The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and CT4-V Blackwing represent the pinnacle of Cadillac performance and craftsmanship, leveraging championship-winning racing heritage to create the most track-capable Cadillacs ever, while continuing to set new standards for luxury and comfort.
Leveraging a Cadillac racing history that began in 1949 and has seen sustained success over the last two decades, the V-Series Blackwing models were developed with driver engagement and performance at the top of mind.
“V-Series Blackwing stands for the very highest level of execution from Cadillac and offers a distinctly American vision of performance: incredible power and luxurious craftsmanship, with absolutely zero compromise between the two,” said Brandon Vivian, executive chief engineer, Cadillac. “We looked to our championship-winning racing heritage and brought an uncompromising eye for detail to create two cars that elevate the V-Series experience.”
V-Series Blackwing vehicles build on the already excellent performance dynamics of the CT5-V and CT4-V to create the top tier of the Cadillac sedan lineup.
Highlights include:
- Evolutions of the track-ready Cadillac 6.2L Supercharged V8 in the CT5-V Blackwing and 3.6L Twin-Turbo V6 in the CT4-V Blackwing
- 10-speed automatic transmission
- Electronic Limited Slip Rear Differential enhanced to reduce mass and improve on-track reliability
- Advanced suspension refinements providing greater body control and a more agile feel
- Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, the world’s fastest reacting suspension technology, sharpening the balance between daily-driving comfort and high-performance track capability
- Unique structural enhancements improving steering response and handling on the track
- Cadillac’s largest ever factory-installed brakes, available on the CT5-V Blackwing
- Extensive validation including 12-hour and 24-hour track testing
- Customizable integrated digital gauge cluster with Custom Launch Control and Performance Traction Management settings.
- CT5-V Blackwing: 6.2L Supercharged V-8 – 668 hp, 893 Nm of torque
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- GM-estimated top track speed: over 321.87 km/h
- GM-estimated 0-100 mph: 3.7 seconds (automatic transmission)
- Most powerful Cadillac ever
- Air intake airflow is improved by 46 percent vs. the CTS-V
- Compact, high-output 1.7L four-lobe Eaton supercharger with small-diameter rotors that enable boost to be generated earlier in the rpm band for instantaneous response
- Rotocast A356T6 aluminum cylinder heads are stronger and handle heat better than conventional aluminum-alloy heads
- Lightweight titanium intake valves
- Track-capable wet-sump oiling and vent system with external oil separator and drain-back
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- CT4-V Blackwing: 3.6L Twin-Turbo V-6 – 472 hp, 610 Nm of torque
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- GM-estimated top speed: 304.16 km/h
- GM-estimated 0-100 km/h: 3.8 seconds (automatic transmission)
- Most powerful and fastest Cadillac in the subcompact class
- Air intake restriction is improved by 39 percent vs. the ATS-V
- Turbocharger compressors matched for peak efficiency at peak power for optimal track performance
- Re-targeted piston oil squirters, which direct engine oil at the bottoms of the pistons, for improved temperature control
- The manifold-integrated water-to-air charge cooling system contributes to more immediate torque response
- Airflow routing volume is reduced by 60 percent when compared to a conventional design that features a remotely mounted heat exchanger
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- CT4-V Blackwing: 14.96 x 1.34-inch (380 X 34 mm) front rotors and 13.4 x 1.1-inch (340.5 x 28 mm) rear rotors
- CT5-V Blackwing: 15.67 x 1.42–inch (398 X 36 mm) front rotors and 14.7 x 1.1-inch (373.5 x 28 mm) rear rotors
- Staggered Brembo six-piston front calipers and four-piston rear calipers
- Available on the CT5-V Blackwing, the lightweight carbon-ceramic brake package significantly improves heat management, as well as greater resistance to wear under extreme conditions on the racetrack, while also reducing unsprung mass and rotating mass:
- 53-pound (24 kg) reduction in unsprung weight
- 62-pound (28 kg) reduction in rotating mass
- High-performance copper-free brake linings and deliver superior fade resistance with an excellent pedal feel on and off the track
- Brake systems are integrated to each vehicles’ selectable drive modes, including brake pedal feel. Brake pedal feel can also be assigned within My-Mode and V-Mode.
- Tap Shift/Manual Mode allowing the driver to use integrated magnesium paddle shifters to select a gear and hold it until selecting the next gear, up or down
- Sport Mode providing real-time interpretation of driving conditions, adjusting the transmission to reduce shift busyness and improve performance, while retaining aggressive driving dynamics
- Twenty-four-hour track testing resulted in several improvements in response to the demands of a high-g track environment, including a unique oil pan design and priority valve changes
- Unique control systems with performance calibrations tailored for each model
- Ten forward gears offer the most available transmission speeds in each sedans’ respective segments, helping keep the engines within their optimal rpm bands, while also anticipating the next shifts
- Dynamic Performance Mode is calibrated specifically for V-Series Blackwing to deliver track focused shift patterns and automatically activates when high-g forces are experienced in Sport or Track mode
- An auxiliary pump primes the automatic transmission system from the time the vehicle door is opened for improved cold-shift performance.
- More control of the rear differential compared to traditional open and mechanical limited-slip differentials
- Enhances road grip by automatically allocating torque to the rear wheel with the most traction during hard cornering — with the capability of sending up to 1,475 lb.-ft. (2,000 Nm) of locking torque across the axle
- High-performance differential cooler
- An aluminum housing replacing the previous generation cast iron housing, reducing mass by more than 22 pounds (10 kg)
- Exclusive integrated heat exchanger for enhanced cooling.
- Immense performance envelope that gave Cadillac engineers the freedom to optimize everyday driving and aggressive track performance
- New accelerometers and an inertial measurement unit that transmit and process changes in road conditions four times faster than the previous generation system
- Secondary temperature maps that enable engineers to compensate for changes in damper fluid temperature for more consistent performance, even during performance driving
- Inertial measurement unit that provides more precise measurements of body motion relative to the wheel for more accurate readings under heavy braking, hard cornering, and other driving conditions
- Improved magnetic flux control that creates a more consistent and accurate transition between rebound and compression
- Improvements to transient body control that allow the vehicle to remain more level while transitioning between corners
- Ride link includes an all-new 100-percent elastomer bushing on the CT4-V Blackwing and a retuned hydro bushing on the CT5-V Blackwing, for improved ride response
- Handling link has cross-axis ball joints for improved lateral control and quicker steering response
- Lateral link features stiffer bushings for faster response and increased cornering agility
- Toe link has cross-axis ball joints for increased stability and driver confidence
- Rear knuckles have increased stiffness for improved braking and better control during cornering
- Rear cradle mounts have been stiffened for optimum balance between road comfort and track performance
- Unique, multiple-compound tread composition:
- Contact patch composed of three unique tread rubber compounds
- Racing “R compound” used for the majority of the tread
- Compounds optimized for wet traction, enhanced street and track durability, as well as rolling resistance
- The mold shape of the tire has been specifically engineered for Blackwing models to optimize contact with the road
- Tire sizes:
- CT5-V Blackwing tire size: 275/35ZR19 (front) and 305/30ZR19 (rear)
- CT4-V Blackwing tire size: 255/35ZR18 (front) and 275/35ZR18 (rear)
- CT5-V Blackwing: Front – 19 x 10 inches / Rear – 19 x 11 inches
- CT4-V Blackwing: Front – 18 x 9 inches / Rear – 18 x 9.5 inches