We absolutely adore the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. Its 668-hp supercharged 6.2-liter V-8, available manual transmission, adult-sized rear seat, and sweet balance between everyday comfort and ferocity when prodded has made it a three-time 10Best winner and one of our favorite sports sedans of all time. Cadillac is leaning into the Blackwing’s angry side for 2025 with a comprehensive suspension-upgrade option called the Precision package. After driving a prototype at one of our favorite tracks, Virginia International Raceway, we came away very impressed.
This new offering builds upon the 2025 facelift for the entire CT5 lineup, including a revised front fascia, larger dashboard screens, and an overhauled version of its onboard Performance Data Recorder telemetry. The CT5-V’s new Precision package is all about making the Blackwing more direct and more rapid on track. Development engineer Derek Zalewski tells us this project was somewhat inspired by former GM performance boss John Heinricy running a CT4-V Blackwing in SCCA’s T2 class. What else could be done to up the CT5 Blackwing’s track game?
The answer: Spring rates are 70 percent stiffer up front and 60 percent in the rear, there’s a stiffer front anti-roll bar, and pretty much every bushing has been replaced. There are bits inherited from the Camaro SS 1LE and ZL1 1LE and—in the most extreme case—one of the rear cradle bushings is now 1000 percent stiffer. Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires remain standard, but track-oriented Cup 2R rubber is available, and the 285-section width is 10 millimeters wider than the stock PS4Ss. (Interestingly, in the interest of development time and cost, these are off-the-shelf tires versus the GM norm of having them customized for the vehicle.) The front suspension knuckles had to be revised to be able to accommodate 2.8 degrees of negative camber up front, and a second set of rear toe-control links are provided—they come in the trunk, and are about 0.1 inch longer—to be able to adjust the rear alignment to negative 2.0 degrees of camber (stock track alignment is -2.4 degrees front, -1.5 degrees rear). Finally, to make it all sing, the electronic controls—steering, MR dampers, stability control including Performance Traction Management, and the electronically controlled limited-slip differential—get a retune. In case you were wondering, engineers say the LT4 V-8 is already at the limits of balancing power and emissions, so there’s no more power. But 668 horsepower is still a lot.
The added grip from the Cup 2R tires is instantly noticeable at VIR. The fronts just grip and grip and grip with no squeal. Average grip through Turn 1 is up nearly 10 percent over the last Blackwing we ran at Lightning Lap, and that’s with just a handful of cold laps. With our normal three days of lapping, expect an even bigger gap. The other two areas where the CT5’s added stiffness really blew us away is the increase in stability under braking and in the most challenging cornering sections. On our first lap braking into Turn 1 was, well, uneventful. We still remember the feeling of the standard Blackwing’s rear waggling under braking. Another highlight is NASCAR, where a preceding fast left-hand sweeper leads into the braking zone. It’s a dicey section to carry lots of speed through the left and then get the braking done in time to make NASCAR’s apex, and a spot that trips up many cars (drivers, too). This CT5 felt so much more stable and predictable there, making it much easier to gather it up and get to the apex cleanly. Similarly, the fast off-camber left-hander after the climbing esses is another spot where the CT5’s newfound, well, precision is sure to lead to quicker times. That slight rear wallow that you sometimes feel in the stock Blackwing has been absolutely banished.
Considering how large of an improvement the Precision package felt like on track, we were pleasantly surprised at how perfectly livable it remains on the street. About the worst of its newfound stiffness is a bit more head toss over low-speed impacts such as putting one side over a parking-lot speed bump. It otherwise proved remarkably refined and streetable considering the serious stiffening underneath. We’ll put it this way: It’s a serious on-track upgrade, but we’d choose it for our daily driver too, further solidifying GM’s ride-and-handling engineers as some of the best in the business.
Cadillac hasn’t yet announced pricing for the Precision package, but it will go on sale in early 2025. Ticking that box will require the carbon-ceramic brake option, but it will be available with or without the carbon-fiber aero packages.
There was no time for an official lap time during this teaser drive. Cadillac also wouldn’t quote us a bogey time for a Precision-package-equipped Blackwing at VIR, but the team is confident the car has what it takes to become the fastest gas-powered four-door in our Lightning Lap history. Being just 1.7 seconds quicker than before would do it, getting its nose across the finish line just ahead of the Porsche Panamera Turbo S.
Dave VanderWerp has spent more than 20 years in the automotive industry, in varied roles from engineering to product consulting, and now leading Car and Driver‘s vehicle-testing efforts. Dave got his very lucky start at C/D by happening to submit an unsolicited resume at just the right time to land a part-time road warrior job when he was a student at the University of Michigan, where he immediately became enthralled with the world of automotive journalism.
Source: Motor - aranddriver.com
