CT4-V Blackwing

Make
Cadillac
Segment
Sedan

Cadillac has spent the better part of the last two decades trying to compete with the best Germany has to offer and always being close, but not quite as comprehensively excellent. But with its latest generation sedans, the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing, it's aiming to strike a deathblow at the Mercedes-AMG CLA 45 and BMW M3, respectively, even if that means completely outgunning them in the horsepower war to do so. The results have been seriously impressive, with the former car capable of beating a Nissan GT-R on the track. As a result, they're not at all cheap, but that hasn't stopped people from registering their interest. Production on the cars began in the first half of this year and now the two luxury sports sedans have arrived at dealers, ready for those interested parties to finally experience.

Cadillac says that the first 250 examples of each model sold out in minutes, so the automaker is "celebrating these first Collector Series vehicles and the people who built them with two special collector plates on the sills and B-pillars." The sill plates have been signed by an employee directly involved in the development of these cars while the plate on the B-pillar corresponds to the serialized "Performance Steering Wheel" in each car. In the CT5-V Blackwing, the handbuilt V8 also gets a signed plaque from the master builder. It's not quite as personal and special as the signature of the actual builder of your specific engine like you get in a Mercedes-AMG, but it's a cool touch nonetheless.

Regardless of what special plaques and plates you do or don't get, each car is seriously quick. The 472-horsepower CT4-V Blackwing will do 0-60 in around four seconds flat, regardless of whether you have a manual or an automatic, and will top out at 189 mph. The CT5-V Blackwing is even more impressive, boasting 668 hp, mid-three-second times to 60, and a top speed of over 200 mph. These figures make the CT4-V Blackwing the most powerful and fastest-ever Cadillac subcompact while the CT5-V Blackwing earns the title of the outright most powerful and fastest production Cadillac ever.

If you haven't placed an order for the remaining Blackwing models, the CT4-V starts at $59,990 and costs $87,775 fully loaded. The CT5-V is a little pricier at a base MSRP of $84,990 and a fully configured price of $125,980. Cadillac says that with the first 250 already sold out, there is limited availability of the remaining units. So if you were holding out until the Blackwings officially took flight, you might want to pull the trigger soon.