- the cadillac ct5-v blackwing was just revealed with a 668-hp supercharged v-8 and a standard six-speed manual transmission (#savethemanuals).
- the new american supersedan will go up against legendary german sedans including the 503-hp bmw m3 competition, 503-hp mercedes-amg c63 s, 600-hp bmw m5, and the 603-hp mercedes-amg e63 s, as well as the 717-hp dodge charger srt hellcat.
- the 2022 ct5-v blackwing starts at $84,990, though the m3, c63 s, and hellcat are all cheaper. the other two german sedans start over $100,000.
cadillac's new ct5-v blackwing is the last of the gasoline-powered v cars, but it's an authoritative sendoff for internal combustion with a high-horsepower bang—and a standard manual gearbox. with a supercharged 6.2-liter v-8 engine on tap pumping out 668 horsepower, the new blackwing is a compelling choice among a series of hot-rodded supersedans from bmw and mercedes-amg, and even quintessential american muscle from dodge. the caddy is the perfect blend of high-end luxury and the america big-horsepower pony-car formula, and this is how it stacks up against the competition:
engine and transmission
the ct5-v blackwing is powered by a supercharged 6.2-liter v-8 that produces 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque. it's sent to the rear wheels through a standard tremec six-speed manual transmission, although a 10-speed automatic is available. the two amgs and the m5 are powered by twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter v-8s. in base form, the bmw m5's spins up 600 horsepower, while the competition ups output to 617 ponies, and the new lightweight m5 cs model pushes 627 horsepower.
in the c63, the 4.0-liter produces either 469 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, or, in s guise, 503 hp and 516 pound-feet, while the e63 s ups the ante to 603 horsepower and 627 pound-feet. the m5 uses an eight-speed automatic, while the amgs route power to their wheels through a nine-speed auto—the c-class sends power to the rear wheels while the e-class sends it to all four. no manuals here, but the base, 473-hp bmw m3 can have one.
if 668 horsepower in an american four-door sedan isn't enough, the dodge charger srt hellcat exists. its supercharged 6.2-liter v-8 spits out 717 horsepower in base form, and a 797-hp redeye is also available. sadly, there's no manual transmission in the charger hellcat (although its challenger coupe sibling has one); it sends power rearward with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
acceleration performance
cadillac claims that the ct5-v blackwing will reach 60 mph in 3.7 seconds when equipped with the optional 10-speed automatic, with a top speed of over 200 mph. the quickest cts-v we tested reached 60 mph in 3.5 seconds. the c63 s sprints to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and the charger srt hellcat in 3.8 seconds, but none of the rear-drivers can keep up with those that send their prodigious power to all four wheels. the bmw m5 competition reached that speed in 2.9 seconds, the the e63 s in 2.8 seconds. bmw claims the new, rear-drive m3 competition will reach 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, but there's an all-wheel-drive variant coming later that will no doubt yank it down into the 2s.
chassis and suspension
the ct5-v blackwing is equipped with cadillac's latest magnetorheological dampers along with an electronic limited-slip rear differential. the m5 is also equipped with adaptive dampers and an electronic limited-slip differential, and the amgs come with standard adaptive dampers. the c63 s has coil springs, while the e63 s is equipped with air springs. the charger srt hellcat's multilink suspension setup features bilstein adaptive dampers.
wheels, tires, and brakes
the blackwing sits on a set of 19-inch wheels (magnesium wheels will be optional later) with michelin pilot sport 4s tires measuring 275/35 in the front and 305/30 in the rear. the m5 is equipped with standard 19-inch wheels with yokohama advan sport v105 or pirelli p zero pz4 rubber sized 275/40 front and 285/40 rear, while the e63 s runs on 20-inch wheels with either michelin pilot sport 4s or pirelli p zero pz4 rubber measuring 265/35 in the front and 295/30 in the rear. the dodge charger srt hellcat is equipped with 20-inch wheels and has pirelli p zero all seasons or p zero pz4s measuring 305/35 front and rear.
ct5-v blackwings come standard with six-piston front and four-piston rear brembo brakes with 15.7-inch front rotors, the largest on any caddy. optional carbon-ceramic brakes shed 53 pounds, cadillac says. bmw's m compound brakes are standard on the m5 and include six-piston front calipers and vented discs, though carbon-ceramic brakes are also available and save a claimed 50 pounds. carbon-ceramic brakes are available on the e63 s as well, but not on the charger srt hellcat, which also has brembo hardware.
dimensions
the ct5-v is the smallest supersedan compared with the m5, e63 s, and charger srt hellcat, though it's equal in height to the e63 s at 56.6 inches. the bmw m3 and mercedes-amg c63 s are significantly smaller. the charger srt hellcat is only offered with dodge's widebody treatment now, and it's 4.2 inches wider than the blackwing. the m5 and e63 s are the same length at 196.4 inches.
interior
there are three levels of interior options available on the blackwing (base, mid-level and uplevel), and wireless apple carplay and android auto capability is standard. options include more aggressively bolstered carbon-fiber-backed seats and heated and ventilated seats with a massage function. blackwings have a 12-inch digital gauge cluster that displays performance settings, a 10-inch touchscreen, carbon-fiber trim, and a 14-speaker akg sound system. the m5 and e63 s both have available massaging seats, digital gauge clusters, and carbon-fiber trim. the hellcat's interior is the least luxurious of the group and is in dire need of a refresh. one like the 2021 durango full-size suv's would be a start.
price
the 2022 cadillac ct5-v blackwing starts at $84,990 and will arrive this summer. however, given its base price, the $73,795 bmw m3 competition and $77,250 mercedes-amg c63 s are interesting competitors. the cheapest—and most powerful—of these cars, the dodge charger srt hellcat, starts at $71,490. the bmw m5 starts at $104,495 for the standard 600-hp model, with the mercedes-amg e63 s costing $108,550.