Two years ago, I fell hopelessly in love with the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. No other four-door on sale today offers as much performance and joy, whether you’re driving it to work or caning it around a racetrack. It’s such a standout experience that finding a worthy rival required returning to the past.
It’s easy to see why the E39-generation BMW M5 of 2000–03 has long been the benchmark for sport sedans. Its well-tuned chassis was paired with a muscular 394-hp V-8 and a six-speed manual transmission, all wrapped up in one of the most elegant four-door shapes of all time. It was desirable when new and has become even more appealing as modern performance cars seem to have lost something essential.
The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing arrived for 2022 like a lightning bolt. With expertly honed dynamics, an absurdly powerful supercharged V-8, and a throwback six-speed manual transmission, the CT5-V Blackwing was, and is, a revelation—a bighearted, laugh-a-minute, yee-haw revelation. Finally, after more than 20 years, a worthy challenger to the E39 M5’s throne.
Before this hot May day in upstate New York, I had driven only one E39 M5, and it was a deferred-maintenance nightmare. The example you see here is a 33,000-mile Oxford green beauty from 2000 that has me instantly infatuated. It’s engaging while offering modern levels of comfort, refinement, and plenty of speed. The 4.9liter S62 V-8 isn’t as high-strung as other BMW Motorsport engines. Its character is not manic or aggressive but surprisingly subdued. It’s still a gem.
Denne historien er fra August - September 2023-utgaven av Road & Track.
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Denne historien er fra August - September 2023-utgaven av Road & Track.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
MR. CALIFORNIA
MEET THE MAN WHO PUT THE STATE ON THE MAP AS THE LEADER IN THE FIGHT AGAINST VEHICLE EMISSIONS.
RESIDENT ALIEN
THE CZINGER 21C LOOKS LIKE IT ARRIVED FROM A DISTANT PLANET. INSTEAD, IT COMES FROM CALIFORNIA, WHICH IS KIND OF THE SAME THING.
FUNNY FACE
THE CURIOUS CASE OF CALIFORNIA-DIAL WATCHES.
THE PROBLEM WITH ROBERT WILLIAMS
TOWARD THE END of our third interview, Robert Williams gives me some advice about overcoming creative blocks. “Phrase it as a problem,” he says. “
Quiet Riot
In the Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai makes the case that an EV can tamp down racetrack noise without sacrificing capability.
The Sound and the Fury
A legal feud over booming decibels put California's most historic roadracing circuit in jeopardy.
HOLLYWOOD'S GREATEST STUNT DRIVER
CAREY LOFTIN WAS THE KING OF THE SCIENTIFIC WILD-ASS GUESS
OFFLINE
THIS BURBANK BOOKSTORE IS A REPOSITORY FOR THE WORLD OF AUTOMOTIVE INFORMATION NOT ON YOUR PHONE.
THE COURSE OF HISTORY
The West Coast tracks where modern racing was born.
TANK WARFARE
WHAT IF THE WHOLE CAR WERE A GAS TANK?