The New Cadillac Sports Car: The 2022 CT5-V Blackwing
Isabel Armiento
· 3 min read
Cadillac’s latest V-series
has finally been unveiled, and eager fans won’t be surprised to hear that the 2022 CT5-V—the new Cadillac sports car—takes the cake for most powerful production Cadillac of all time. With a whopping 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque, this luxury car
can reach top speeds of more than 200 miles per hour. Some Cadillac fans were disappointed by the automaker’s 2020 releases, the CT4 and CT5 sedans. These lower-powered vehicles had only around 420 horsepower and weren’t meant for racing.
These fans will be pleased to hear that the new 2022 CT5-V Blackwing is more in line with the CT4 and CT5’s predecessors: former stars of the racetrack, the Cadillac ATS-V and CTS-V.
The CT5-V Blackwing: A new Cadillac sports car
According to
Forbes
, the CT5-V Blackwing borrows its name from the “Blackwing” V8 engine used in Cadillac’s earlier CT6-V model. The older car’s 550-horsepower engine has been revamped and pumped up to even greater heights for the CT5-V. The CT5-V Blackwing adds several improvements onto the standard CT5-V series. For one, the Blackwing is wider than the CT5-V, with large spoilers at the front and rear designed to increase stability. Moreover, the Blackwing only comes in rear-wheel drive and is 22 pounds lighter than the older model.
The CT5-V Blackwing comes with a host of other upgrades. According to Brandon Vivian, Cadillac’s executive chief engineer, the vehicle boasts “a new supercharger, new induction system and exhaust system.”
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The changes are about functionality, not appearance
Not only does it offer new features, the CT5-V Blackwing also looks different than the older models, with a sleeker and softer build. All its tweaks have been made with the intention of improving the car’s functionality, however.
Brian Smith, Cadillac’s director of exterior car design, stressed that these adjustments are about speed and power, not aesthetics. “Every part of a race car must serve a purpose,” Smith told Forbes.
For example, the new model is full of openings and has a grille mesh, design choices that are practical, rather than superficial. These features are meant to redirect air toward the car’s heat exchangers and brakes, improving the model’s airflow by 46% as compared to the CTS-V.
The new Cadillac sports car may be the automaker’s final gas-powered vehicle
MORE: Why Doesn’t the Cadillac Lyriq Have This Common EV Feature?
Due to Cadillac’s pledges to go electric—including the impending release of the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq—the 2022 CT5-V Blackwing could be the automaker’s final gas-powered new car.
In fact, Rory Harvey, Cadillac’s global vice president, said as much at a press conference for the new V-series Blackwing lineup. “While these may be the last petrol vehicles we introduce, I can assure you that Cadillac’s commitment to performance will remain no matter what the propulsion system is,” said Harvey, according to Forbes.
Cadillac is expected to release a lineup of five electric vehicles by 2025, just in time for the next scheduled update to the CT5 model.
The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing starts at $84,990, and the first 250 vehicles will be available for purchase starting spring 2022.
By summer, the new Cadillac sports car will have launched in wide release, and Cadillac fans will be able to find the new model at their local dealership.
