2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing cuts lap occasions with sharp new package deal

• The 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing will get refreshed with the remainder of the CT5 lineup

• A brand new $18,000 Precision Bundle upgrades the CT5-V Blackwing’s dealing with

• The 2025 CT5-V Blackwing arrives by the tip of the yr, 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 authentic objective of turning 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 gentle even a small engineering finances 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 will probably be obtainable earlier than the tip of this yr, the brand new package deal 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 price spending $18,000 to tick the Precision Bundle possibility field. The reply isn’t easy, and comes all the way down to sure, no, and possibly.

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 benefit from the additional grip.

However it’s much more than that.

The premise is a set of 275/35ZR19 entrance and 305/30ZR19 rear Michelin Cup 2 R tires, that are principally street-legal slicks. They’re summer-only tires that shouldn’t be pushed in chilly temps beneath 40 levels, they usually aren’t going to deal with rain, particularly standing water, properly.

Cadillac’s Chief Engineer Alex MacDonald stated house owners might skip the $18,000 Precision Bundle and easily slap a set of the Cup 2s on a CT5-V Blackwing, however they’ll attain the bounds of the automobile’s chassis earlier than they attain the restrict of the tires.

To unravel that challenge Precision Bundle automobiles get entrance springs which can 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 monitor alignment up from the earlier 2.5 levels with a monitor alignment, new high mounts for the higher spring seats, new spring isolators which can 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 price 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 stable.

All that is mixed with revised magnetic damper tuning together with up to date stability management and traction management calibrations to benefit from the brand new grip.

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 ignored of the Atlanta Motorsports Park car parking zone after which a fast left onto the principle roadway exterior the monitor, 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 geared up with the Precision Bundle proved that it’s tough to discern any variations on the road. When pushed laborious, the Precision Bundle automobile is perhaps ever so barely sharper close to the restrict. Nonetheless, the Precision Bundle automobile I used to be in had a monitor 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 possibility 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. 

How does the CT5-V Blackwing Precision Bundle drive on the monitor?

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 occasions.

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 occasions 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 have to intervene to avoid wasting my butt.

The Precision Bundle automobiles had been capable of stick and rip via the esses of turns 2 and three simpler whereas carrying extra pace. I didn’t should dig into the carbon-ceramic brakes laborious 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 continues 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 greater automobile did a great impersonation of its little brother due to the Precision Bundle.

Non Precision Bundle automobiles had extra energy than grip and I needed to again off the ability extra going round flip 4, whereas Precision Bundle automobiles entered the nook quicker, carried extra pace via the nook, and had been greater than prepared 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 displays sharper end up the gate than an ordinary 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 laborious to know the way shut Vivan got here to his objective.

The Flip 6 righthander actually kinds out what a automobile’s product of 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 ability on nook exit and took longer to recuperate 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 all the things in a automobile. The Precision Bundle makes up for that with immense grip.

However it was the Turns 13-16 complicated, which includes a blind uphill lefthander, a protracted 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 tough to hold as a lot pace 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.

Hopping right into a Precision Bundle automobile I instantly observed the Blackwing struggled much less when exiting Flip 13, was capable of 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 available, and he hit 130 mph heading down the straight. 

The additional pace 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 finest laps in a Blackwing with out the Precision Bundle. Jordan Taylor hit a 1:29.

Refreshed CT5-V Blackwing injects tech and lighting updates

One look on the 2025 CT5-V Blackwing and it’s straightforward to identify the updates inside and outside.

The entrance finish has been up to date with new headlights. I’m not bought that they appear higher up shut as they appear so as to add visible vertical heft, however from afar they appear cool. The total-length vertical gentle 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 advised me the brand new headlights with their projector lenses are extra centered to supply higher efficiency. We did not drive the automobiles at night time and I look ahead to testing this sooner or later.

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 properly built-in and continues to be augmented with buttons, knobs, and toggles for the local weather controls and infotainment system. Blackwings geared up with an automated transmission additionally achieve the Tremendous Cruise hands-free driver-assist system as commonplace gear, which suggests they get a distinct 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 deliver up a menu, then transferring up and down the menu through 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 suitable 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 CT5-V Blackwing heralds next-gen PDR

Cadillac took benefit of the CT5-V’s up to date display and software program know-how for the obtainable Cosworth-supplied Efficiency Information Recorder system.

What as soon as required a pc or smartphone app can now be finished on the touchscreen in actual time. After ending a lap on the monitor, the system can now present lap-by-lap comparisons, driver teaching, and extra driver information wrapped in a brand new interface.

There’s additionally a brand new lap timer and lap-time delta timer. The display will glow inexperienced should you’re beating your earlier lap occasions or crimson should you’re transferring slower. It’s a bit addictive, and it’s a lot simpler to look at a colour than a lap time quantity whereas flying down the monitor 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 challenge or a software program programming challenge. A number of cases had me tapping the display too many occasions 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 might be.

Including $18,000, which notably consists of the $9,000 carbon-ceramic brake possibility is a steep ask. 

Is it definitely worth the cash? The reply is straightforward. For patrons seeking to truly hit the monitor the package deal is the actual deal and can meaningfully shave lap occasions. For everybody else, should you should tick each possibility field be happy. This package deal 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 measurement. It is probably not fairly as nimble as its little brother, however that is one automobile that benefited from a great salesman.

Cadillac paid for journey and lodging to deliver you this first-hand overview of the 2025 CT5-V Blackwing.