THE V-8 BENCHMARK

The E39-generation BMW M5 has been the sport-sedan icon for over 20 years. Can Cadillac's CT5-V Blackwing measure up?

- CHRIS PERKINS

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.