2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing PVOTY Review: V-8 Swan Song
Pros
- Supercharged power wallop
- Fantastic chassis control
- Excellent six-speed manual transmission
Cons
- Complicated performance modes
- Feels big at times
- Very thirsty
There's a scene in the movie Mad Max where Max gazes upon a blown V-8, whining and roaring in the engine bay of a Pursuit Special as the mechanic maniacally exclaims: "It's the last of the V-8s!" We couldn't help but replay that clip in our minds as we hammered the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing around the Hyundai Proving Ground and later as a finalist on Angeles Crest Highway and the Streets of Willow circuit. We're not in some distant dystopian future, yet here is the last of Cadillac's supercharged V-8 superheroes, a stupendous, 668-hp sendoff to the marque's high-performance V-series cars.
"What a shame Cadillac is going to stop making monstrous supercharged track machines like this," senior features editor Jonny Lieberman said. "Because it just feels so good to drive. So, let's call the big Blackwing bittersweet. As well as awesome!"
The rest of the judges were as effusive in their praise, lathering love on the CT5-V Blackwing for its composed chassis—thanks in part to GM's excellent magnetic ride control—and its exceptional, stout brakes. (Our test car had the $9,000 carbon-ceramics.) And we can't forget the six-speed manual transmission and its no-lift shift feature; the gearbox garnered plenty of judge fan mail (and more all-caps exclamations) and is a novelty on a performance sedan these days.
"Great manual transmission," features editor Christian Seabaugh said. "It's one of the best ones here. Short, precise throws with just enough assist to ensure you never miss your gate, but not enough to make the shifter feel springy. Good clutch feel, well-spaced pedals."
Although it's on the heavy side at 4,067 pounds, the CT5-V Blackwing still lays down some impressive performance numbers. It rumbles to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds and on to a quarter-mile time of 11.5 seconds at 127.5 mph, and it reels itself in from 60 mph in 102 feet.
"Power, power, power, power, and a boatload of torque, too," Lieberman said. "I barely needed to shift gears on the Crest, as a tsunami of torque [659 lb-ft] was flooding the joint. You quickly notice this is a large family sedan with a massive rear seat. That said, the suspension does its part, and the body control is surprisingly solid."
Indeed, it was hard to find any real flaws with the CT5-V from a performance vehicle perspective. A few judges thought the car felt big at times on Streets, but only in the context that it would have fit better on a larger track where you could take more advantage of its prodigious power. That, and editorial boss man Ed Loh wasn't enamored with what he considered the car's over-configurability. "Like BMW, all the modes are entirely too complicated to navigate. It's dumb to be left wondering if, among the many combinations, you're in the right mode for the conditions," Loh said. Oh, and it also flat-out swills gas.
After our evaluation, however, there was zero question the Blackwing's capabilities are immense, the result of two decades' worth of honing and harnessing a front-engine, rear-drive super sedan formula. Max would no doubt approve.
And although it's a drag that this Caddy is the last of the supercharged V-8s, the fact the CT5-V is so good it finished third in the inaugural Performance Vehicle of the Year bodes well for Cadillac's high-performance future—electrified though it may be.
2022 Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing Specifications Base Price/As tested $84,990/$112,545 Power (SAE net) 668 hp @ 6,500 rpm Torque (SAE net) 659 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm Accel, 0-60 mph 3.6 sec Quarter-mile 11.5 sec @ 127.5 mph Braking, 60-0 mph 102 ft Lateral Acceleration 1.04 g (avg) MT Figure Eight 23.4 sec @ 0.89 g (avg) EPA City/Hwy/Comb 13/21/15 mpg Vehicle Layout Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan Engine, Transmission 6.2L Supercharged direct-injected OHV 16-valve 90-degree V-8, 6-speed manual Curb Weight (F/R DIST) 4,067 lb (54/46%) Wheelbase 116.0 in Length x Width x Height 194.9 x 74.1 x 56.5 in On Sale Now Show AllYou may also like
This is it. The end of an era. The 2024 Bugatti Mistral will be the last car the storied hypercar maker will ever build with the mighty quad-turbo, 8.0-liter, W-16 engine. Just 99 will be built, and despite a $5.1-million price tag, all are sold.The Mistral is powered by the same 1600-hp version of the W-16 that propels the record-breaking Chiron Super Sport 300+, making it the most potent open-top internal combustion engine production car ever built. Bugatti's previous roadster, the 1,200-hp Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse, set an open-top production car speed record of 254.04 mph in 2013. Bugatti design director Achim Anscheidt says the company is planning to top 260 mph in the Mistral.It's More Than What's UnderneathThe Mistral is basically a Chiron