2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing First Drive: Going Loudly Into That Good Night

Is this the end, or at least a version of the end? The days of manual transmissions and big supercharged V-8 engines appear to be drawing to a close, and we’re beyond sad to see them go. Before they do, though, the 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing will make sure they’re not forgotten, with one last defiant howl. 

Is It Really the End? 

To paraphrase Cadillac engineers, it’s increasingly difficult to hit fuel economy and emissions targets with a supercharged V-8, especially one with a manual transmission attached to it. That’s why the 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing’s power output is unchanged at 668 hp and 659 lb-ft of torque, which is frankly plenty for a rear-drive sedan. Between that and GM’s EV ambitions (particularly at Cadillac, which has rolled out two new EV SUVs this year), the CT5 as we know it is nearing its end. To commemorate the life of the mighty Alpha platform that underpins the CT5, the design team cast an omega symbol into the front camera housing just below the grille badge. 

Out With a Bang 

Supercharged V-8s don’t go out quietly, though. Cadillac could’ve left it at the cosmetic updates and new interior all 2025 CT5s get, but where’s the fun in that? Instead, the engineers came up with the Precision Package.  

Designed to make the Blackwing an even bigger threat at your next track day, the Precision Package goes all in on stiffness and camber. Stiffer springs, bushings, and a larger front anti-roll bar are all to be expected, but the crew went a step further with new steering knuckles and rear toe links that allow for more negative camber in track alignment than a standard Blackwing—an additional 0.75 degree in front and 1.0 degree in the rear. It also finally puts you on Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires instead of the standard Pilot Sport 4S rubber. 

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Now, you could buy aftermarket suspension parts from a number of vendors, and Cadillac may even consider selling these parts in the future (though the toe links are CNC-machined aluminum and would be quite expensive), but you wouldn’t get the full package. Cadillac also reprogrammed the magnetorheological shocks, Performance Traction Management system, power steering, chassis controls, and electronically controlled limited-slip differential to take full advantage of the new suspension. 

The goal, Cadillac engineers say, is stability. Back-to-backing the standard Blackwing and the Precision Package on Georgia’s tricky Atlanta Motorsports Park made the changes clear. Yes, the standard Blackwing is awesome, but once you’ve tasted the upgrades you don’t want to go back.  

There’s even more feel in the steering, the car is more stable under braking, and the chassis is less likely to understeer or oversteer when you get on the power exiting a corner. It rarely feels like you need to wait on the standard Blackwing to grip-up, but the Precision Package’s additional grip shortens the wait time noticeably. Whether it’s an increasing- or decreasing-radius turn, you can give it more power sooner without pushing wider or swinging the tail out. Coming into the big downhill braking zone at the end of the front straight, the Precision car hunkers down and stops so confidently it makes the standard car’s behavior feel dramatic in comparison.  

Cup tires arguably account for much of the difference, but they’re not everything. The Precision Package car doesn’t just grip harder, it turns in more sharply. The standard car is, again, no slouch, but the extra camber and chassis stiffness baked into the upgrade package makes the 2025 CT5-V Blackwing noticeably more eager to attack corners. 

Knowing you can carry so much speed and stop so well sends your confidence through the roof. You push harder through every corner, daring yourself to keep your foot down when the car gets light or loose, still trusting it won’t bite you. Even when it does, you get more warnings than you do threats, controlled easily by backing out of the throttle and maybe applying a little countersteer. The car doesn’t want to hurt you, it wants you to drive better. 

If you want to drive quicker, though, there’s a simple solution: get the auto (the Precision Package is available on both). We love the six-speed manual in this car, and you will, too, but there’s no arguing the 10-speed auto will be quicker around a track. Cadillac seems to have taken notice of how Porsche builds cars and has evened out the weight of the steering, manual shifter, and brake pedal, making the car incredibly easy to drive hard without exerting yourself. Still, even with the no-lift shift function, you physically can’t change gears as quickly as a computer can.  

The manual lets you be a hero; the auto lets you play race car driver. No worries about destabilizing the car with a bad shift or clutch release, and virtually no acceleration lost as it swaps gears. In fact, once its Performance Shift Algorithm is triggered, the auto is as smart as Porsche’s PDK, so manually shifting is entirely optional—you can just focus on your braking points, lines, and finesse while the computer does the rest. 

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Here Comes the Data Dump 

Don’t just take our word for it, though. Fire up the Performance Data Recorder (PDR), run a few laps, and see for yourself—right there, on the screen in the car. No more laptop required. 

A big component of the interior update is the 33-inch screen found in other Cadillacs, and it opens up so much real estate that Cadillac is now able to display most PDR features right in the car. Now you can compare laps and get tips about where you gained or lost time right on the screen between run groups. You can even drag your finger across the traces and see exactly how much speed you were carrying in the same corner, then check how much braking and throttle you were using. Side-by-side video lets you see where you were on the track at the same point in each lap, simultaneously. On top of all that, this next-generation PDR 2.5 finally displays not only a live lap timer while driving but also your best lap, your delta to that lap, and green/red indication of how well you’re doing. 

