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The 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing will get refreshed with the remainder of the CT5 lineup
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A brand new $18,000 Precision Bundle upgrades the CT5-V Blackwing’s dealing with
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The 2025 CT5-V Blackwing arrives by the top of the 12 months, Precision Bundle automobiles arrive in 2025
“I’m going to make a CT5-V Blackwing drive like a CT4-V Blackwing.” That was the gross sales pitch Cadillac’s government chief engineer Brandon Vivian gave GM administration.
Given Cadillac’s unique purpose of changing into an all-electric model by 2030, we must always presume Vivian’s one heck of a salesman to get GM’s administration to inexperienced mild even a small engineering price range for this mission.
However Vivian did. The results of that engineering effort is a brand new $18,000 Precision Bundle obtainable on the refreshed 2025 CT5-V Blackwing. Whereas the Blackwing shall be obtainable earlier than the top of this 12 months, the brand new bundle will arrive in early 2025.
The query I sought to reply on the twisting roads in northern Georgia and at Atlanta Motorsports Park is whether or not it’s value spending $18,000 to tick the Precision Bundle choice field. The reply isn’t easy, and comes all the way down to sure, no, and perhaps.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
What’s the CT5-V Blackwing Precision Bundle
In brief, the Precision Bundle is a dealing with improve that consists of stickier tires paired with suspension and chassis tweaks together with software program updates to make the most of the additional grip.
However it’s much more than that.
The idea is a set of 275/35ZR19 entrance and 305/30ZR19 rear Michelin Cup 2 R tires, that are mainly street-legal slicks. They’re summer-only tires that shouldn’t be pushed in chilly temps under 40 levels, they usually aren’t going to deal with rain, particularly standing water, effectively.
Cadillac’s Chief Engineer Alex MacDonald stated homeowners might skip the $18,000 Precision Bundle and easily slap a set of the Cup 2s on a CT5-V Blackwing, however they may attain the bounds of the automobile’s chassis earlier than they attain the restrict of the tires.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
To unravel that concern Precision Bundle automobiles get entrance springs which might be 70% stiffer, new entrance dampers with revised cartridges and rod lengths with 2 mm much less journey, an 11% stiffer entrance sway bar, new entrance knuckles that introduce 2.8 levels of unfavorable camper with a observe alignment up from the earlier 2.5 levels with a observe alignment, new high mounts for the higher spring seats, new spring isolators which might be 79% stiffer. That’s simply up entrance.
The rear springs are 57% stiffer, the dampers have a 20.5 mm shorter rod size, the rear J57 knuckles and trailing hyperlink bushings are all up to date with an elevated radial charge of 63%, the brand new rear toe hyperlinks are machined in-house, and the brand new entrance bushing within the rear cradle is 1,000% stiffer but not strong.
All that is mixed with revised magnetic damper tuning together with up to date stability management and traction management calibrations to make the most of the brand new grip.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
How does the CT5-V Blackwing Precision Bundle drive on the road?
The updates all translate to minimal if any change to how the CT5-V Blackwing performs on the road. Taking a pointy disregarded of the Atlanta Motorsports Park parking zone after which a fast left onto the principle roadway outdoors the observe, the Blackwing had sharp flip in response and fast strikes.
Hustling via roundabouts and winding backroads proved how livable and adept the CT5-V Blackwing is on the road.
Again-to-back seat time within the CT5-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing outfitted with the Precision Bundle proved that it’s troublesome to discern any variations on the road. When pushed exhausting, the Precision Bundle automobile may be ever so barely sharper close to the restrict. Nonetheless, the Precision Bundle automobile I used to be in had a observe alignment with extra camber and that would’ve accounted for this ever so slight distinction. Each rode on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, that are a no-cost choice for Precision Bundle patrons who need to make their automobiles extra streetable.
