Here's the V you were probably expecting before. autoblog
June 27, 2019
By: Zac Palmer
Cadillac already teased us once with the hotter CT4-V and CT5-V at the Belle Isle Grand Prix, but these photos are still the best look yet at what's next for the Cadillac V-Series. The car we're looking at in heavy camouflage here is a high-performance CT4, but we don't really have a name to call it at this point. Cadillac hasn't said, so it could be anything. We'll just refer to it as the faster V, as it's certainly looking a bit more racy than the warmed-over CT4-V already revealed.
While the styling isn't drastically different from the CT4-V already out there, the front intake and openings look deeper and more aggressive. The middle, raised section of the hood is a little taller and the whole front-end design looks a lot like the one teased in Belle Isle. This vehicle even appears to have the same mirror design as the faster V.
The side sills, quad exhaust tips and wide rear tires lend this prototype an aggressive look, but we did note that it doesn't have the big ducktail spoiler we saw teased previously. Maybe Cadillac is trying to keep a low profile while testing. A keen eye will notice a wild apparatus attached to the front, which would serve as a great jousting pole if you were into that kind of thing.
We don't know exactly when Cadillac plans to introduce the faster V machines, but we wouldn't doubt if it happened before the year was out. The ATS-V and CTS-V didn't look wholly different than the pedestrian versions of those cars, and this prototype indicates Caddy may follow a similar pattern this time around. All will be explained from GM soon, but for now, we wait.
Before anybody decides to rip me a new one, let me preface:
I have zero doubt in my mind at all this car will drive great and handle extremely well at 10/10ths around a track.
Great, now that that's out of the way... I'm not sold on the idea of the V-Series brand being *******ized and "Blackwing" or whatever horrible name they're going to slap on this car being a suitable replacement is a smart move. V had pull, and was respected by pretty much everybody as equal to M, AMG, etc. To throw away 15+ years of hard work, great cars, and solid branding to cheaply prop up sales in the mean time by devaluing a once coveted badge that's literally the last good thing besides Escalade the brand has going for it just isn't a good idea, sorry.
The reason why this car will fail in the marketplace won't be price, design, interior, or the way it drives. It'll be the name, and it'll be the flawed, ass backwards logic that brought the failure onto it. Too bad. Performance Cadillacs are some of the best driving cars in the world.
No, the reason this could fail, and the entire CT4 lineup could fail, is GM's abysmal marketing.
The name doesn't matter, based on "name enthusiasm" the Continental should be a roaring success. It isn't. The vehicle has to be good and the marketing right.
@Envoy4Life: You may be right, but give it a chance.
Mercedes has multiple AMG versions now with different levels of performance:
C-class and GLC Coupe: AMG 43, 63 and 63 S
GLE Coupe: AMG 43 and 63 S
E-class: AMG 53 and 63 S
S-class: AMG S 63 and S 65
The difference is - and I could be wrong about this - but I'm pretty sure they kept the level of performance of that "base" AMG model the same as previous AMG models, but added models ON TOP of the AMG line, pushing the performance higher.
The Cadillac parallel would be CT5-V being equivalent to CTS-V on the performance spectrum, but adding a CT5-V"+" on top of that model. Instead, we're seeing CT5-V essentially replacing V-sport (a performance dropoff from previous V levels), with this new trim filling in where V left off.
Cadillac first kept using the term "Velocity"-series when it first came out but they dont really market it like that anymore. Another change to something that made sense.
According to reports, Reuss has been "pleasuring" himself just thinking about the Blackwing name. So you might as well try to get used to it. Unless someone with more sense prevails.
Like ATS Vuckaduck
I called on Cadillac to leverage this name all the way back to the launch of the CT6 V Sport, and on many other occasions. Perhaps Cadillac reads these forums? At the very least I want a gold star dammit!
So wait...Top Cadillac performance models will have a name after an engine, which might not even end up in one of them (i think CT4 is more likely to have v6TT)?
Or maybe they are planning also to call the engine in their top models a Blackwing.
Blackwing v6, Blackwing V8, Blackwing electric..problem solved
New prediction. If in a few years Cadillac is able to establish BLACKWING as the top V Series variant, they’ll keep V Series for the entry point performance vehicles, and they’ll eventually drop the ‘V’ annotation from BLACKWING badged offerings. You’ll have CT4/CT5-V Series etc, and then CT4/CT5 BLACKWING.
Plus BLACKWING is way more evocative than both of those names. Black label sounds like booze! BLACKWING conjures up images of The B2 bomber/F-117A stealth fighter and secretive government Black projects. Sorry, Johnnie Walker loses this fight!
There is a version of the 2021 Escalade that would definitely be worthy of the BLACKWING name. I’m not sure if they should use it on the XT4/5/6. For those, V Series would suffice if they had similar power, braking and handling enhancements along the lines of the CT4/5 entry V’s.
Blackwing is a stupid name for the higher performance Vs for multiple reasons:
1. Blackwing is the name of the 4.2TT V8
2. Not all Higher performance Vs are going to have the V8 so you're going to have blackwings w/o a blackwing???
3. The CT6 Platinum is available w/ a Blackwing V8
4. Blackwing is a stupid name
So to sum that up, alot of you are clamoring for a performance series to be named after an engine that some of the vehicles within that performance series isn't going to have....then on top of that, a non performance series car (and possibly the 'Slade) will also have the Blackwing engine...talk about muddling a message.
I've given up on the stupidity of the CT4/5V being called Vs instead of VSports, but this Blackwing thing is equally as dumb and should be dissuaded at all costs.
I do see an issue with naming a trim level from an engine if you are going to brand every engine with that same name, it can be done but I think it is a mistake. Certainly not the range topping model.
The ATS and third gen CTS weren’t good enough to be in the Cadillac lineup. For that they would have needed more appropriate proportions and interior room, better interior appointments, better nvh characteristics, and standout styling. As for good reviews, I can show you the last gen Thunderbird winning the COTY award not so very long ago. That would be the third time Thunderbird has won COTY if I recall correctly, and the first time that it didn’t deserve it.
The ATS and third gen CTS weren’t good enough to be in the Cadillac lineup. For that they would have needed more appropriate proportions and interior room, better interior appointments, better nvh characteristics, and standout styling. As for good reviews, I can show you the last gen Thunderbird winning the COTY award not so very long ago. That would be the third time Thunderbird has won COTY if I recall correctly, and the first time that it didn’t deserve it.
That's your opinion. It's shared by the usual suspects on this site. It wasn't shared by by most of the automotive world. I'm not suggesting that either were perfect cars, but the absolutely were credible as Cadillacs and as competition to the German makes.
I think the CTS was absolutely worthy of the Cadillac badge, as was ATS. CTS in specific was a very solid entry, and had few faults compared to the competition. ATS somewhat died on the vine, but that's Cadillac's own fault.
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