In its third year, the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing carries on as a rare beast, a Detroit-bred luxury performance sedan. It has few true rivals; among them is the BMW M5.

What’s New for the 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

For 2024, Cadillac dresses up the CT5-V Blackwing luxury performance car with a unique grille header and welcome animation on the central display to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the brand’s V-Series performance line. General Motors’ Super Cruise limited hands-free driving system is now available on automatic transmission models. Finally, the CT5-V Blackwing is available with new extra-cost exterior colors: Velocity Red, Cyber Yellow Metallic, Coastal Blue Metallic, and Black Diamond Tricoat.

Design

The base CT5 midsize sedan features sophisticated styling that borders on sedate, but there’s nothing bashful about the Blackwing. If its bright colors and 19-inch gray wheels don’t impress—not to mention the Brembo performance brakes shining from behind the spokes—there are a number of upgrades, from extra-cost paint to carbon fiber rocker moldings and lower splitters. Accent packages are available in red or bronze, which can be coordinated with special badging packages.

Powertrain

The CT5-V Blackwing maintains faith in the potency of the traditional V8 engine. This supercharged 6.2-liter powerplant is rated for 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque, driving the rear wheels through a standard six-speed manual or optional 10-speed automatic transmission. Cadillac cites a zero-to-60-mph time of 3.4 seconds with the automatic. A Magnetic Ride Control automatic adaptive suspension system comes standard, along with a launch control system and a limited-slip rear differential.

Interior

The CT5-V Blackwing comes standard with black leather upholstery and heated and ventilated front seats with a massage function. Other features include proximity keyless entry, keyless start, ambient lighting, and a heated steering wheel. Consider upgrades like sport front bucket seats and premium leather upholstery to truly give the Blackwing a look and feel worthy of its pedigree.

Technology

The 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing greets the driver with a unique animation on the display to commemorate the V-Series’ 20th anniversary. Standard features include a 12-inch digital gauge cluster and the Cadillac User Experience (CUE) infotainment system housed in the 10-inch touchscreen display, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a 16-speaker AKG audio system.

Safety

The 2024 Cadillac CT5 earns a five-star overall rating in crash tests with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), but the CT5-V Blackwing isn’t tested separately. The Cadillac CT5 and its variants haven’t been evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as of this writing. Standard safety features include a surround-view camera system, an HD reversing camera, a following-distance indicator, forward-collision warnings, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warnings, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, front pedestrian braking, rear cross-traffic alert, and front and rear parking assist. GM’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous limited hands-free driving system is newly available for 2024.

Pricing

The 2024 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is on sale now. As of this writing, Cadillac lists pricing starting at $94,890 for the version with the six-speed manual transmission, while models with the 10-speed automatic transmission start at $98,065. Options are numerous and include the Carbon Fiber 1 and Carbon Fiber 2 packages ($5,350 and $6,480, respectively), which add a front carbon fiber splitter and rocker moldings, and the Driver Assist package ($900) with advanced safety features.