The early 2000s nearly cemented BMW as the highest canine within the fashionable luxurious sporty sedan area of interest. Rivals just like the all-wheel-drive Audi RS4 or the hilariously brutish Mercedes-AMG C63 supplied differing takes on what a sports activities sedan could possibly be, however neither might fairly dance like Bavaria’s greatest on a again highway. All of it comes all the way down to BMW’s ironclad method, mixing a potent engine, a handbook transmission, energy flowing by means of the rear wheels, and, crucially, sports activities car-like dealing with.
It’s a recipe that has netted BMW not simply industry-beating gross sales numbers however coveted actual property within the minds of lovers. How are different automakers to compete? Vehicles just like the 2024 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing supply a compelling counterpoint. Its acquainted recipe incorporates a 474-horsepower twin-turbo V6 with a handbook transmission sending energy to the again wheels. Nonetheless, it does so whereas sporting a smaller footprint, extra historically elegant styling, and a a lot decrease beginning worth. Is the Blackwing interesting sufficient to lure a number of diehards away from the reigning champ?
It’s value taking a second to make clear which model of the CT4 we’re speaking about. The important thing phrase right here is “Blackwing.” That’s how you recognize you’re trying on the sportiest variant of Cadillac’s 3-Sequence fighter, because the existence of a mid-tier CT4-V provides a little bit of confusion. Throughout the carmaker’s lineup, the CT4-V Blackwing sits slightly below the CT5-V Blackwing, its 5-Sequence rival, permitting the American model to go toe to toe with the German rival it seeks to dethrone.
Ignore my tester’s Cyber Yellow Metallic paint for a second, and also you’ll spot quite a lot of goodies that separate this Blackwing from its pedestrian siblings. Up entrance, it sports activities an prolonged entrance splitter, a restyled bumper, and gloss black trim all through. These observe a set of prolonged aspect skirts that lead onto a widened rear diffuser housing a set of quad exhaust ideas. An prolonged lid spoiler rounds out the checklist of adjustments.
In comparison with its German rival, nonetheless, what stands out most is how a lot smaller the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is. Whereas it weighs about as a lot because the M3 (round 3,800 kilos), the Caddy shrinks two inches in size, three in width, and one in top. A couple of inches could not sound like a lot, however they contribute considerably to the Blackwing coming throughout as a significantly smaller machine, visually and from behind the wheel. Contemplating how swollen the reigning champ has turn out to be, it is a main plus.
Level its nostril in direction of a twisty again highway and the CT4-V will proceed to make its case. As you choose up your tempo, the Blackwing comes alive with loads of suggestions by means of its chassis and steering, which, together with a really knotchy shifter, instantly immerse you within the expertise. The dual-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 that powers it, regardless of producing a wholesome 472 hp and 445 pound-feet of torque output, is considerably muted and infrequently fades to the background. Even with the V’s exhaust flaps open, we get a comparatively typical high-pitched observe you’d anticipate from a 90-degree V6, however nothing distinctive.
What’s noteworthy, nonetheless, is simply how sporty the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing feels regardless of its makes an attempt to double as a luxurious automotive. Now we have its adaptive suspension with magnetic experience management to thank for this. Gentle sufficient for lengthy freeway cruises however agency and steady sufficient on a again highway, the Blackwing is a versatility and suspension tuning masterclass. Add a fast entrance finish and you find yourself with an agile and full of life back-road machine.
Its 18-inch wheels, though small by fashionable requirements, are considerably lighter than, say, a set of 20s which have turn out to be so ubiquitous. By maintaining its unsprung mass as little as potential, the CT4-V does a wonderful job hiding its hefty curb weight and altering course effortlessly. Its digital limited-slip differential permits controllable slides out of corners on demand, whereas its fast and exact steering means that you can shortly catch and proper them.
Flat out, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing delivers respectable efficiency, a 4.1-second dash to 60 for the manual-equipped automotive or 3.9 for the auto, and an 189 mph prime pace. Whereas on paper, at the very least, the Caddy hits 60 in exactly the identical time as a non-Competitors rear-drive M3, their real-world expertise is drastically completely different on the depend of the BMW punching manner above its weight. In distinction, the CT4-V is fast sufficient with respectable midrange torque, but it surely falls off in direction of the redline and doesn’t ship the gut-busting punch its Bavarian rival does.
That mentioned, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is way cheaper than its competitor from throughout the pond. This 2024 tester prices $62,890, together with a $1,395 vacation spot charge. Nonetheless, it provides $9,645 in optionally available extras, primarily attributed to over $4,900 in inside upgrades we’ll cowl shortly. As such, it prices $72,535 as soon as all is about and finished, which remains to be significantly below the $76,000 or so a base M3 instructions.
The Cadillac’s cost-cutting isn’t precisely effectively hidden, both. Step inside, and also you’ll instantly see and really feel trim and ending that isn’t fairly as polished as what you’d get from pricier rivals. Whereas its digital instrument cluster pops with vivid colours and wonderful graphics, you depend on delicate plastic buttons on the wheel to work together with it. The eight-inch touchscreen housed inside its dashboard does supply all of the smartphone connectivity you’d need, but it surely’s comparatively small and never fairly as shark because the show used for the instrument cluster.
That aforementioned $4,900 inside improve goes an extended option to making the Blackwing’s inside really feel premium. It incorporates two-tone bucket-style seats with perforated diamond-stitched leather-based and crimson distinction piping. This duo-tone theme continues onto the door vehicles and the second row, matching properly with this tester’s carbon fiber extras.
Extra importantly, do any of this Cadillac’s drawbacks actually matter? There’s actually a case to be made that they don’t. All of it relies on what you need out of a sporty sedan. If top-notch supplies, the most recent highest-definition shows, and a sense that you simply’re piloting one thing costly are important, the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing probably gained’t be for you.
Nonetheless, if we glance again at these early 2000s BMW that took the phase by storm, they weren’t primarily identified for these items. The M3 doubling as a luxurious limousine is a latest improvement. As an alternative, what mattered most then was the driving expertise.
The Blackwing isn’t good, however given the selection, it’d be the one to have if what you’re after is a driving thrill. It feels agile and comparatively small whereas delivering loads of suggestions. Driving it’s an immersive expertise, and in a phase that usually prioritizes outright pace over enjoyment, the Blackwing is a refreshing return to type that reminds us of what precisely made these sporty sedans of the previous so memorable, to start with.
