My FH5 Log: BLACK KNIGHT

I'd admit, of all the prize cars I've obtained from the FH5 Midnights at Horizon series update, my top picks will be both the CT4-V Blackwing and the CT5-V Blackwing because I've requested these rides to be featured since the beginning and I've enjoyed them.

Having enjoyed both of the Blackwing sedans in the game, it's time to find out which of these two Blackwings is the Black Knight, pun intended.

Time for a quick refresher with the two Blackwing sedans. The CT4-V Blackwing uses the same 3.6L Twin-Turbo engine as its predecessor, the ATS-V, but it's been upgraded to produce 472HP of power and 445lb-ft of torque. It's been mated to a choice of either a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed AT that delivers a 0-60mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 189mph. 

The CT5-V Blackwing, meanwhile,  combines raw V8 performance and track-honed performance into the pinnacle of the Cadillac V-Series. The 6.2L Supercharged V8 engine was a complete carryover from the old CTS-V but it has been boosted to produce 668HP of power and 659lb-ft of torque while mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed AT that propels this car from a 0-100kph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of over 200mph.

Both of these high-performance saloons are fun to drive and easy to get hooked on but there can only be one as these two black knights come face-to-face in a hill climb sprint, finding out which of these two is the fastest. Whether it is the handling delight from the turbocharged CT4-V Blackwing or the raw supercharged V8 power of the CT5-V Blackwing, it's the final judgment for these two top Republicans as it's time to find out who will come on top. Send in the clip.

And now, the results;

CT4-V Blackwing - 3m20.951s

CT5-V Blackwing - 3m14.094s

Guess the folks from Cadillac were right after all, the CT5-V Blackwing truly is "the most powerful Cadillac ever".

The supercharged CT5-V Blackwing has proven its worth as the black knight in shining armor and with such power and prestige, you'd better watch for it because it's easy to fall by the black knight's bitter blade in the dead of night.

Although the Midnights at Horizon update is over, I still have some work to do with the two Blackwings because I'm starting to hatch a brainwave out of these two. Watch this space.

My FH5 Log: Black Wing Down...Again

A long time ago, in the days of The Man Who Sold The World, Cadillac created its answer to BMW's M3/M4, the ATS-V., and even though this is a turbocharged mongrel, it's one heck of a sportscar you would want to correct its assessment from a gentlemen's club to a slaughterhouse. I said that several years back during my first impression.

As today's BMW M3/M4 produced clever results amid its horrifying face, Cadillac responded with a hunk of turbocharged goodness, the CT4-V Blackwing.

Obtained from Forza Horizon 5's Midnights Hot Season Playlist after hitting the 20-point target, it's time to let loose with the baby of the V-Series. If you enjoyed the CT5-V Blackwing a few weeks ago, you're going to love its little brother even more.

Based on the CT4 sedan, the CT4-V Blackwing uses the same 3.6L Twin-Turbo engine from its predecessor, the ATS-V, but it's been upgraded to produce 472HP of power and 445lb-ft of torque. It's been mated to a choice of either a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed AT that delivers a 0-60mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 189mph. Like its big brother, the CT4-V Blackwing comes with eLSD, advanced suspension refinements, Launch Control, Performance Traction Management, and MRC 4.0, among many others.

Having been satisfied with the performance the CT4-V Blackwing delivers, it's time to find out if this car's better than its predecessor, and with that, it's off to the tunnels of Guanajuato to settle the score. You may remember that a few moments ago, I took both the CTS-V and the CT5-V Blackwing on a quick run away from Guanajuato and found out that the CT5-V Blackwing is better than its CTS-V predecessor. So, what about their turbocharged juniors? This should be interesting because it's time to let these turbocharged Caddies on steroids do the talking. VTR, start!

As the two junior Caddies escaped Guanajuato, here are the results;

ATS-V Coupe - 2:37.708

CT4-V Blackwing - 2:29.766

Just like its big brother, the CT4-V Blackwing truly is the successor to the old ATS-V as it managed to beat its ancestor within an eight-second margin. What's surprising is it's a second slower than the CT5-V Blackwing, making them a close shave.

