Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

Mechanically, 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.

• Car and Driver

  Tested: Is the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Automatic a Better Supersedan?

  ◆Worth it

  A 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

  1,996 wordsOpen article ↗

  Quotes worth your time

  1. performance“The automatic snaps off a 4.0-second 60-mph time; the manual hangs close at 4.1 seconds. The automatic shoots ahead from there, reaching 100 mph in 9.4 seconds to the manual's 9.9 seconds.”
  2. handling“No matter the transmission, though, the CT4-V BW is a virtuoso both on the road and on a racecourse.”
  3. fun to drive“In a way, the automatic expands this car's already expansive bandwidth. You can be lazy and shift-averse at in-town speeds... and then enjoy gear-swapping, paddle-shifting fun when you want to play back-road hero.”
  4. daily drivability“Its transmission might have 10 speeds, but you'd never know it given how unobtrusively it steps through them in normal driving.”
  5. value“The CT4-V Blackwing is so accomplished that it would take a pretty awful automatic to change our mind about its high-wattage brilliance.”