2022 Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing Review
“Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.
And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night.
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.”
2022 Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing
MSRP: $83,995
6.2 Liter Supercharged V8
668 HP / 659 TQ
0-60: 3.6 Seconds
MPG as observed: 20.7 (yes really)
—
Guy who did stuff: Yousef Alvi
What does that beautiful and famous poem have to do with this 2022 Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing? This is the end of the gasoline powered Cadillacs and it’s the beginning of the end of gasoline powered vehicles by General Motors. So now, reread that poem.
Cadillac’s took their engineer’s off their leash and their collective rage against the dying of the internal combustion engine is palpable in this car. Nothing was left to chance. Nothing was left on the table. Nothing was compromised. If this was going to be the capstone of internal combustion and General Motors at large…
“...then let this capstone annihilate everything in its wake. ”
And you know what? It worked. This Blackwing is the one of the best vehicles I have ever driven. As a singular package of power, refinement, comfort, handling, braking and even practicality…it is almost second to none. But there is one thing that tops it all and makes this 'the one’
Dial the Blackwing into any of the sport modes, downshift two gears, plant your foot to the floorboard…there is NOTHING on the road that makes you feel alive as this car. It launches like a top fuel dragster, each gear shift with it’s brilliant manual transmission elicits a bark from the rear tires, the sound coming from all corners of the Blackwing in envelop you and the only thing you can do is scream ‘oh my god!’
That’s not all though, find a switchback, curvy bit of road or your favorite mountain pass and this Blackwing will rewire your brain. The amount of grip the chassis has is unfathomable. I was cursed with winter tires on our test unit and I couldn’t tell the difference. There wasn’t any perceptible ‘squish’ from the stupid tires, the Blackwing just nailed down every bend. It did so in such a confidence inspiring fashion that it lets you squeeze out more and more of it’s freakish amount of torque, which then nailed the Blackwing further into the pavement. So in other words, the Blackwing has one of the most confidence inspiring setups I have ever come across…enabling you to take more and more out of each turn of the wheel.
“Hand to heart…that car, that drive, on that mountain, was one of the defining moments in my automotive career. ”
But what really sealed it was the drive home. After spending hours on taking video and pictures. I could finally turn my brain off and just relax behind the wheel. The Blackwing did it’s duty as a Cadillac and delivered a ride that honestly no other sport sedan can offer…compliant, quiet and comfortable. Just dialed in perfectly between not to isolated but isolated enough to remind you that you are in a luxury vehicle.
So yeah…that’s it. That’s the 2022 Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing. That’s the end of this story and the end of internal combustion engines for Cadillac. What an ending indeed.
Yousef Alvi