Yes, a close shave, and looks like the CT4-V Blackwing wants to play "sibling strife" against the CT5-V Blackwing. The two black knights are in for a game of joust and I'm looking forward to comparing these two in my next post.

Brace yourselves, V HAS COME TO...

Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing

The arrival of the Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing and the CT5-V Blackwing gave speedo boys what the regular V saloons have been missing from the start; muscle car performance and track-honed dynamics that can scare the Germans straight, not to mention the fact that it comes with proper 6-speed MT no German high-performance monsters dared to have.

2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

We begin with the CT4-V Blackwing, Cadillac's answer to the already hideous-looking BMW M3 G80. Priced at a super-expensive 58,995 US Dollars plus additional costs, the CT4-V Blackwing picks up where the normal CT4-V failed to deliver. By adding some steroids to the normal CT4-V, the Blackwing is a different kind of beast that loves to tackle through the hollow mountain roads before setting off for another day at the track and you'll be going to love the way it looks and feels when you take it for a joyride.

2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

Under the hood, the ordinary CT4-V's 2.7L turbocharged engine has been replaced with the 3.6L Twin-Turbo engine derived from its predecessor, the ATS-V, but it's been upgraded to produce 472HP of power and 445lb-ft of torque, which is darn less than what the M3 Competition had but no matter because the CT4-V Blackwing is offered with the choice of a speedo boy favorite 6-speed manual gearbox and a bulkier 10-speed automatic gearbox that propels this CT4-V on steroids to a 0-60mph time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 189mph. That's an improvement compared to the old ATS-V but when compared to the ugly-looking M3, it's too close to call.

In terms of dynamics, the CT4-V Blackwing behaves like a muscle car. Dynamic and dangerous in every way. Despite its M3 sizing, this is a highly-advanced, high-performance sports sedan made for the experts and pros on the track, and it takes a serious amount of skill to understand how its eLSD, advanced suspension refinements, Launch Control, Performance Traction Management, and MRC 4.0 works. Once settled, the CT4-V Blackwing is as enjoyable as a loose-cannon cowboy in the Wild West.

2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

After you had fun with the CT4-V Blackwing, you should try out the CT5-V Blackwing, the ultimate Cadillac sports saloon ever built. Priced at 83,995 US Dollars plus additional costs, it's the most expensive four-door Cadillac ever sold, and when fully kitted with extras, its six-figure price tag will leave your bank account in shreds and tears. No, not the watery stuff coming out of your eyes.

2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing interior

By turning an ordinary CT5-V into a monster machine, the Blackwing is the ultimate expression of the V-Series mantra, delivering motorsport-level performance on the road and track. Don't let its executive looks fool you because this is an American Blend muscle car that smokes more than a carton of American Blend cigarettes. This is flavor country on wheels and it's highly addictive to drive than the Germans.

Just like its little brother, the normal CT5-V's 3.0L Twin Turbo V6 engine was swapped to a 6.2L Supercharged V8 engine derived from the old CTS-V and the Corvette C7 Z06 but it has been upgraded to produce 668HP of power and 659lb-ft of torque while mated to either a 6-speed manual or a 10-speed AT that propels this car from a 0-100kph time of 3.7 seconds and a top speed of over 200mph. It may be slower than the world's most powerful four-door saloon, the Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat Redeye. but it will eat the Germans for breakfast, lunch, and tea, even midnight snacks.

Performance aside, the CT5-V Blackwing comes with eLSD, advanced suspension refinements, Launch Control, Performance Traction Management, and MRC 4.0, among many others. When you take it to the track, you can really experience its muscle car vibes from within. It's surprisingly dynamic but challenging in every way and it's about as challenging as, let's say, studying IELTS nonsense all day long until your brain melts. This is what the CT5-V Blackwing is all about, delivering a gut-wrenching performance that will put the German opposition on notice.

