If you’re an enthusiast looking for a good old-fashioned row-your-own manual transmission, your options are surprisingly slim. Look for a manual in the luxury segment, and your options are even more limited. However, Cadillac is holding the line, offering up its two most track-capable vehicles yet, the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing, with a six-speed manual as standard. Of course, this isn’t anything new, as demonstrated in the following video advertisement for the CTS-V Coupe.
CTS-V Coupe
The video is more than a decade old at this point, and shows the CTS-V Coupe driving through a tight, treelined road through the forest.
“Why did we build a 556-horsepower luxury car with a manual transmission?” the video narrator asks as the CTS-V accelerates down the road. “Because there are those who still believe in the power of a firm handshake.”
We see the driver shift and rev the engine as the CTS-V speeds into the distance.
“The Cadillac CTS-V. Manual or automatic – that’s entirely up to you,” the narrator concludes as the driver pulls up to a hotel.
Check out the full video advertisement right here:
The CTS-V offered both a six-speed manual and a six-speed automatic. Under the hood, the CTS-V cradles the supercharged 6.2L V8 LSA gasoline engine, rated at 556 horsepower and 551 pound-feet of torque. The second-generation CTS was also notable for offering a coupe, sedan, and wagon body style.
CT5-V Blackwing
By contrast the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing offer the GM six-speed manual as standard, and the GM 10-speed automatic as optional. The CT4-V Blackwing is equipped with the twin-turbocharged 3.6L V6 LF4 gasoline engine, rated at 472 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque, while the CT5-V Blackwing is equipped with the supercharged 6.2L V8 LT4 gasoline engine, rated at 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque.
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Comments
Put sticks back in trucks.
gm has a recent history of slush boxes that are a low mileage nuisance.
I like the At 10 you can’t shift that fast on the drag strip. Still waiting for my new CT4 2025 to show up
Need more cars/trucks with manual gearbox availability. My dad didn’t have any cars or trucks with automatics when I was young. I drove for six years before I ever drove a car with an automatic. Seriously. Still prefer the manual.
Love the styling of the last CTS coupes. I’d love a loaded low mile 3.6. Getting harder to find.
GM is using Cadillac to complete with the junk from Europe.
A powerful car with a standard transmission belongs in a PONTIAC..
Scrap Cadillac and bring back Pontiac
And yes I want a truck with a diesel and manual transmission.
I have a 2012 Cadillac CTS-V coupe and a 2015 Cadillac CTS-V coupe. Both have the dual clutch 6 speed automatic transmissions. I bought them both used with low mileage in like new condition. They are well engineered and built and fun to drive. They sleep in a heated garage and are not driven in inclement weather. They are increasing in value. Low mileage Cadillac CTS-V coupes with 6 speed manual or dual clutch automatic transmissions are still on the market.
You should be so lucky to have a pair of them. But to be accurate, the 2nd generation CTS-V used the 6L90 but it is not a dual clutch transmission. It’s a heavy duty version of the 6L80 introduced in 2006. The same car with a manual transmission utilized a Tremec TR-6060 which had a twin disc clutch.
Thank you for the transmission clarification. I assumed with the ability to select manual and paddle shift through the 6 speeds was called dual clutch.
The last year of the CTS-V Coupe with a stick was 2015. They made 500 of them. They also made the sedan in 2015 but it was different. Couldn’t get a stick in the 2015 sedan. I have a 2014 coupe with a stick, because I wanted a red coupe with a stick and the 500 made in 2015 did not offer red…
Great looking powerful coupes.
The front end styling on the Gen-II’s was a work of art. I still love the look of my Vagon. I recall in the first year or two, a kid the age of 6 or 7 looked at it and whistled, wow that is a fast car when he walked by the front. 6 or 7. I was surprised such a young kid would say something about a car.
I just left the GM configuration website and there’s no CT5-V option for 2025. There is a CT4-V but no coupes anywhere that I could find. So maybe I misread the article but it seems to says there’s a CT5-V 2-door coupe option??
Paul… The last V coupe was produced in 2015. The configuration for the 2025 CT5-V Blackwing has not yet been released.
Interesting, the GM configuration site has the 2025 CT4-V Blackwing and the CT5 luxury and sport models. Seems strange that they would post a partial release and add another version later. But that’s good news if they do, I hope there really is a CT5-V Blackwing coupe with a V-8 and manual transmission. Can’t wait to see it.
The best security device today is stick shift.
Only against millennials or younger thieves