The Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing are meant to celebrate the end of the internal-combustion super sedan. Both are offered with a six-speed manual transmission, Cadillac’s last, and this has proved popular with buyers. A Cadillac spokesperson confirmed to Motor1 that nearly half of all Blackwings sold in 2023 were manual-equipped.
While Cadillac didn’t provide an exact percentage, the brand noted the almost-50-percent figure applied to both individual models, not just the total number of Blackwings sold.
Take rate for the manual has remained strong since the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing’s market launch in 2021. For the first batch of 500 CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwing models, manual take rate was 45 percent and 62 percent, respectively. Halfway through 2022, the take rate was around 40 percent for the CT4-V Blackwing and 50 percent for the CT5-V Blackwing. The number far eclipsed Cadillac’s initial prediction of around 35 percent.
There are vanishingly few manual-transmission super sedans on the market. Really, it’s just the two Cadillac Blackwings and the BMW M3. The CT5-V Blackwing is the only V8-powered four-door you can buy today, full stop.
Right now, Cadillac Blackwing sedans are sold in the U.S., Canada, and the Middle East. The CT4-V Blackwing is also sold in Korea and Israel. But, the manual is only available for the U.S. and Canada.
While Cadillac doesn’t break out sales for CT4 and CT5 models by trim, it did say that V-Series and Blackwing sales are up 55 percent year over year in the U.S. All in all, Cadillac sold 9,144 CT4s here, and 18,593 CT5s last year.
Cadillac has facelifted the CT5 for the 2025 model year, with the Blackwing version yet to debut. We’re hoping the update means these sedans have a few more years in them before the brand completes its transition to being all-electric. And we’re glad that buyers are getting manuals, too.
This story was updated on 1/4/2024 at 12:30 with info on the Blackwing's market availability.
