Despite its sedan form factor, the Cadillac CT5 is the luxury automaker’s best-selling vehicle worldwide. First introduced in 2019, Caddy has finally seen fit to refresh the car’s performance finishes mid-cycle. Anyone concerned about the status of the manual for the vaunted CT5-V Blackwing, rest assured. The six-speed transmission is still available, and there are a few other updates to sweeten the deal even more.
The additions will come to both the Blackwing and the regular CT5-V in the 2025 model year. Both cars receive changes inside and out, building on standard features such as an electronic limited-slip differential and magnetic ride control. On the outside, there are obvious updated front fascias and three new colors for both cars. They are green, known as Typhoon Metallic, glossy gray called Rift Metallic, and Deep Space Metallic, which is black.
The new fascias are a little sharper, but nothing to write home about. The rear of both cars is relatively unchanged. A new carbon fiber package is available on the Blackwing that adds a new front lip if a customer wants a more aggressive look.
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The interior is where bigger changes happen. The small square infotainment display that the CT5 used to have has been replaced by a huge 33-inch screen, similar to units found in the Lyriq, Escalade and other Cadillac models. The hands-free highway driving system, Super Cruise, is also available on automatic CT5-Vs and Blackwings. Built-in Google features such as Maps and Assistant are now also standard.
On the performance side, an updated performance data recorder for the Blackwing is now available. The system can now provide driving tips, split times and other impressive information on various tracks an owner may take their vehicle to. It can even compare recorded laps side by side to show drivers opportunities to improve their times.
As previously mentioned, the respective powertrains of both cars are unchanged. The CT5-V gets a 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 that produces 360 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. It can only be paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. The Blackwing also retains its 6.2-liter V8, which produces 668 hp and 659 lb-ft of torque with the help of a massive roots supercharger. In addition to the aforementioned 10-speed gearbox, a six-speed manual transmission remains.
Ahead of the production start date in the summer of 2024, both cars will be unveiled to the public at the 24 Hours of Daytona, where Cadillac will race in the GTP class. The CT5-V Blackwing will also be the pace car for the 24-hour race.