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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 vehicles 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 aim of changing into an all-electric model by 2030, we should always presume Vivian’s one heck of a salesman to get GM’s administration to inexperienced gentle even a small engineering price range for this undertaking.
However Vivian did. The results of that engineering effort is a brand new $18,000 Precision Bundle accessible on the refreshed 2025 CT5-V Blackwing. Whereas the Blackwing can be accessible 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 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.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
What’s the CT5-V Blackwing Precision Bundle
Briefly, 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 reap the benefits of the additional grip.
But it surely’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 mainly street-legal slicks. They’re summer-only tires that shouldn’t be pushed in chilly temps under 40 levels, and so they aren’t going to deal with rain, particularly standing water, effectively.
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 are going to 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 situation Precision Bundle vehicles 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 destructive 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 reap the benefits 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 unnoticed of the Atlanta Motorsports Park car parking zone after which a fast left onto the principle roadway exterior the observe, the Blackwing had sharp flip in response and fast strikes.
Hustling by way of 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 troublesome to discern any variations on the road. When pushed arduous, the Precision Bundle automobile could 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 might’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 consumers who need to make their vehicles extra streetable.
Taut driving but comfy with tight dealing with, the CT5-V Blackwing Precision Bundle is no much less livable, except 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) vehicles 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 methods within the digital instrument cluster. The system realized I used to be in management and didn’t must intervene to avoid wasting my butt.
The Precision Bundle vehicles have been in a position to stick and rip by way of the esses of turns 2 and three simpler whereas carrying extra velocity. I didn’t must dig into the carbon-ceramic brakes arduous till heading up into the flip 4 tight lefthand carousel. However to Vivian’s level in regards to 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 possible be as agile naturally by way of these turns with out the ultra-grippy tires, however the greater automobile did a great impersonation of its little brother because of the Precision Bundle.
Non Precision Bundle vehicles had extra energy than grip and I needed to again off the ability extra going round flip 4, whereas Precision Bundle vehicles entered the nook sooner, carried extra velocity by way of 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 displays sharper prove the gate than a typical CT5-V Blackwing and its lighter weight would assist the entrance finish keep planted by way of the sharp nook. With out back-to-backing the vehicles it’s arduous to understand how shut Vivan got here to his aim.
The Flip 6 righthander actually types out what a automobile’s fabricated 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 vehicles merely couldn’t put down the ability 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 all the things in a automobile. The Precision Bundle makes up for that with immense grip.
But it surely 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 by way of 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 situation.
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
Hopping right into a Precision Bundle automobile I instantly seen the Blackwing struggled much less when exiting Flip 13, was in a position to see carry 84-85 mph persistently on the Flip 14 apex, and would exceed 100 mph by way of 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 gradual for Flip 1. Cadillac had IMSA professional driver Jordan Taylor readily available, and he hit 130 mph heading down the straight.
The additional velocity by way of 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 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 situations as the sunshine would scatter with an unfocused sample. MacDonald informed me the brand new headlights with their projector lenses are extra centered to supply higher efficiency. We did not drive the vehicles at evening and I look ahead to testing this in some unspecified time in the future.
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 geared up with an computerized transmission additionally acquire the Tremendous Cruise hands-free driver-assist system as customary tools, 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 shifting up and down the menu through the drive mode toggle change on the middle console. The remainder of the inside is carryover, and the highback Recaro entrance bucket seats hit in all the best 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 way 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 and software program expertise for the accessible Cosworth-supplied Efficiency Knowledge Recorder system.
What as soon as required a pc or smartphone app can now be carried out 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 will glow inexperienced in case you’re beating your earlier lap instances or crimson in case 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 laggy. It’s unclear if it’s a processor situation or a software program programming situation. A number of situations had me tapping the display too many instances to execute a command. The system would lag, then catch up. Worse, heading out for a sizzling lap I tapped the report button and it didn’t register. I didn’t understand this till midway by way of 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 could 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 easy. For consumers trying to truly hit the observe the bundle is the actual deal and can meaningfully shave lap instances. For everybody else, in case you should tick each possibility field be at liberty. This bundle gained’t detract from the Blackwing’s streetability, except you go for the Cup 2 R tires, nevertheless 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 slightly 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 great salesman.
Cadillac paid for journey and lodging to deliver you this first-hand overview of the 2025 CT5-V Blackwing.
