Not long ago, 668 horsepower would have been the sort of output seen mainly in supercars. And by "not long ago," I mean "when you started reading this article;" the Lamborghini Huracan STO makes 630 horses, the Ford GT 660. The CT5-V Blackwing's not-an-actual-Blackwing V8 makes more power than any of its competitors: the BMW M5 or M8 Gran Coupe, the Mercedes-AMG E63 or GT 63 S, the Audi RS 6 Avant or RS 7. Only the Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid manages to surpass it, with a bit of hybrid help — at more than twice the price of the Caddy.
And while all those competitors have outfitted their super-smart automatic gearboxes and power-maximizing all-wheel-drive systems, the engineering wizards at General Motors decided they could find a way to make this level of performance work with rear-wheel-drive and a good old-fashioned stick shift.
One key to doing so: the Performance Traction Management system, which regulates the car's network of electronic stability and powertrain management systems with the skill of a virtuoso conductor directing the New York Philharmonic. In previous V-cars, it was hidden away in the drive mode selector in a fashion that made discovering its facets something of a crapshoot; I'm sure many an owner spent years driving without even knowing it was there.
For the new Blackwings, Cadillac moved the PTM controls to a small toggle switch on the steering wheel — the size, purpose and placement of which owes more than a little to Ferrari's manettino. Clicking it progressively loosens up depending ostensibly on surface and driving style — Wet, Dry, Sport, Race 1 and Race 2. And while there are a bevy of present drive modes, the CT5-V Blackwing also offers two customizable ones: one called My Mode, found in the regular settings, and one called V-Mode, summoned via the round button at the 8 o'clock position on the wheel.
Given the conditions I was driving under — more on that in a bit — I only loosened up the PTM past Dry once, twisting it to Race 1 for a blast on an uphill on-ramp. The result felt rather like throwing reins on a Titan missile and letting it rip: the computers kept everything just well enough in check to keep the nose pointed in the right direction, while still feeding enough power to the wheels to cause the car to balance on the edge of fishtailing. It only lasted a few seconds — by the time I reached the actual highway, I was doing well over 80 mph — but the sheer fun of those few seconds will stick with me for years.
Indeed, the CT5-V Blackwing's performance is so ludicrous, you'll be hard-pressed to find ample opportunities to use it. Even half-throttle makes it leap forward more quickly than most cars on the road. Thankfully, it's still rewarding to drive at lesser speeds, especially with the involvement of the stick shift. Leave it in second or third, and you can explore the nuances of the torque curve as you unwind a stretch of winding road, feeling the road through the wheel and seat as the suspension — which, like Boyz 2 Men, manages to be neither too hard nor too soft — keeps the car firmly planted. Sure, the quicker you go, the more fun you'll have — but this car is still rewarding at (or at least near) the speed limit.