Cadillac
As much as we like to chide domestic automakers for abandoning traditional cars for the juicier margins of crossover vehicles, they haven’t done away with them entirely. Cadillac even went so far as to introduce Blackwing variants of the CT4-V and the CT5-V in 2021, something many claimed was necessary after the V-Series lost some of its mightiness when the new models arrived. Apparently, General Motors wants its luxury division to keep it up with the Blackwing models while it continues to expand the V-Series lineup.
“The V-Series lineup has expanded,” Cadillac Chief Engineer Tony Roma told GM Authority in a recent interview. “You’re going to see more of that in the future. We’re going to do more V-Series. It’s important to our brand and you’ll see it on other products.”
If you’ve driven the old ATS-V, you know that the CT4-V doesn’t really stack up around the corners or in a straight line. The newer Caddy is more about keeping pace with perceived European rivals while the older one was about making them all your bitch. Prices reflect this, so Cadillac’s biggest crime here is diluting the V-Series name. While it still denotes an uptick in performance, it’s no longer the kind of jump that totally transforms a vehicle — hence the need for the hardcore Blackwing line.
<img data-attachment-id=”1753966″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing/the-ct4-v-blackwing-will-be-the-most-powerful-and-fastest-cadill-3/” data-orig-file=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-12.jpg” data-orig-size=”1280,853″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”11″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”Canon EOS 5DS”,”caption”:”The CT4-V Blackwing will be the most powerful and fastest Cadillac ever in the subcompact class. The CT4-V Blackwing is more nimble, and benefits from extensive aerodynamic development and testing.”,”created_timestamp”:”1606927045″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”46″,”iso”:”400″,”shutter_speed”:”0.003125″,”title”:”The CT4-V Blackwing will be the most powerful and fastest Cadill”,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”The CT4-V Blackwing will be the most powerful and fastest Cadill” data-image-description=”
Cadillac
” data-medium-file=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-9.jpg” data-large-file=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-1.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1753966″ src=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-1.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”407″ srcset=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-1.jpg 610w, http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-8.jpg 75w, http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-9.jpg 450w, http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-10.jpg 768w, http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-11.jpg 120w, http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-12.jpg 1280w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>
This is where we get slightly worried. If Cadillac starts throwing the V-Series around too liberally, it’s going to lose all meaning. Fortunately, the brand seems to understand that it’s already walking a tightrope when it comes to performance designations.
“Blackwing is reserved for really the pinnacle, the purest expression of performance, track capability, and that’s what it’s going to stand for going forward,” said Roma. “[The CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blacking] won’t be the last Blackwing cars that we do, but you won’t see one on every vehicle. It’s not appropriate. I couldn’t imagine doing an Escalade-V Blackwing. Maybe we’d do an SUV, maybe we’d do an Escalade-V, who knows.”
Cadillac is already supposed to be developing an amped-up Escalade with the same supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V8 that’s supposed to go into the CT5-V Blackwing. We think GM would be wise to make it part of the V-Series family, as it would showcase that the name does indeed denote enhanced performance. But sticking a Blackwing badge on something that’s pushing three tons and has trouble holding 0.6 Gs of lateral acceleration would only diminish the title.
But what should be the next Blackwing model? The luxury brand has already given its road-hugging vehicles the full treatment, leaving us with a slew of crossover vehicles to choose from. Perhaps the name won’t see much expansion until Cadillac has started its electric vehicle offensive in earnest. We can’t really say, but imagine the world will see a V attached to the tailgate of models like the XT4 and Escalade in the coming years. In fact, we’ve heard rumors that GM is whipping up something speedier for the Chinese market and think it could be an XT6-V. But nobody has been able to confirm anything more than there being numerous models under consideration for future performance applications.
<img data-attachment-id=”1753956″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing/the-ct5-v-blackwing-will-be-the-most-powerful-and-fastest-cadill-3/” data-orig-file=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-17.jpg” data-orig-size=”1280,853″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”5″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”Canon EOS 5DS”,”caption”:”The CT5-V Blackwing will be the most powerful and fastest Cadillac ever. Descended from the brand\u2019s racing legacy, this vehicle elevates V-Series\u2019 heritage of performance, styling and meticulous refinement.”,”created_timestamp”:”1607195626″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”88″,”iso”:”500″,”shutter_speed”:”0.001″,”title”:”The CT5-V Blackwing will be the most powerful and fastest Cadill”,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”The CT5-V Blackwing will be the most powerful and fastest Cadill” data-image-description=”
Cadillac
” data-medium-file=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-14.jpg” data-large-file=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-2.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1753956″ src=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-2.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”407″ srcset=”http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-2.jpg 610w, http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-13.jpg 75w, http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-14.jpg 450w, http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-15.jpg 768w, http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-16.jpg 120w, http://turbosaga.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/cadillac-to-expand-v-series-performance-lineup-blackwing-17.jpg 1280w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>
[Images: General Motors]