By the time the normal CT4-V and CT5-V arrived, they were not what speedo boys hoped for but they were built for balance on the road and track. With the Blackwing variants, these saloons are bursting with mayhem and with such dynamic and challenging performance, these are what the speedo boys finally want. They really made Cadillac great again.

Photo: General Motors

Cadillac CT4-V and CT5-V

The Cadillac CT4 and CT5 sedans have gained the letter V but this is not the V that speedo boys are expecting because...well, let's find out what went wrong with the V-word.

The newest V-series machines from Cadillac, the CT4-V (priced at $44,495 plus additional costs) and the CT5-V (priced at $47,695 plus additional costs) are the sporty additions of the new Cadillac sedan range but unlike past V cars, these new additions went to the wrong side of the performance ladder. The reason? They've repositioned the V-series to compete against semi-high performance Euro imports, say an S4 or an S6 or the 53 AMG models.

Whatever the reason, these two new V sedans are looking for fun in all the wrong barrels because of what lies ahead under the hood. On the CT4-V, the engine that powers it is a 2.7L turbocharged engine producing over 320hp of power. On the CT5-V, it's a 3.0L Twin Turbo V6 producing over 355HP of power. Compared to its predecessors such as the ATS-V and the CTS-V, that's a big loss of power and speedo boys might think they're a bunch of C-list performers on the road.

While speed and power are out of their agenda, both the CT4-V and the CT5-V are well-balanced sports sedans that blend the right balance of performance and dynamics. Running on the Alpha architecture like its normal equivalents and coupled with cool features such as e-LSD, V-series Performance Chassis with MRC, Brembo brakes, and Vehicle Control Mode, these saloons are nearly perfect on the bends, which is not bad for rear-wheel drives. Couple that with the available all-wheel-drive drivetrain and they're as balanced as a magnum revolver. Bulky but packs a lot of punch from the get-go.

One word of alarming for speedo boys everywhere is that both models do come with the optional Super Cruise which goes autonomously in the name of safety.

These new V-models are not what speedo boys hoped for but they're built for balance on the road and track.

Photo: General Motors

Cadillac CT4

As General Motors are shying away from saloons due to poor sales in favor of crossovers, its luxury brand Cadillac isn't shying away from its poor performers because to them, they need them in the fight against expensive German imports. One such example is their latest sedan that joined alongside its big brother CT5. It's called the CT4.

Priced at $32,995 plus additional costs, the Cadillac CT4 may be the most admirable alternative against the competition in its class but it can be somewhat underrated because while the exterior design may be admirable by Cadillac standards, it looks somewhat conservative and serious, reflecting the kind of customers this car's targeting at; stern executives.

On the inside, the CT4 is all about functional and usable at the same time. Because Cadillac doesn't believe in the minimalist trend that caught speedo boys running away from it, the CT4 has all the dials that function every single gizmo loaded into it as well as the touch screen sat-nav you can toy with. At the passenger side, meanwhile, the CT4 is about as accommodating as the competition as well as having decent boot space.

Under the hood, the CT4 is powered by a choice of a 2.0L turbo and a more powerful 2.7L turbocharged engine that produces 310hp of power and 350lb-ft of torque while mated to an optional 10-speed automatic gearbox. Aside from that, the CT4 feels as sporty as its European competition because of its clever sport-tuned dynamics underneath. In its rear-wheel drive guise, the CT4 is as lively to drive as the competition but when given the four-wheel drive option, it's all balanced and mild at all kinds of roads, be it tarmac, gravel, and snow. Whichever drivetrain its on, the CT4 is worth a gamble against the competition but sometimes, it's a bit of a letdown compared to them.

In terms of safety, the CT4 features a wide range of safety tech, including Forward Collision Alert, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Automatic Emergency Braking, among many others.

While the CT4 may not be as attractive and enjoyable as the competition, it's worth the shot taking them on and Cadillac sure knows how to do the right thing not to abandon the already diminishing sedan trend because looks like they're the only guys around here if you know what I'm saying.

Photo: General Motors