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America’s Beloved Compelling BMW M3 Fighter Is Sadly Coming to an End

You have less than a week to officially order a Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing from the factory.

Front view of a red Cadillac sedan with a driver wearing sunglasses, followed by a blue Cadillac on a paved road.Cadillac
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By Chris Chin

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If you were hoping to score one of Cadillac’s most convincing sports sedans in recent years, you’d better act fast. Detroit’s top brass is reportedly closing order books for the CT4 lineup, including the high-performance BMW M3-fighting CT4-V Blackwing.

Word comes from enthusiast site, GM Authority, which spoke to a source “familiar with the matter.” Through the chat, the site learned of the CT4’s forthcoming demise, which is scheduled for April 20.

The end of the Blackwing era, for now

Red Cadillac CT5-V sedan with black wheels driving on a paved road with grass in the background.
The days are limited for Cadillac’s BMW M3 fighter, the CT4-V Blackwing.
Cadillac

Cadillac introduced its Blackwing variants of its CT4 and CT5 sedans back in 2020. They are essentially the brand’s high-performance four-door rivals to some of European’s best.

For those who forgot and are still confused by Cadillac’s change in nomenclature, the CT4 is basically the ATS’s successor while the CT5 replaced the CTS.

The CT4-V Blackwing is America’s BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C 63 fighter. While the CT5-V Blackwing picked fights with the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E 63.

Red Cadillac V-Series sedan driving on a paved road with mountains in the background.
When launched, the CT4-V Blackwing put the Europeans and their sports sedans on notice.
Cadillac

When both sedans arrived six years ago, they put the Europeans on notice for offering just as much (if not more) performance, for a fraction of the cost. And in flashy, raucous American flavor.

The CT4-V Blackwing comes with GM’s only application of its twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6, good for 472 horsepower and 445 pound-feet. It’s the same V6 that once powered the ATS-V.

Orange Cadillac CT5-V sedan driving on a racetrack with black wheels and LED headlights.
The CT4-V Blackwing today remains one of the most performance-capable American sport sedans in automotive history.
Cadillac

In comparison, the M3 punches out 473 horses and 406 torques. But the M3 also has the 503- and 523-hp Competition models, and the 543-hp CS. The CT4-V Blackwing also has the distinction of being one of the few performance cars still available with an optional six-speed manual.

Cadillac’s sedan portfolio isn’t disappearing entirely

Two Cadillac sedans, one red and one white, parked on an open paved area with mountains in the background at sunset.
Do you think the CT4-V Blackwing was a worthy successor to the ATS-V?
Cadillac

Despite the CT4 going the way of the dodo, Cadillac’s standard four-door offerings aren’t going away altogether. The CT5 remains available and in production until Cadillac’s ready to prepare a successor.

Technically, the CT4’s production is ending as it’s reached the end of its series production lifecycle.

Red Cadillac CT4 V-Series sedan with black rear spoiler and quad exhausts on a racetrack curb.
The CT4 isn’t dead forever, just for this series production run. For now.
Cadillac

There are no specifics regarding what’s next, but we do know General Motors is preparing an updated Alpha II platform as a successor to the current Alpha II platform, which underpins the CT4 and other rear-wheel-drive cars in GM’s portfolio.

The original Alpha platform served as the backbone for the original Cadillac ATS, CTS and the Chevrolet Camaro.

Availability and pricing

The CT4, CT4-V and CT4-V Blackwing are still still available from Cadillac. But not for long, as the order books close on April 20.

About the Author: Chris Chin is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, trucks and anything else with four wheels. He has over a decade of experience writing news and reviews but considers himself an enthusiast first, with a passion for classics and European cars. His daily driver is a 1987 Mercedes-Benz 560SEL with nearly 250,000 miles (87,000 are his).

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