2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Review: Enthusiast Sedans Still Exist

Some cars just stay with you. Cars that are so memorable, they permanently etch themselves in a corner of the cranium. These cars keep getting brought up in conversations. They’re daydream fodder. Cars that everything else is inevitably compared to. For me, one of these such cars is the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.

Two years ago, I had my first encounter with the sporty Caddy, and I was instantly hooked. I declared it one of the best all-around vehicles for car-crazy, V8-loving parents. Fast forward to today and I’m back behind the wheel of my automotive infatuation. 

The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is getting a refresh for the 2025 model year. But before I get a crack at the updated model, I’m spending a week with a 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing to see if the magic is still there.

What’s New for 2024:

With a major refresh on the immediate horizon, the 2024 model year doesn’t have a whole lot changed. Being the 20th anniversary of Cadillac V-Series cars, there is a commemorative grille header, fender badge, and unique animation on the driver information center when the car is entered. 

Other additions for this year include new exterior colors: Black Diamond Tricoat, Velocity Red, Cyber Yellow Metallic, and finally Coastal Blue Metallic which is on my tester.

The V-Series badging now includes the word Blackwing below them and GM’s fabulous Super Cruise is available on automatic transmission cars. 

Exterior Style:

To go along with the Coastal Blue exterior paint, my tester has the Blue Accent Package that adds subtle decals to the hood and side sills as well as blue brake calipers. Combined with the bronze wheels from the Bronze Accent package and a plethora of carbon fibre bits, the 20204 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing looks sporty, yet sophisticated. Cadillac has captured the mature performance looks that German automakers have incorporated into their super sedans. 

But back to the carbon fibre for a moment It comes in bunches through two option packages. The Carbon Fibre package 1 adds the carbon fibre front splitter, wheel well deflectors, and rear spoiler. The Carbon Fibre package 2 adds carbon fibre side sills, grille header, and rear diffuser. 

Powertrain and Fuel Economy:

The cornerstone of the 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing lies under the hood. It continues to be a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, making 668 horsepower (hp) and 659 pound-feet (lb-ft) of torque. It’s an engine that was shared with the previous generation Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and the recently discontinued Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Aside from the Cadillac Escalade-V, this is the only place left to find this shrieking V8.

Cadillac claims the car can launch from 0 to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. I have a feeling it could do it even quicker if the rear tires fully hooked up. The copious amounts of power and torque try to vaporize the rear rubber under aggressive acceleration through the first two gears. Thankfully there are eight more cogs in the 10-speed automatic. 

Yes, that’s right, I said automatic. My last encounter with a Blackwing included the standard six-speed manual transmission. Although it may not be the best six-speed on the market, it’s only available in anything even close to the performance and luxury of the CT5-V Blackwing. The 10-speed automatic isn’t a buzzkill though. Even at freeway speeds in 10th gear, the Blackwing’s supercharged V8 is ready to fling the car toward its over 200 mph top speed. Upshifts are rapid, rivalling some dual-clutch transmission. Downshifts take a bit longer to complete, but throttle blipping is bang on. Plus, when down-shifting in Sport or Track mode, something steals all the focus: the sound. 

In these two modes, the V8 wails out of the quad exhaust tips, producing that hearty all-American soundtrack. It’s almost at odds with the rest of the CT5-V Blackwing’s demeanour and I love it for it. Back to the downshifts. When engaged, the V8 lets out a crips bark, before the exhaust system starts to gurgle, burble, and pop. I don’t mean a few subtle grumbles either. Any downshift above 3,000 rpm creates a seemingly never-ending succession of these sounds at a rather high decibel level. It’s completely unnecessary but speaks directly to my juvenile side. I haven’t experienced a car that makes this much off-throttle thunder. Of course, if one wants it to be much more silent, there is the Tour mode. 

