“They just don’t make them like this anymore.” That’s the statement I’ve repeatedly told those with inquiring minds when they see me in this last hurrah of what is a rarity that’s captivated enthusiasts, as Cadillac aims to appease in its supercharged V8-powered gem that the CT5-V Blackwing is. The unfortunate part of it all is that this year marks the end of the road for the CT5-V Blackwing in its current form, with glimmers of hope that a successor is being born in the next couple of years that sports a new V8 powertrain and availability of a manual transmission. Until then, I pay tribute to my drive in the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing this week, walking away with plans to put one in my garage.

The 2026 model year marks a bittersweet symphony of supercharged V8 bliss at 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ft of torque sent out through a 10-speed automatic transmission (or optional 6-speed manual) to the rear wheels via a limited-slip differential. There’s really nothing else like it right now, and that’s the beauty of the powerful Caddy that I’ve adorned for many years now. While I’ve extensively covered what the CT5-V Blackwing is all about in automatic and manual transmission forms, this year hits a little different as the want for such a vehicle is stronger than ever and the end of production looming.

Getting into the thick of things for its performance, the CT5-V Blackwing is poised and balanced – much more than what some think as they pull up next to me wanting me to commit illegal activities beside their Charger Hellcat. Sorry guys, I’d like to keep my license and running this Caddy against you may become an embarrassing occurrence for YOU before it is for me. That’s because there’s confidence in how the CT5-V Blackwing lays down the power. There’s a lot of control, the type that you’d expect out of BMW’s best, but here you have the steady hand of American muscle delicately tuned in a luxury package. The Hellcat may have more power on paper, but the Caddy is just simply more surefooted and can get all of its power to the pavement as it has hundreds of pounds less to move around.

See Also: 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Review & Test Drive

The stability and traction control let you have a little fun as it’s left to its base settings – and even more in Sport and Track modes with selectable performance management programs, which is a welcoming trait for such a vehicle. The nannies cut in softly, but only after you get to wag the tail a bit as the 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 barks a unique tone and rips to 60 mph in just 3.4 seconds. I can’t sing enough praises about how good this car is, apart from just a couple of shortcomings, which fundamentally come down to how much you’re willing to shed from your wallet at the gas pump or local Cadillac dealership for initial admission to such a vehicle.

Cadillac keeps giving us what we want in the CT5-V Blackwing, as I enjoy the somewhat luxurious interior that’s properly fitting for a performance sedan. That’s generous amounts of carbon fiber everywhere, inside and out, mostly thanks to my test vehicle having the Carbon Fiber 1 and 2 packages that shamelessly add on $14,380 to the price tag. While this vehicle doesn’t have the highly praised Precision Package that adds goodies like carbon ceramic brakes, there’s still a lot of ongoing engineering feats to enjoy and experience in such a vehicle that elevate it above its competitors.

You’ll pay handsomely at the fuel pump, as you may often come short of the EPA estimate marks of the 20-mpg highway figure. However, you can still get 20 mpg or slightly better out on the highway if you’re inclined to keep with the speed limits and even use the remarkable SuperCruise hands-free driving tech. Otherwise, you’ll mostly match the 13 mpg city and 15 mpg combined EPA estimate in the CT5-V Blackwing and often beg for a larger fuel tank because 17 gallons just doesn’t cut it.

Cadillac has prided itself on its newfound recognition in the past few years. Simply put, vehicles like the CT5-V Blackwing have turned heads and placed the brand where it needed to be as we look towards a promising future of giving us more excitement from an American luxury automaker. Let’s just hope that the pricing doesn’t keep increasing as we’ve now crest $132,000 for what you see here in my nicely equipped test vehicle, which can still be configured with more options. Way to go, Cadillac. More of THIS in the future, please!