Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Precision Pack Review: For the True Believers

GM has a historical past with these kinds of issues, skunkworks merchandise developed by a workforce of gifted engineers chasing track-day heroics, taking already wonderful efficiency vehicles and making them extra particular. There’s the fifth-generation Camaro Z/28, for instance, or the C7 Corvette Grand Sport. Add the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Precision Package deal to that membership.

There are new, sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, stiffer springs and bushings, new rear toe hyperlinks for extra rear camber, a thicker entrance anti-roll bar, and commonplace carbon-ceramic brakes. The 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 stays unchanged, as does the usual six-speed handbook and optionally available 10-speed computerized. 

GM labored on a package deal for the CT4-V Blackwing for SCCA T2 class racing, serving to out legendary engineer John Heinriciy, a racer with numerous nationwide championships and a person who helped set up GM’s fashionable high-performance bonafides. Everybody liked the way in which the CT4-V Blackwing drove on Hoosier slicks, so the thought turned to find out how to replicate that kind of feeling on a street-legal CT5-V Blackwing. And if it helps Cadillac declare some gas-powered sedan lap data, all the higher.

Photograph by: Cadillac

The tire is important. Cup 2 Rs present a ton extra grip, and the entrance will increase by 10 millimeters over inventory. Owing to time and price constraints, Cadillac used off-the-shelf reasonably than custom-developed Michelins. Hilariously, the entrance tire comes from the Mercedes-AMG One—it even has a line drawing of that automobile on the sidewall. The rear is a Porsche spec. 

Longtime Corvette engineer Alex MacDonald lately moved over to Cadillac and helmed this undertaking. The concept was to up the monitor functionality of the Blackwing with out a lot, if any, compromise on each day usability. He and his workforce had been informed explicitly to not make a four-door Camaro ZL1 1LE. They’ve cracked it.

Thank the shocks. MagneRide 4.0 dampers are little miracle employees that give engineers enormous management of what the automobile is doing always. {Hardware}-wise, they’re not something totally different than what’s been on the 5-V Blackwing since 2021, however the software program was reworked to take care of the Precision Package deal’s newfound capabilities.

Photograph by: Cadillac

Professionals: Improved Efficiency With out Compromised Usability, Monster Engine, Very good Six-Pace Handbook

We first encounter the automobile on the North Georgia mountain roads simply outdoors the gates of Atlanta Motorsports Park. It’s a crisp fall morning, timber halfway by means of their annual factor, and with mist within the air. We drive the usual Blackwing first simply to remind ourselves how good it’s—it’s nonetheless good—then bounce right into a Precision Package deal on its extra road-oriented Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. (Precision Package deal consumers get a alternative of tire from the vendor.)

You discover the distinction immediately, even at 5 miles per hour in a parking zone. It’s all within the steering, just a bit lighter, somewhat extra fast. Get some tempo going and it’s extra evident. If you happen to informed me this automobile received a faster steering ratio, I’d imagine you, nevertheless it doesn’t. Even on PS4S tires, it flits into corners. You really must sluggish your arms down a bit as a result of the automobile turns so rapidly. And there’s much more nuance to the steering, too. The common Blackwing has good steering, however the Precision Package deal brings much more texture. 

Heading up into the mountains we encounter fog, then rain, then fog and rain. These usually are not closely trafficked roads, so the floor is capital-W Moist, but I’m by no means lower than absolutely assured. Clearly I sluggish my tempo to take care of the just about full lack of visibility, but I’m not dawdling both. This automobile makes 668 horsepower really feel like a non-event. 

Photograph by: Cadillac

Photograph by: Cadillac

There’s one thing Ferrari-esque concerning the Blackwing. GM and the parents from Maranello have an analogous strategy to automobile dynamics, integrating adaptive dampers, energetic limited-slip differential, engine controls, and ABS right into a system the place every aids one another, to offer supreme management over traction and stability. Get on energy a bit too judiciously, and there’s nothing apparent clamping you down, however you may really feel the automobile yaw just a bit bit and gracefully carry you again in line. The one different automobile that lets the rear transfer a lot, however in such a managed method, is a Ferrari.

And had I not pushed commonplace Blackwing and Precision Package deal back-to-back, you’d don’t know the latter has all these stiffer suspension parts. This automobile has all the time been taut—it’s not a light-weight automobile and it’s a must to management the load someway—but it smooths off tough edges superbly. Possibly the Precision Package deal feels a bit stiffer on the street, however we’re speaking effective margins right here. If I had been going purely on reminiscence of earlier Blackwing fashions, I’d have stated the Precision Package deal was no stiffer in any respect.

MacDonald tells me that the C8 Z06, his final Corvette undertaking, helped GM lots with determining find out how to use MagneRide to compensate for top spring charges. On the street, the Precision Package deal helps enliven the automobile with out the expense of, actually something. (Besides value. Extra on that.) And you continue to get a lot of the elemental goodness of the 5-V Blackwing. Its stability, wonderful brakes, and maybe better of all, the supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 underneath the hood and a pleasant six-speed handbook gearbox. The ten-speed computerized stays an choice, and a viable one at that.

Photograph by: Cadillac

Cons: Precision Package deal is Restricted In Enchantment, Fussy Entrance Fascia, Expensive

The Precision Package deal comes as a part of a facelift for the CT5, which externally, consists of only a new entrance fascia. I feel it seems to be fussier. Inside, there’s additionally a curved 33.0-inch show that encompasses each the gauge cluster and infotainment. It’s positively lots slicker than the earlier Blackwing setup, and the infotainment system is straightforward to make use of. And in contrast to so many different luxurious vehicles right now, there are pretty bodily controls for local weather and different automobile capabilities. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t contemplate these updates important.