Handling and Drivability:

Part of the appeal of the CT5-V Blackwing is that it’s more than just a big engine stuffed into a mid-size body. All the other mechanical bits are upgraded to complement the immense power. The Brembo brakes have massive discs, squeezed by six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers. On my test car are the optional cross-drilled Carbon Ceramic discs.

The electronic rear limited slip differential sends power to a set of 305/30R19 tires. Up front, a set of 275/35R19 tires are tasked with directional control. When the magnetic ride control adaptive suspension is in its firmest setting, the car is reported to achieve 1.01g of lateral grip. I do not for a second disagree with this figure as the sizeable Cadillac sedan can change directions quickly, accurately, and effortlessly. 

The Blackwing is no MX-5 Miata or Corvette in terms of becoming one with the driver, but it’s not too far off. Part of this comes from its relatively light weight. Although 4,142 pounds (1,879 kg) may sound portly, that’s 800 pounds lighter than the less powerful Audi RS 7, and some 1,200+ pounds lighter than the 2025 BMW M5. 

Ride Quality and Comfort:

The adaptive suspension, like the valved exhaust, can become quite docile in Tour mode. In fact, the CT5-V Blackwing behaves much like a regular CT5 when everything is set to the softest, tamest setting. It smooths out road imperfections with decent success. It’s yet another reason I like this multi-personality sedan. 

Interior comfort is also premium, with nicely contoured front seats that are both power-operated with heat and ventilation capabilities. The steering wheel can also be heated. Space up front is also accommodating, with 39.0 inches (990 mm) of headroom and 42.2 inches (1,078 mm) of legroom.

Those in the rear receive 37.0 inches (941 mm) of legroom which should be enough for most passengers. Headroom though isn’t as generous, with just 36.6-inches (930 mm) available. The roof also curves down in the rear which means taller passengers really need to duck down to enter and exit. 

Interior Style and Quality:

The 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing can be had in multiple interior packages, colors, and trim. My tester has the fancier full semi-aniline leather seats in Sky Cool Grey with Jet Black accents and red stitching. Although it adds a hefty amount to the purchase price, these are very luxurious seats that still having a vibrant sporty look to them. 

The front seatbacks are finished in polished carbon fibre, adding to the interior’s sporty edge, much like the sport steering wheel with the red leather band on the top. The rest of the interior has a proper luxury feel to it, although the center console could use an update. I appreciate all the hard buttons, but some of the finishes lower down, such as the cup holders, do not match the quality look and feel of the rest of the interior. 

Tech and Safety:

All the usual technology for a luxury car is present inside the CT5-V Blackwing. There’s a 12-inch customizable digital driver information center and a touchscreen infotainment screen protruding from the dashboard. The latter is placed at a bit of an angle though, and can get sun glare in certain situations. 

Other features include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a wireless phone charging pad, head-up display, rain sensing wipers, surround vision camera system, and ambient lighting. The audio system comes courtesy of AKG, powering through 16 speakers. My tester also has a performance data recorder and camera. 

Safety features include automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, safety seat alert, reverse automatic braking, blind-spot monitoring, and more. The one item missing is Super Cruise, which is available on automatic transmission Blackwings. 

Value Dollars and Sense:

The 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing starts at a price of $94,890 before destination charges, which undercuts the Audi RS 7 and BMW M5. Like those German super sedans, the CT5-V Blackwing has a gluttony of available options, with sizeable price tags to match. Once everything added on my tester was tallied up, it jumps to $123,520, once again before destination charges. 

In Canada, the 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing starts at a price of $103,599 including destination charges. As tested, the total jumps to $143,227 including destination charges. 

Final Thoughts:

After another go behind the wheel of the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, I’m still just as smitten as I was before. It can be a family-friendly errand runner, or a performance monster ready to surprise Porsche 911s at a local track day. Although I do prefer the six-speed manual transmission, the 10-speed automatic does not ruin the experience either.

The Blackwing may be the best performance vehicle Cadillac has ever made. Is it perfect? No, but for me, it’s pretty darn close. 

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