Cadillac
The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.
- Cadillac's V-Series cars have historically been its performance-oriented offerings, and two new "ultra-high-performance" models are coming.
- The new models will have optional manual transmissions and will likely compete with high-performance cars from BMW and Mercedes.
- But the new models, called "Blackwings," are an example of Cadillac's shifting brand identity over the years - including in its performance division.
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For years, Cadillac has been in a lull as it tries to redefine itself as a luxury brand in the modern market. Aside from its Super Cruise driver-assistance technology and the persistence of the Escalade name as a big player in the SUV segment, there haven't been many standout moments. The result is a brand continuing to experiment by shuffling things around.
One of the ways it attempted to do that was by launching sporty models aimed squarely at the German sports sedans - the high-performance Mercedes and BMW models of the world. These performance variants could be differentiated from the rest of the Cadillac lineup with the "V-Series" designation in their names.
On Tuesday, Cadillac announced the newest addition to its V-Series: the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing.