cadillac”. It is like he had heard it 1000 times already, as he went into the GM canned statement of how the torque comes in at a lower rpm etc. And it will be mated to the 10 speed transmission and not the 8 speed junk, I added the junk part he did not GM 8 speed junk transmission.
It just looked SAD.
But here is where I am coming from and agree with your ” too little, too late ”
GM has to know this right ?
Or are they too arrogant, here yet still ?
Cadillac is NEVER going to outdo Tesla.
Listen to the Beep Beep song by the playmates, released in 1958. There is a youtube video rereleased in 2000, watch it. I am sure the boomers already know the song as I was about 10 I used to love to listen to it on a 45 and still have it from my mom.
GM and Cadillac will never catch up !! Quit trying to catch up !
GM ether needs to spend the money to overtake, do their own unique thing, or just quit and sell Cadillac once and for all.
This new venture of ” Dare Greatly ” by the all new lifelongGMemployee Steve is just once again a stall to the end game, in my opinion !
Look at these new Cadillacs just coming out, when GM comments, its just like the comments on the new trucks.
Everyone knew from the time of release that the new Silverado was going to be a loss in sales ( for the Silverado ). Sure the GM trucks still outsell the competition slightly, but that is just do to more GM people like myself are moving to the GMC truck. ( look at the quarterly sales numbers ) Now I know the GM brainwashed people here say ” well what’s wrong with that ” I say, nothing. But look at the DATA, if GM would have released a Silverado truck that customers wanted as much as customers wanted the new Ram, where would the GM truck sales be ?
So GM ” again ” cut corners on the ” most profitable ” vehicle line and now are selling a ” majority ” of them 20 to 25 % off, just to move them and cover costs. And at the very same time are scrambling to, now yet again, cut costs and redesign at least the interior. ( We think )
GM again, take some advice from me, the arm chair CEO, why not take the loss up front ?
I am sure you have heard of the loss leader theory !
Instead of developing a vehicle the majority of customers do not want, cut your losses, reuse what you can, and make something the majority of Cadillac owners want.
Then use the, loss leader approach, and sell it discounted to cover costs, ” UP FRONT ” as to get them in the field and present just the best customer happiness possible.
Why is it a, loss leader ? Because rather than taking the loss, or just covering the costs at the end of the future debacle and killing yet another line of ” Good Enough ” Cadillac vehicles. At least there will be some Cadillacs sold to happy customers, once again in the Cadillac 100 year history.
I relies the future decision making is the hardest thing to do.
How long will the added 1.5 trillion dollar deficit expansion last ? If it lasts another 7 years GM has just lost on being to cheap, yet again.
If it lasts only another 3 years, and you are all in on the Full-size line, the new stuff is just hitting the marker during the start of contraction.
Any way, quit trying to be someone else, and start giving at least the MAJORITY of the customer what they want.
Quit using whatever feedback or focus groups you have been using and start questioning ” real people ”
GM will be at least stable like you are know.
But if you want a ” Home Run” you are going to have to spend some money !!!! on the largest vehicle market in the USA
————- The mid-sized SUV market ————————-
my opinion.
Zero chance they spent the money to stick the Blackwing in it.
I hope that isn’t the actual grille texture. It looks like cheesy steel security paneling from 50 years ago, and it doesn’t hide the junk behind it.
The future of the Cadillac brand lies with battery electric vehicles made and sold in China. Sure there is a new Escalade coming and GM makes a “mint” on everyone they sell, but is it enough to prop up the entire brand here longer term?
No,
China is the only hope at GM keeping the Cadillac line operational !
The escalade will sell just what the Escalade has sold , on average, in the past.
Just like the new Corvette will sell what it has sold on average in the past.
Sure I believe there will be a ” new ” bump, just like the Corvette, but by year 2-3 just the same old average Escalade buyer replacing their Escalade until they die.
I am telling you, the new growth in the Escalade market, is or was in the XT4-5-6, market with all the stops pulled out !
In my opinion.
lifelong,
If you put your hopes in China, prepare yourself to be shocked. Their goal is to collapse the US and own all their brands.
Bob White,
O I don’t put any hopes on GM and for sure not Cadillac at all.
Anyone with any knowledge should know by now China and the US are just going to be different .
But you think a China owned Cadillac could do worse than a GM owned Cadillac ?
The US company is never going to reap the profits from China as the government controls everything.
So again I don’t put long-term hopes there, yet GM is, in my opinion, aren’t they ?
lifelong,
China’s direction is very clear. They suck capital and tech from Western multinational and then manipulate the market in favour of their state owned enterprises. Geely and Baic, in a surprise move, just bought 10% of Mercedes. Now they want seats on the board.
Nice ride
BMW 4-Series (late 2020) Turbocharged 3 lither I6 with 500 horsepower.
What if anything do Cadillac plan to do to compete with these type of vehicles? A amped up 3 liter twin turbo would be great but Cadillac can’t even offer the 404 horsepower version let alone 500 horsepower. While the BMW is due in late 2020 Cadillac will just be bring out their bread and butter version of the CT5 around that time. Who know when the so called V versions will appear.
Maybe the top V can have 2 versions of Blackwing, like CT6 does.