How To Tell Cadillac V-Series From V-Series Blackwing Models: Video

The 2022 Cadillac V-Series Blackwing super sedan is the most powerful Caddy ever to hit the streets. Despite their top-tier performance status, neither the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing nor the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing have the unique exterior badge that sets them apart from their “regular” CT4-V and CT5-V counterparts, making it difficult to tell them apart. they are separated at first sight. However, take a second look, and you’ll be able to see some important differences between the two tiers of top-tier performance vehicles.

The most obvious way to tell the difference between a regular V-Series car or a V-Series Blackwing engine is to peek through the front window. If you spied the manual shifter, it’s a dead giveaway for the Blackwing, as the regular V-Series sedan doesn’t offer a manual transmission at all. However, in addition to the standard six-speed transmission, the Blackwings is also available with an optional 10-speed automatic, so this may not always be the most accurate. With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at some of the exterior details that set the vehicles apart from each other.

Front

A closer study of the Blackwing CT4-V and Blackwing CT5-V reveals some minor differences in the front end of the regular V-Series sedan. Most notably the redesigned lower fascia, which features a larger grille opening and a unique grille treatment, which is essential for optimal cooling and aerodynamics.

Adding the optional carbon fiber package to the Blackwings further accentuates this distinction. Carbon Fiber Package 1 adds some special exterior accents to the front end of the vehicle, while Carbon Fiber Package 2 focuses more on dressing up the sides and rear.

On the Blackwing CT4-V, carbon fiber elements give the two smaller super sedans a more challenging look, giving them canards/dive planes, along with a front splitter and wheel deflectors. The regular CT4-V doesn’t offer this element.

Meanwhile, the Blackwing CT5-V was given a unique front splitter when an optional carbon fiber package was added, along with front wheel deflectors. Equipped with the Carbon Fiber Package 2, the larger ultra high performance sedan also gets a carbon fiber grille mesh. As before, the less aggressive CT5-V lacks this feature.

In short, if the vehicle has carbon fiber accents, it can be identified as a Blackwing, given neither of those carbon fiber packages is offered on the low-end CT4 and CT4-V, or the CT5 and CT5-V.

Side Profile

Walk around the side of the vehicle in question, and you may notice some differences in the front fender. The Blackwing V-Series models will stand out much more to promote stronger engine and brake cooling, while improving aerodynamics under the hood.

Perhaps the most obvious difference between the Blackwings and the regular V-Series cars is the exterior fender vents, which are visible just behind the front axle holes on the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing. They are not present on the CT4-V and CT5-V sedans.

Another difference is in the wheels and tires. The CT4-V Blackwing offers three 18-inch sets, while the CT5-V Blackwing offers three available 19-inch sets. Comparatively, the CT4-V and CT5-V have more options available, but they are narrower than the broader offerings for the Blackwing V-Series sedan.

In addition, the Blackwing V-Series car also has magnesium wheel option. However, it is not yet available to order at the time of this writing. They should not be confused with wheels made of bronze.

Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing wheels

Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing wheels

Tire sizes differ between the V-Series Blackwing car and the regular V-Series engine. For reference, we have included all tire sizes for the CT4 and CT5 ranges below:

Behind

From the rear, the most obvious difference that identifies the V-Series Blackwing is the more aggressive lower diffuser, along with the exhaust tips that are painted black instead of chrome. As previously mentioned, the presence of carbon fiber accents is also a clear gift from the vehicle in question is the Blackwing. The Blackwings also have a more aggressive wide stance, made to transfer more power to the rear wheels (see tires section above).

Additionally, the presence of a prominent rear spoiler indicates that the model in question is the V-Series Blackwing as opposed to the “regular” V-Series model, which features a smaller, less aggressive spoiler.

As a reminder, the 2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is powered by a 3.6L twin-turbocharged V6 (production code LF4), making 472 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing features a supercharged 6.2L V8 (production code LT4), producing 668 horsepower and 669 pound-feet of torque.

Meanwhile, the 2022 Cadillac CT4-V features a 2.7L I4 turbocharged engine (production code L3B) under the hood, which makes 325 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque. The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V is powered by a 3.6L twin-turbo engine (production code LGY), where it is tuned to produce 360 ​​horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. Rear-wheel drive is standard, with optional all-wheel drive available at a premium.

Now that we’ve taken you through the differences between the Cadillac V-Series Blackwings and the regular Cadillac V-Series sedan, you’ll be able to tell what you’re looking at in no time. If you want to stay sharp, subscribe to Cadillac Society to stay up-to-date with the latest Cadillac CT4 news, Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing news, Cadillac CT5 news, Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing news and much more Cadillac news coverage. We also invite you to join the latest discussions on our Cadillac forums.