Super Sport under the skin. But it's more than just a Chiron Super Sport with the roof removed. "You can't just cut open a Chiron," says Anscheidt, not the least, he points out, because that would compromise the sweeping arc that starts at the A-pillar and loops around the side of the car. "It would look terrible."The Mistral's tauter surfaces and crisper lines are more than just a solution to an existing design challenge. They hint at the styling direction for the next-generation plug-in hybrid Bugatti currently under development in a new design and engineering hub in Berlin, Germany, and in Zagreb, Croatia, site of the global headquarters of the Bugatti Rimac Group headed by Mate Rimac. There are elements of the Bugatti Divo in the Mistral's overall form, though it's nowhere near as extreme in terms of its detailing. "Divo was quite aggressive," concedes Anscheidt. "This car simplifies that quite a bit. Bugatti has a strong graphic DNA, and the stronger the graphic DNA, the calmer the rest of the car can be."The famous horseshoe grille is the widest yet seen on a modern Bugatti and is framed by large cooling vents, vertically stacked headlights, and ducts that create air curtains along either side of the car to improve aerodynamic efficiency. The dramatic rear taillight graphic is derived from that of the track-only Bugatti Bolide. "That car had such a strong identity," Anschedt said. "We wanted to transfer that to a production car."Whereas the Chiron's looping body-side signature hides engine air and oil cooler intakes, in the Mistral these have been visually separated. The side vents are for the oil coolers only, while hot air exits at the rear of the car between the diagonal elements of the rear lights.Lots of Engine, No RoofThe Mistral's mighty W-16 gulps almost 2,500 cubic feet of air per minute at full throttle through two giant scoops mounted behind the seats. The intake openings are slightly larger than those of the Chiron Super Sport, but they have been engineered so the airflow is the same. The scoops funnel to a new airbox with a new filter setup and are strong enough to take the 4,400-plus-pound weight of the car in the event of a roll over.A bridge between the two scoops hides a small glass panel designed to prevent hot air from the engine compartment from washing into the open cockpit. There is no roof, and none is planned other than a small emergency cover. Bugatti roadster owners don't drive in the rain.The Mistral's steeply raked A-pillars and side windows echo those of the one-of-a-kind, $18.9-million Bugatti La Voiture Noire. The updated A-pillars, which can also support the weight of the car in a rollover, required a major rework of the top part of the Chiron tub. Strengthening elements have also been laid into the sills and the central tunnel of the tub to compensate for the lack of a roof. As a result, the Mistral weighs about the same as a Chiron Super Sport and has very similar suspension settings."The target was for the car to drive like a Super Sport," Bugatti deputy design director Frank Heyl said. The Mistral doesn't have the extended tail and larger rear wing of the Super Sport, however; instead, additional downforce is provided by a redesigned rear diffuser, which—as in all Chirons—is blown over by two of the six exhaust outlets. The Mistral's other four exhausts exit through a single central outlet.Opulence, It Has ItThe Mistral's opulently trimmed cabin features leather on the doors and seats hand-woven by workers in the Bugatti design department. The shifter on the center console is machined from a solid block of aluminum but includes a wood insert and, set in amber, a bronze miniature of Rembrandt Bugatti's famous dancing elephant sculpture, originally used as the hood ornament on the extravagant Type 41 built between 1927 and 1933.The amber, as well as the yellow-and-black color combination, recall colors and materials favored by the Bugatti family. If they choose, instead of a dancing elephant miniature, Mistral owners can opt to have their own special keepsakes encased in the shifter.The Mistral is also the first Volkswagen Group Bugatti not to carry a name from the marque's past—Veyron and Chiron were the names of Bugatti racing drivers from the 1930s. When asked what Mistral means, Aschim Anscheidt jokes: "It means that Maserati [which built a car called the Mistral between 1963 and 1970] didn't renew the trademark."More seriously, the name, which comes from a strong wind that blows down the Rhône Valley and through southern France, is meant to reinforce Bugatti's credentials as a French brand, despite its Croatian and German owners. That's also the reason for the red-white-and-blue tricolor band near the front wheels.The Bugatti Mistral has been designed to send off the W-16 in grand style, to celebrate the unique sound and titanic thrust of one of the most extraordinary engines ever put in a production car. And if the Grand Sport Vitesse roadster, a car we said offered the Bugatti Veyron experience in shattering 7.1 surround sound, is any guide, driving the Mistral will indeed be a spectacular experience.