As before, you can also pull the SD card and stick it in your laptop for further analysis. The one key feature you can’t use in the car is a satellite view overlay of your driving lines, so if you want to see exactly where you positioned the car on the track, you need to take that to your computer. You can also do your reviews in the AliveDrive mobile app and share your lap data to forums or social media. The car, app, and desktop software are all linked in the cloud, so you can see it all from anywhere. 

Same on the Street 

Back to the performance bits—you’d be forgiven for wondering whether such a mechanical package is too much for the street, but there’s nothing to worry about. The stiffer springs make the 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing ride slightly harder around town, but that’s about it. What’s more, the improved steering feel is just as present at low speeds, making even mundane drives more enjoyable. Here again, once you’ve had a taste, there’s just no reason to go back to the standard car. 

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About the Price ... 

OK, maybe there’s one reason. Cadillac hasn’t announced an official price yet, but rumor has it you’ll need to put down a cool $18,000 for the Precision Package. Before you freak out entirely, rumor also has it that half of that cost is the mandatory carbon-ceramic brakes, which are a $9,000 option otherwise. The Cadillac people say a higher percentage of Blackwing owners track their cars than Corvette owners, and if that’s you, it’s worth it. After all, you’re already shelling out $96,990 just to get into a 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. 

What About the Rest of the Car? 

If you’ve gotten the sense Cadillac’s approach to this car has been, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it, you’re correct. Most of it is carryover, with the most notable exception being the 33-inch screen mentioned earlier. In addition to looking cool and tech-forward, it avoids the cardinal sin of displacing physical controls (for the most part). All the climate controls are physical buttons, as are some of the audio controls, including volume. Automatic-transmission models get a rotary controller behind the shifter with shortcut hard buttons for infotainment functions that manual-transmission models don’t for some unknown reason. The big, curved screen makes it easy enough to touch rather than scroll, so pick your poison. 

The other big get is standard Super Cruise on automatic-transmission models, with three years of service included (it doesn’t work with a manual transmission, as it can’t control the gears, obviously). We asked the Cadillac engineers about possibly using the Super Cruise light embedded in the steering-wheel as a race car-style rpm/shift indicator, but they said it isn’t possible, as it’s a standard GM part designed for Super Cruise functionality only. At least the very obvious color changes on the big screen and in the head-up display do a good job as upshift indicators. 

The 2025 Cadillac CT5-V models are really only distinguished by slightly revised front and rear styling consisting mostly of new headlights and exhaust tips. Otherwise, it’s the same wonderful super sedan we’ve known and loved for years. Cadillac’s priority in this refresh is clearly on performance, and the brand delivered. 

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What About the Regular CT5-V? 

Not all CT5-Vs are Blackwings, nor are they all V-8s. In a rather confusing move, a few years back Cadillac created the Blackwing name and made it the new V. Mid-tier vehicles formerly known as V Sport became the new V models. The CT5-V, then, is the replacement for the old CTS-V Sport. It’s powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 making 360 hp and 405 lb-ft, mated exclusively to a 10-speed automatic.  

The CT5-V is exactly what you’d expect of a mid-tier, semi-sporty model. It’s pleasantly quick, enough to put a smile on most drivers’ faces during the morning commute or weekend drive. It handles nicely, with more pitch, dive, and roll than a Blackwing, but not as much as a base model, all just as neatly controlled despite being more exaggerated. The exhaust note isn’t bad (in fact, it’s phenomenal by GM V-6 standards) and is aided by some obvious stereo amplification when you crank up the drive modes. The transmission is just as smart about its shifts, if not as aggressive. Because there’s no manual, Super Cruise is standard on all cars. 

In all, it’s a perfectly nice sport sedan with noticeably more personality than a base four-cylinder CT5. For the casual enthusiast, it’s plenty. For the serious car nut, though, it’s nowhere close to the Blackwing. On the other hand, it’s also substantially cheaper, at $53,490 to start. 

An Uncertain Future 

Exactly how much time the Blackwing has left is anyone’s guess. Cadillac isn’t saying and likely doesn’t know. Those of you up on politics may be thinking a stay of execution is imminent with the inauguration of the second Trump administration, but it’s far from a sure bet. Though President-elect Trump has historically been a champion of fossil fuels, and anti-EV, he’s made statements both ways during the latest campaign, promoting “energy independence” while also acknowledging that he “has to” be pro-EV because Elon Musk is one of his top supporters. What emissions and fuel-economy policies the second Trump administration will implement remain to be seen as of this writing. 

Even if the incoming government relaxes those standards, it may only be a short-term reprieve. Automakers plan years in advance, and control of Congress could change again as soon as the 2026 midterms. The presidency, meanwhile, could swing back the other way in four years, and Democrats are likely to reinstate today’s regulations if given the chance. Before any of that happens, any attempt to weaken current standards will likely be tied up in court for months or years.  

Regardless of what the government does, GM is still a global automaker and makes plans based on what’s happening in other major markets as well as at home. Countries around the world are still going electric regardless of what the U.S. does, and GM CEO Mary Barra has been clear the company’s long-term direction leads to EVs even if the dates have been pushed back.  

Point being, if you want a Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, get one now. Even if they stick around a few years longer than planned due to a likely temporary weakening of regulations, they won’t last forever. It would be a shame to miss out.