To drive is human, to drive this beast is divine
If you hadn’t noticed, in the midst of the EV/Hybrid/SUV/pickup truck onslaught, sedans are getting their grille teeth kicked in. That much more is the case for the unicorn of passenger cars, the rear-wheel drive, manual transmission sedan. Whittle that down to a singular example in 2025: the Cadillac CTS-V Blackwing. Literally, nobody else builds this kind of car, and that’s a tragedy.
In the pantheon of automotive greatness, the manual transmission, rear-wheel drive sports sedan stands as a testament to engineering prowess and unadulterated driving passion. The Blackwing exemplifies that in all the right ways. You can still get the rear-wheel-drive sedan with a supercharged V8 engine and, most crucially, a manual transmission. But for how much longer?
On top of that, it’s rumored that only about 1,000 of them are made per year, having begun in 2022. That means, at the end of this year, a mere 4,000 cars will have been built. For comparison’s sake, Acura sold more front-wheel drive TLX sedans last year, and they’re canceling it due to poor sales. What hope does the CT5-V Blackwing have? It might be time to pony up and grab one now, and here’s why.
The CT5-V is a true performer
The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is just about everything most car buyers don’t want, but that’s why we love it so much. It’s loud, angry, and dangerous in unskilled hands. It’s coming to the end of its life, and most people won’t even notice when it’s gone forever. They’re too busy driving anesthetizing crossovers with CVTs. The CT5-V Blackwing is properly ridiculous in just about every way possible. It also costs $97,600 base, which is a lot, but we say it’s more than worth it.
Under the hood is a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 churning out 668 horsepower. It’s the same V8 from the front-engined C7 Corvette Z06, a car that needs no introduction. The six-speed manual transmission in the CT5-V Blackwing is standard, not optional. Sure, the 10-speed automatic makes the car quicker, but who cares? Roping your own gears is what makes the CT5-V so damned good. Even with the slower manual setup, the CT5-V Blackwing will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds. That’s quicker than a manual transmission Porsche 911 Carrera T, and you can’t drive four people and carry groceries in the Porsche.
It also gets performance hardware like launch control, an electronic limited-slip differential, magnetorheological dampers, and Cadillac’s Performance Traction Management system, which makes you more skilled than you actually are. For those wanting to push even further, the available $18,000 Precision Package tightens everything up with stiffer suspension tuning, wider tires, and aggressive camber settings, sharpening the car’s responses. The package is worth it, too, because it makes a remarkable sports sedan even better.
The CT5-V Blackwing is also a marvel when it comes to chassis tuning. Magnetic Ride Control, a technology that reads the road a thousand times per second, ensures that the CT5-V Blackwing is both compliant and composed, whether you’re taking it easy or driving it hard. The steering is telepathic, delivering a level of feedback (rather than isolation) that has all but disappeared from modern cars.
Why does Caddy still build this thing?
The last time BMW made an M5 with a manual transmission was the F10 from 2016. That was ages ago. While its rivals from Germany (BMW, Audi, Mercedes) have largely abandoned the manual transmission in their top-tier performance sedans, Cadillac has doubled down. This is a conscious decision by the brand, a special niche nod to the driving purists. It’s a connection between driver and machine that no automatic can replicate. Yes, the M5 is quicker, but so what? It has two pedals, not three.
The Caddy CT5-V Blackwing’s short-throw shifter, the perfectly weighted clutch pedal, the satisfying mechanical “snickt” of each gear change, the carbon fiber seats, and the suspension are an integral part of the driving experience. Cadillac performance engineers want to hang on to it for as long as this ride will let them. By doing this, they’re thumbing their nose at modern convention and defying every other sports sedan formula.
The balance of power, control, and usability
The CT5-V Blackwing is a throwback of the best kind, the last car standing. Cadillac has essentially given enthusiasts everything they’ve asked for, creating a car that is both a luxurious daily driver and a track-day beast. Other automakers have abandoned this formula. BMW’s M3 has moved on to more modern, automatic-only configurations for its top-spec models with the Competition and Competition xDrive. Mercedes-AMG has embraced hybrid and even four-cylinder powertrains, a big mistake, apparently.
On the other hand, the CT5-V Blackwing can be a comfortable and decently spacious sedan (37.9 inches of rear legroom) with massaging seats and a well-sized trunk (12 cubic feet) for commutes and errands. But it quickly transforms into a ferocious, analog machine that can humble far more exotic sports cars. It’s a sports sedan that elicits passion and engagement that’s virtually unmatched, and there isn’t a single V8 version like this. Caddy even gave it a facelift inside and out for 2025 with new headlights, vertical daytime running lights, and a more premium cabin with a big 33-inch curved display that replaces the shrimpy 10.0-inch touchscreen from last year.
The unfortunate truth is that this era is ending. The move towards electrification and stricter emissions regulations means that the CT5-V Blackwing is almost certainly the last V8 manual transmission sedan that Cadillac, or perhaps any major automaker, will ever build. The internal combustion engine will not disappear overnight, but the landscape is shifting in a bad and unstoppable direction. The visceral, mechanical joy of rowing through the gears of a supercharged V8 is a sensation that will soon be relegated to the history books and the used car market. Watch the CT5-V Blackwing become a collector’s dream.
Final thoughts
The CT5-V Blackwing won’t be around much longer. Rumor has it that this could be its final year. Do whatever you have to do to buy one now. The CT5-V Blackwing offers a connection, a mechanical and analog driving experience that may never be replicated in the mainstream auto industry. If you’ve ever dreamed of a truly engaging and visceral driving experience, you need to act now.
About the author
Amos Kwon
Contributing Writer, Autoblog