Taut using but comfy with tight dealing with, the CT5-V Blackwing Precision Bundle is no much less livable, until you go for the Cup 2 R tires, than a non Precision Bundle automobile.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
How does the CT5-V Blackwing Precision Bundle drive on the observe?
Faster. By a number of seconds.
It took solely a handful of laps within the CT5-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing Precision Bundle (with the Cup 2 Rs) automobiles to instantly discover the distinction in dynamics and lap instances.
Cadillac had us working in Observe mode with the Efficiency Traction Administration system set to Sport 1, which enabled extra sideways motion and tire slip. I kicked out the CT5-V Blackwing’s rear finish a number of instances and by no means noticed a flash of the traction or stability management techniques within the digital instrument cluster. The system realized I used to be in management and didn’t must intervene to save lots of my butt.
The Precision Bundle automobiles have been in a position to stick and rip via the esses of turns 2 and three simpler whereas carrying extra velocity. I didn’t must dig into the carbon-ceramic brakes exhausting till heading up into the flip 4 tight lefthand carousel. However to Vivian’s level concerning the Precision Bundle turning the CT5-V Blackwing right into a CT4-V Blackwing, the CT5-V Blackwing remains to be a bigger, heavier automobile. The CT4-V Blackwing would doubtless be as agile naturally via these turns with out the ultra-grippy tires, however the larger automobile did a superb impersonation of its little brother because of the Precision Bundle.
Non Precision Bundle automobiles had extra energy than grip and I needed to again off the facility extra going round flip 4, whereas Precision Bundle automobiles entered the nook quicker, carried extra velocity via the nook, and have been greater than keen to let the rear finish slide a bit in a managed method. The entrance finish caught as Cup 2 R tires dug into the pavement for sharper flip in. And whereas the entrance finish caught higher with the revised suspension bits and sticker tires, a CT4-V Blackwing reveals sharper end up the gate than a typical CT5-V Blackwing and its lighter weight would assist the entrance finish keep planted via the sharp nook. With out back-to-backing the automobiles it’s exhausting to understand how shut Vivan got here to his purpose.
The Flip 6 righthander actually kinds out what a automobile’s manufactured from with an off-camber dip on the apex and an uphill exit. Right here, it was simpler to stay and launch out of the nook with the Cup 2 R tires and up to date suspension. Non Precision Bundle automobiles merely couldn’t put down the facility on nook exit and took longer to get better because the physique sorted itself out. A CT4-V Blackwing carries 263 much less kilos than a CT5-V Blackwing, which might make a distinction as Flip 6 unsettles every thing in a automobile. The Precision Bundle makes up for that with immense grip.
However it was the Turns 13-16 advanced, which includes a blind uphill lefthander, an extended and quick bend to the left, and a high-speed proper onto the entrance straight, the place the Precision Bundle actually shined. Aiming left via Flip 13 the Blackwing with out the Precision Bundle struggled to maintain the rubber planted because the automobile understeered a bit on the downhill exit. This led to decrease speeds heading into the Turns 14 and 15 carousel, which made it troublesome to hold as a lot velocity into Flip 16 heading into the straight. I might solely hit about 116 mph going into the Flip 1 left hander on this state of affairs.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Hopping right into a Precision Bundle automobile I instantly observed the Blackwing struggled much less when exiting Flip 13, was in a position to see carry 84-85 mph constantly on the Flip 14 apex, and would exceed 100 mph via the Flip 16 transition heading onto the straight. That entrance straight? I hit as much as 126 mph earlier than digging deep into the carbon-ceramic brakes to sluggish for Flip 1. Cadillac had IMSA professional driver Jordan Taylor readily available, and he hit 130 mph heading down the straight.
The additional velocity via all these turns translated to significant lap-time enhancements. The quickest lap I ran within the Blackwing with the Precision Bundle was a 1:34.19, which was 2-3 seconds faster than my greatest laps in a Blackwing with out the Precision Bundle. Jordan Taylor hit a 1:29.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Refreshed CT5-V Blackwing injects tech and lighting updates
One look on the 2025 CT5-V Blackwing and it’s simple to identify the updates in and out.
