Our initial reaction to the Cadillac CT5-V was lukewarm, at best. The twin-turbocharged V6 was solid, the dynamics were good, and the styling was fine, depending on which angle you looked at it. But it was very obvious from the jump that this car could use more all around – that’s where the Blackwing model comes in.
With a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 underhood and a hearty 668 horsepower (498 kilowatts) on tap, the new CT5-V Blackwing is the most powerful Cadillac ever built. Period. It’s also one of the most expensive Cadillacs ever built, too, with a starting price of $83,995 and a top-end price of $125,980 post options.
But if you are in the market for a fast Caddy and are willing to spend the money, there are a lot of really interesting options to choose from. We fiddled with the online configurator and created our perfect CT5-V Blackwing – and it ain’t cheap.
Buyers can choose from two standard exterior paint options: Summit White and Raven Black. But never settle for white or black when Cadillac offers eye-searing color options like Blaze Orange, Electric Blue, or the Dark Emerald Frost that we selected. The former two options are $625, while the Dark Emerald is a bit pricer; this paint costs $3,925 and is only available for a limited time. But boy does it look great.
To further toughen up the exterior, Cadillac made two carbon fiber packages available. The first is a $4,100 option that adds a carbon fiber front splitter, wheel well deflectors, and a small rear spoiler. But going all-out on package two, a $5,230 option, adds a new carbon fiber grille header, rocker moldings, and an extended rear wing.
As far as wheels go, there are three 19-inch options. The standard wheel is a two-tone, ten-spoke rim that looks nice, while the $600 option adds a more unique design with a darkened graphite finish. But it’s the $1,500 wheel you want. The 19-inch bronze rims pictured here are absolutely fantastic and look perfect alongside the Dark Emerald paint. You can even get bronze-painted brakes for another $595, and just for fun, black mirror caps at $195.
Moving inside, the CT5-V Blackwing is a bit sparse on color options. Leather is standard, but semi-aniline leather with high-performance bucket seats is a steep $6,090 option and only comes in three colors: Jet Black, Sky Cool Gray, or the option we chose, Natural Tan. The tan interior looks stellar with the Emerald paint and bronze wheels. You can option a sueded microfiber steering wheel and shift knob for $300, but we decided against it for our theoretical build.
As far as options go, there are a few that feel necessary. The $900 Driver Assist package – which doesn’t come standard, shockingly – adds adaptive cruise control, full-speed automatic emergency braking, and reverse automatic emergency braking. The Parking package adds automatic parking assist, a rearview camera mirror, and rear pedestrian alert for $1,010.
All told, our dream Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing costs $110,810 as you see it here. And we almost hate to admit it but, we opted for the 10-speed automatic, which adds $3,175 to the original asking price. While that’s not too far off from the fully loaded example’s $125,980 asking price, for a 668 hp, green-over-bronze super sedan, that feels worth the cost of admission.
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