Although Subaru's stable swells with SUVs, its lineup of cars remains robust for the 2023 model year. The automaker, which is best known for its all-wheel-drive cars and SUVs, just overhauled the sporty BRZ coupe and WRX sedan for 2022. For 2023, the entire lineup carries over with minor changes, aside from the Legacy's fresh sheetmetal. Read on to see what updates have arrived for the 2023 Subaru cars lineup.Want to learn more about 2023 Subaru SUVs? Check out the changes here.
Laying It OutNumbers Upon NumbersUp in the CanyonsSummary Judgment2nd Place: 2022 Acura NSX Type SProsInteresting drivetrain techMid-range torqueMid-engine architecture ConsBrakes don't inspire confidenceVague steering feelExpensive for what you getVerdict:1st Place: 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTSProsQuick in a straight lineQuick in cornersSupreme handling ConsUbiquitous on the streetNot as sharp as some other 911sToo pricey for most peopleVerdict:POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS 2022 Acura NSX Type S Specifications 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS Specifications DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Mid-engine, 2 front and 1 rear motors, AWD, 2-pass, 2-door coupe Rear-engine, RWD ENGINE, MOTOR TYPE Twin-turbo port- and direct-injected DOHC 24-valve 60-degree V-6, plus 3 permanent-magnet elec motors Twin-turbo direct-injected DOHC 24-valve flat-6, alum block/heads DISPLACEMENT 3,454 cc/210.8 cu in 2,981 cc/181.9 cu in COMPRESSION RATIO 10.0:1 10.2:1 POWER (SAE NET) 520 hp @ 6,500 rpm (gas), 72 hp (comb front elec), 47 hp (rear elec); 600 hp (comb) 473 hp @ 6,500 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 443 lb-ft @ 2,300 rpm (gas), 108 lb-ft (comb front elec), 109 lb-ft (rear elec); 492 lb-ft (comb) 420 lb-ft @ 2,300 rpm REDLINE 7,500 rpm 7,400 rpm WEIGHT TO POWER 7.5 lb/hp 7.2 lb/hp TRANSMISSION 9-speed twin-clutch auto 8-speed twin-clutch auto AXLE/FINAL-DRIVE RATIO 3.58:1/2.27:1 3.39:1/2.07:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Control arms, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar Struts, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, adj shocks, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 11.1-12.9:1 12.3-14.1:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 1.8 2.4 BRAKES, F; R 15.0-in vented, drilled carbon-ceramic disc; 14.2-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc 16.1-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc; 15.4-in vented, drilled, carbon-ceramic disc WHEELS, F;R 8.5 x 19-in; 11.0 x 20-in, forged aluminum 8.5 x 20-in; 11.5 x 21-in, forged aluminum TIRES, F;R 245/35R19 93Y; 305/30R20 103Y Pirelli P Zero HO 245/35R20 91Y; 305/30R21 100Y Pirelli P Zero NA1 DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 103.5 96.5 in TRACK, F/R 65.5/64.5 in 62.8/61.3 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 178.5 x 76.3 x 47.8 in 178.4 x 72.9 x 50.9 in TURNING CIRCLE 39.7 ft 35.8 ft CURB WEIGHT (DIST F/R) 3,903 lb (42/58%) 3,389 lb (37/63%) SEATING CAPACITY 2 2 HEADROOM 38.3 in 37.9 in LEGROOM 42.9 in 42.2 in SHOULDER ROOM 57.5 in 56.2 in CARGO VOLUME 4.4 cu ft 4.7 (trunk), 9.3 (rear parcel) cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.3 sec 1.2 sec 0-40 1.8 1.7 0-50 2.4 2.2 0-60 3.1 2.9 0-70 3.9 3.7 0-80 4.8 4.6 0-90 5.9 5.7 0-100 7.1 7.0 0-100-0 11.3 10.8 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 1.4 1.3 QUARTER MILE 11.2 sec @ 124.1 mph 11.1 sec @ 124.6 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 103 ft 99 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.03 g (avg) 1.04 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 23.2 sec @ 0.89 g (avg) 23.3 sec @ 0.87 g (avg) TOP-GEAR REVS @ 60 MPH 1,500 rpm 1,500 rpm CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $171,495 $138,050 PRICE AS TESTED $185,995 $162,940 AIRBAGS 7: Dual front, front side, front curtain, driver knee 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee BASIC WARRANTY 4 yrs/50,000 miles 4 yrs/50,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 6 yrs/70,000 miles 4 yrs/50,000 miles ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 4 yrs/50,000 miles 4 yrs/50,000 miles FUEL CAPACITY 15.6 gal + 1.3 kWh Li-Ion 23.7 gal EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 21/22/21 mpg 17/23/19 mpg EPA RANGE, COMB 328 miles 450 miles RECOMMENDED FUEL Unleaded premium Unleaded premium ON SALE Now Now Show All
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