The entrance finish has been up to date with new headlights. I’m not offered that they give the impression of being higher up shut as they appear so as to add visible vertical heft, however from afar they give the impression of being cool. The total-length vertical mild pipes give the CT5-V Blackwing a menacing and extra distinctive look. The CT5-V Blackwing’s outgoing headlights had poor efficiency in moist and misty circumstances as the sunshine would scatter with an unfocused sample. MacDonald informed me the brand new headlights with their projector lenses are extra centered to offer higher efficiency. We did not drive the automobiles at night time and I look ahead to testing this sooner or later.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Inside, the dashboard is revised like it’s in the remainder of the CT5 lineup. The digital gauge cluster and touchscreen have been wrapped into one curved 33.0-inch 8K show that feels much less like a pill rising from the dashboard. It’s effectively built-in and remains to be augmented with buttons, knobs, and toggles for the local weather controls and infotainment system. Blackwings outfitted with an computerized transmission additionally acquire the Tremendous Cruise hands-free driver-assist system as customary tools, which suggests they get a unique steering wheel that doesn’t have the Efficiency Traction Administration (PTM) system dial. That buries the PTM settings in a convoluted sequence that requires hitting the V Mode button twice to convey up a menu, then shifting up and down the menu by way of the drive mode toggle swap on the middle console. The remainder of the inside is carryover, and the highback Recaro entrance bucket seats hit in all the fitting locations of my common 5-foot-10 body, however the leather-based and cabin supplies are a full step behind what’s discovered within the much more costly BMW M5.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
2025 CT5-V Blackwing heralds next-gen PDR
Cadillac took benefit of the CT5-V’s up to date display screen and software program expertise for the obtainable Cosworth-supplied Efficiency Information Recorder system.
What as soon as required a pc or smartphone app can now be accomplished on the touchscreen in actual time. After ending a lap on the observe, the system can now present lap-by-lap comparisons, driver teaching, and extra driver knowledge wrapped in a brand new interface.
There’s additionally a brand new lap timer and lap-time delta timer. The display screen will glow inexperienced when you’re beating your earlier lap instances or crimson when you’re shifting slower. It’s a bit addictive, and it’s a lot simpler to look at a shade than a lap time quantity whereas flying down the observe at 100-plus mph.
On paper it’s nice. In actuality the system’s responses are a bit of laggy. It’s unclear if it’s a processor concern or a software program programming concern. A number of situations had me tapping the display screen too many instances to execute a command. The system would lag, then catch up. Worse, heading out for a scorching lap I tapped the document button and it didn’t register. I didn’t understand this till midway via the lap, which wasn’t being recorded.
At $96,990 together with a $1,395 vacation spot cost the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is a relative cut price in comparison with the heavier, extra sophisticated BMW M5. It’s uncooked, unapologetic, and an all-American assault on what a world-class luxurious sport sedan will be.
Including $18,000, which notably contains the $9,000 carbon-ceramic brake choice is a steep ask.
Is it well worth the cash? The reply is easy. For patrons seeking to truly hit the observe the bundle is the true deal and can meaningfully shave lap instances. For everybody else, when you should tick each choice field be happy. This bundle gained’t detract from the Blackwing’s streetability, until you go for the Cup 2 R tires, however it gained’t really feel like $18,000 of distinction and nobody at Starbucks will understand you spent the additional cash.
The Precision Bundle does make the CT5-V Blackwing drive extra just like the CT4-V Blackwing, although with the benefit of a 662-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 quite than a 472-hp twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V-6. It’s completely faster round a racetrack and now drives smaller than its dimension. It is probably not fairly as nimble as its little brother, however that is one automobile that benefited from a superb salesman.
Cadillac paid for journey and lodging to convey you this first-hand assessment of the 2025 CT5-V Blackwing.
