Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing
Twin-turbo V6, six-speed manual — the compact Blackwing and the M3's cut-price rival.
27 reviewers · 58 videos · 9 hours watched · 1 press article
Reviewers strongly agree on its performance and handling.
across 27 reviewers
Performance
4.5/527 of 27 reviewersstrong consensus“The engine makes 472 horsepower. 445 pound- feet of torque.”
positive · TFLnow · ▶ 2:28“472 horsepower 445 pound-feet of torque from a 3.6 liter twin turbo V6”
positive · TheStraightPipes · ▶ 1:44“this car kills it at everything it does”
positive · Sarah -n- Tuned · ▶ 0:51Handling
5.0/527 of 27 reviewersstrong consensus“The brakes are really impressive. I can break so much later than that. So, they a lot of bite to them and tons of grip.”
positive · TFLnow · ▶ 7:23“through here really good it handles so well and it still does allow some slip angle”
positive · TheStraightPipes · ▶ 6:44“It's just sublime, this chassis, man. So good.”
positive · Zygrene · ▶ 7:06Fun to drive
5.0/527 of 27 reviewersstrong consensus“It's nice to have a good manual transmission.”
positive · TFLnow · ▶ 11:53“This is a very, very fun car in track.”
positive · W.T.F Car Reviews · ▶ 16:34“this is one of our favorite cars ever after driving so many other cars”
positive · TheStraightPipes · ▶ 2:06Daily drivability
4.0/527 of 27 reviewersstrong consensus“you can put in touring road uh mode for the ride home and have a car that's super comfortable and easy to drive as a daily daily driver.”
positive · TFLnow · ▶ 15:46“It's a very good daily. Minus the very small back seats.”
positive · Zygrene · ▶ 1:48“this car is like a chameleon-like ability to blend in with its settings... this thing becomes a docile car in fact it becomes a downright comfortable”
positive · Car and Driver · ▶ 5:41Value
4.5/526 of 27 reviewersstrong consensus“it undercuts an M3 by quite a bit price-wise. It's really again priced similarly to an M340i, and it blows an M340i out of the water.”
positive · Ben Hardy · ▶ 8:25“You're saving 10 $15,000 compared to a similarly equipped M3.”
positive · W.T.F Car Reviews · ▶ 18:04“you should buy it there's nothing wrong with it I love it you should buy it”
positive · TheStraightPipes · ▶ 25:45Mechanically, the CT4-V Blackwing runs the LF4 — a twin-turbocharged 3.6-litre DOHC V6 making 472 hp and 445 lb-ft — sending drive rearward through a standard Tremec TR-6060 six-speed manual with no-lift-shift and rev-matching; a 10-speed automatic is optional. It carries the same chassis toolkit as its bigger CT5-V Blackwing sibling — Magnetic Ride Control 4.0, an electronic limited-slip differential, Brembo brakes and staggered Michelin Pilot Sport 4S — in a compact body around 300 lb lighter, near 3,800 lb. That mass advantage is the whole argument: it is the more tossable of the two Blackwings.
Where it places in the lineage, it is the direct heir to the ATS-V, which pioneered this twin-turbo 3.6 in Cadillac's compact performance sedan. Launched for 2022 alongside the CT5-V Blackwing — early cars sold as the numbered 'Arrival Edition' — it is Cadillac's compact-class answer to the BMW M3: rear-drive, manual-standard, and pointedly cheaper. Like the V8 car, it is among the last gas V-Series models before the brand's electrified pivot.
Hear it in the reviewer’s words
- Car and Driver
Tested: Is the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Automatic a Better Supersedan?
◆Worth itA great automatic, but give us our CT4-V Blackwing with the manual.
- Best for
- Enthusiasts who want a world-class sports sedan that can be either a relaxed daily driver or a highly engaging back-road machine.
- Watch out
- Cramped rear seat · Uninspired interior design · Automatic adds cost and complexity
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