One improve is extraordinarily welcome. The optionally available Efficiency Knowledge Recorder, developed by Cosworth, has all the time been a beautiful addition to GM’s efficiency vehicles. It lets you file video and information of your monitor classes—very helpful within the pursuit of velocity. Right here, now you can use it to indicate a lap timer on the 33.0-inch display whilst you’re driving, and while you’re stopped, you need to use it to match a number of laps to see the place you’re sooner. An extremely helpful piece of tech that I want all track-day vehicles had.

Talking of the monitor—huge gulp. Atlanta Motorsports Park doesn’t appear to be pure territory for a CT5-V Blackwing. That’s to not say it isn’t an ideal road-course automobile, it’s, however that is an especially tight, technical monitor with all kinds of bizarre camber and bumps to upset the automobile, slower corners the place it’ll be arduous to get 668 hp to the bottom. 

Photograph by: Cadillac

There’s a super-fast, super-long carousel the place there’s a ton of lap time to be discovered, however one which additionally seems like a crash ready to occur when you’re not extremely cautious. And there’s not even a protracted straight to allow you to take a breath. You cross the start-finish and get on the brakes instantly right into a downhill hairpin, the slowest nook on the course.

However, Brandon Vivian, Cadillac’s chief engineer and an especially quick driver himself, desires to show that the Precision Package deal broadens the scope of the 5-V Blackwing. It’s one factor to indicate off the automobile at a giant velocity monitor, a VIR, a Highway America, a Watkins Glen; It’s one other factor to return right here. 

The Precision Package deal works right here, nevertheless it’s a wild trip. For starters, you positively discover the extra grip of the Cup 2 Rs, identical as on the street. The flip in is that a lot sharper, and the rear follows faithfully. The PS4S is under no circumstances a nasty monitor tire, and also you’ll have a ton of enjoyable with it too, Precision Package deal or not, however there’s no query that the gummy Michelins go faster. 

They’re extra confidence-inspiring, too, which is nice as a result of I’m discovering it a bit arduous to muster up the braveness to stability the Blackwing proper on the sting of grip within the quick Flip 14-15 carousel, and firing it in for the blind, uphill Flip 16 at near 100 mph. 

I’m grateful for lots in life, and right now, it’s GM’s Efficiency Traction Administration (PTM) system, which makes use of all of the automobile’s intelligent {hardware} to work wonders. I sit proper seat with an engineer explaining how the differential is consistently locking and unlocking primarily based on the way you’re braking, what kind of steering inputs you’re placing in, and the way you’re getting again to energy. And the way the dampers present pitch and roll management, and work with the intelligent diff, the ABS, and the engine and transmission. And the way the brake stability consistently adjusts on the fly. In my arms, it typically feels just like the automobile is cradling you, holding you precisely the place it thinks you have to be, and making micro changes because the state of affairs evolves.

You discover it most out of sluggish corners the place you may bury the throttle and let the automobile determine it out. There you may hear the engine stuttering because it cuts ignition and spark, identical to the flowery programs in fashionable race vehicles. 

However plenty of instances, you merely have the sense that the automobile is doing one thing, however not precisely what. It’s digital, nevertheless it feels largely analog. Nonetheless, on this monitor, you’re consistently reminded that the CT5-V Blackwing is a strong, heavy automobile. It’s a must to put a ton of religion into the programs. If you happen to flip traction and stability management off, tread very, very calmly.

Although you may lug the automobile round in a better gear and let the supercharged torque pull you out of sluggish corners, it is higher to seize second a few instances round this lap. And making an attempt to shift whereas managing AMP’s fixed barrage of challenges is extraordinarily troublesome. 

How are you going to shift while you’re virtually by no means going straight? Right here, the automated shines. Depart it in Drive, it figures out you’re on a monitor and it selects the proper gear each single time, and its shifts by no means upset the stability. I hardly bothered utilizing the paddles. 

Photograph by: Cadillac

Nonetheless, I struggled. Not simply with my driving, however with the Precision Package deal itself. It’s undoubtedly good, and extremely cool, nevertheless it additionally prices $18,000. That features $9,000 in obligatory carbon-ceramic brakes, certain, nevertheless it’s nonetheless a ton of cash. And whereas it makes for a greater Blackwing—there aren’t many higher dual-purpose road and road-course vehicles on the market—it’s solely so a lot better than the usual automobile. Which remains to be excellent in each means.

Plus, the Cup 2 Rs are a difficult tire. Recent, they’ll provide you with a few actually quick lap instances, however after they fall off, they fall off fairly arduous. I’m wondering how a lot sooner they’re on their third or fourth warmth cycle in comparison with equally used PS4Ses. The distinction certainly will get smaller and smaller with every monitor session. Maybe the common Cup 2 would’ve been a better option right here, buying and selling a little bit of lap time for longevity. 

Actually although, the largest downside with the Precision Package deal is, paradoxically, the usual automobile. There isn’t any doubt this automobile improves on the bottom mannequin in so some ways, however the base automobile remains to be so good. It’s arduous to justify the $18,000 upcharge until you’re planning on monitoring the automobile typically and have a giant tire funds. 

However for enjoyable, let’s forged rationality apart for a second. The CT5-V Blackwing Precision Package deal is cool. That is one by fans, for fans. One thing for these within the know. One of the best model of one of many most interesting efficiency vehicles on sale right now. That it’s not for everybody is exactly what makes it so particular. 

12