Most people who walk up to me asking about a Blackwing already have the CT5-V Blackwing in their head. The 668 horsepower V8 one. The internet-famous one. Then they see the CT4-V Blackwing sitting next to it, notice it costs a good chunk less, and the first thing they ask is whether the smaller one is the “lesser” car.

It is not. It is a different kind of fast.

I sell these at Luxury Auto Mall in Sioux Falls, so I get to actually put people in both. Here is the honest breakdown of what the CT4-V Blackwing is, who it is built for, and why a lot of my sharper drivers walk out choosing it over its bigger brother.

What the CT4-V Blackwing actually is

The CT4-V Blackwing is the top of the compact CT4 line. It is Cadillac’s smallest sport sedan wearing the full Blackwing treatment, which is Cadillac’s name for its most serious performance builds.

Under the hood is a 3.6L twin-turbo V6 making 472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque. It is rear-wheel drive only. There is no all-wheel-drive version of the Blackwing, and that is on purpose. This car is meant to rotate, to feel alive, to let you steer with the throttle.

It runs zero to 60 in about 3.9 seconds with the automatic and tops out around 189 mph. Those are real numbers, not brochure fantasy. This is a small four-door that will embarrass a lot of things wearing exotic badges.

The part nobody sells hard enough: it comes with a manual

Here is what I lead with when a true enthusiast is standing in front of me. The CT4-V Blackwing comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission. A real one. Three pedals, a stick, active rev matching, and no-lift shifting so you can keep your foot planted through gear changes.

A ten-speed automatic is available if you want it, and it is excellent. But think about where the world is right now. There are almost no new performance cars left that you can even buy with a manual. Cadillac kept it. That alone makes this car matter.

If you learned to drive stick and you have been mourning the fact that nobody builds a proper manual sports sedan anymore, this is the one. I have had customers tell me they came in for the automatic and left with the manual because it just felt right in their hands. That does not happen by accident. Cadillac engineered it to feel that way.

CT4-V Blackwing vs the regular CT4-V

This trips people up, so let me clear it up fast. There are two “V” versions of the CT4, and they are not the same car.

  • CT4-V is the warmed-up one. It runs a 2.7L turbo four-cylinder in the mid-300s for horsepower. Quick, comfortable, a great daily. Think of it as the athletic version of a normal CT4.
  • CT4-V Blackwing is the fully unhinged one. Bigger twin-turbo V6, 472 horsepower, the manual, the track hardware, the Brembo brakes, Magnetic Ride Control. This is the one built to run a road course on the weekend.

If a salesperson uses “CT4-V” and “Blackwing” like they mean the same thing, they do not know the car. They are separated by a big jump in power, price, and intent. When you text or call me about one, tell me which experience you actually want and I will point you at the right one instead of upselling you into something you did not need.

CT4-V Blackwing vs CT5-V Blackwing: the real decision

This is the conversation that matters, because most people cross-shopping a CT5-V Blackwing end up asking about this smaller one too.

The CT5-V Blackwing is the sledgehammer. Supercharged 6.2L V8, 668 horsepower, a genuine 200-mph car. It is one of the most absurd sedans ever built, and I love it.

The CT4-V Blackwing is the scalpel. It is lighter over the front end, shorter, quicker to change direction, and easier to place on a tight road. On a canyon run or an autocross, plenty of good drivers are actually faster and having more fun in the smaller car. It does not overpower you. It rewards you.

So the honest way I frame it:

  • Want straight-line violence and the biggest number to brag about? CT5-V Blackwing.
  • Want a nimble, tossable car you can actually use every ounce of on a real road, for a lot less money? CT4-V Blackwing.

Neither is wrong. They are answers to different questions. And if you want the same energy in an SUV instead of a sedan, the Escalade-V is that same Blackwing madness stuffed into a full-size three-row. Different tool, same attitude.

Living with it day to day

A performance car you cannot stand to drive on a Tuesday is a bad buy. The CT4-V Blackwing does not have that problem.

Magnetic Ride Control reads the road and adjusts the dampers constantly, so the car can be genuinely comfortable in its softer drive modes and then firm up when you want to attack. The cabin is tight, driver-focused, and built around you rather than around a giant screen. It seats four in a pinch, the trunk holds real luggage, and it will happily commute.

Then you find an on-ramp, drop it into the right gear, and remember what it actually is.

I always tell people to come sit in it before they decide. The driving position, the seat, the weight of the shifter… those are things you feel, not things you read on a spec sheet. That is the whole reason I would rather you come see the car than buy one sight unseen off some out-of-state listing.

What it costs

Cadillac’s published starting price on the 2026 CT4-V Blackwing lands in the low-to-mid $60,000s, with the automatic adding a few thousand over the manual. Options, wheels, carbon packages, and the fun stuff move it from there.

I am not going to throw a hard number at you in a blog post, because your real out-the-door price depends on the exact build, current incentives, and your trade. I would rather give you the honest figure than have you chase a generic MSRP you saw somewhere online. Text or call me and I will build the actual number for the car you want.

For comparison, the CT5-V Blackwing lives a good bit higher, up in the six-figure zone once you option it. That price gap is a real part of the decision, and for a lot of buyers the smaller car is simply the smarter money.

Who should buy a CT4-V Blackwing

Buy it if you are a driver. If you care more about how a car feels in your hands than how big the badge number is. If you have been waiting for someone, anyone, to keep selling a proper manual sport sedan. If you want something quick and special that you can still park at the grocery store without a second thought.

It is one of my favorite cars on the lot to hand someone the keys to, because the reaction is almost always the same. They come back grinning.

Frequently asked questions

How much horsepower does the CT4-V Blackwing have?
472 horsepower and 445 lb-ft of torque from a 3.6L twin-turbo V6. It runs zero to 60 in about 3.9 seconds and tops out near 189 mph.

Does the CT4-V Blackwing come with a manual transmission?
Yes. A six-speed manual with active rev matching and no-lift shifting is standard. A ten-speed automatic is available if you prefer it.

Is the CT4-V Blackwing all-wheel drive?
No. It is rear-wheel drive only, on purpose, for the sharper and more playful handling that defines the car.

What is the difference between the CT4-V and the CT4-V Blackwing?
The CT4-V uses a 2.7L turbo four-cylinder in the mid-300-horsepower range. The Blackwing is a much bigger step up: a 472-horsepower twin-turbo V6, the manual option, track hardware, and Brembo brakes.

CT4-V Blackwing or CT5-V Blackwing, which should I get?
The CT4-V Blackwing is smaller, lighter, more nimble, and costs less. The CT5-V Blackwing has a 668-horsepower V8 and brute straight-line speed. Pick the CT4 for agility and value, the CT5 for maximum power.

How much does a 2026 CT4-V Blackwing cost?
Cadillac’s starting price sits in the low-to-mid $60,000s, and the automatic adds a bit over the manual. Your real out-the-door number depends on the build, incentives, and your trade, so reach out and I will put together the exact figure.

Come drive one

If any of this sounds like your kind of car, come see me at Luxury Auto Mall in Sioux Falls. No pressure, no games, just the real number and a set of keys so you can feel what I am talking about. I will always give you the honest breakdown and the best price, whether you are buying today or just trying to figure out which Blackwing is yours.

You can read Cadillac’s full rundown on the official CT4-V Blackwing page, then let me handle the part they cannot: getting you into one.