Farewell to the Last American V8 Manual Sedan: CT5-V Blackwing Calls Time
What is up, guys—welcome back to TK’s Garage. I’ve owned and loved fast Cadillacs—my CTS-V still lives rent-free in my head—so yeah, this one hits. Cadillac is winding down the CT5-V Blackwing, the last V8, six-speed manual sedan you could buy new in the U.S. When that line goes quiet, an entire lane of American car culture goes with it.
I’m late to this party by a couple days because I’ve been on the move, but a bunch of you asked what I think. Short version: it’s equal parts sad and predictable—and a little bit Demon 170-ish. Incredible machine, limited access. If you could even find one, dealers wanted $25–30K over. At that point, you start looking at a Corvette and asking hard questions. That’s always been the Blackwing paradox: a four-door Corvette in everything but badge… priced like two cars stacked.
Why Killing It Still Feels Wrong
I get the business math—compliance costs, electrification pressure, and a narrow buyer pool. But there’s a bigger play manufacturers keep forgetting: choice keeps customers in the brand. When you erase choices, people drift. Stellantis learned that the hard way last year; they’re now crawling back with V8 signals because sales told them the truth. GM hasn’t felt that sting yet—their balance sheet’s thicker—but deleting the Camaro and now the manual V8 sedan option is how you nudge loyalists toward “something else.”
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Could Cadillac have run it one more model year? Easily. We’ve watched other OEMs keep a body style alive to bridge product gaps. You don’t need fresh stampings to sell a few thousand halo sedans to enthusiasts starving for three pedals.
The Dealer Markup Problem No One Solved
Let’s be honest: ADMs killed the vibe. The Blackwing was always scarce, but scarcity plus $30K over turned “dream car” into “never mind.” When the market cools, you can blame interest rates all you want—what buyers remember is the feeling of being priced out on purpose. If you’re going to build a cult car, either make enough to meet demand or police the MSRP so your fans aren’t punished for loving your product.
What Dies With It (Besides a Shifter)
It’s not just the spec sheet. It’s the daily-usable, four-door, rear-drive, big-motor, manual formula—school runs at 7 a.m., apexes at 7 p.m. The CT5-V Blackwing proved that recipe still rips in 2020-something. And now it’s gone. Could Ford’s rumored four-door Mustang fill the space? Maybe—but it’s not here yet. Could Dodge put a V8 back in a four-door Charger? I think so, and sooner than people expect. Manual? Don’t bet on it. Swaps will exist, but factory three-pedal sedans look done.
Why Cadillac’s Move Still Makes Sense (from the Tower)
From the brand tower, the story writes itself: consolidate powertrains, push electrified stuff, keep the Corvette as your internal combustion poster, and reassign halo marketing budget. If you’re Cadillac, you argue the Blackwing did its job—prove capability, boost image, move on. You’re not wrong. But the culture note is important: you don’t win hearts by ending the last great thing without a spiritual successor ready to drop.
If You Own One, Congrats—you Own an Era
Blackwings will sit in that sweet zone modern buyers love: new enough to be reliable, analog enough to feel human. Manuals, colors, low-mile cars—watch those become blue-chip. If you’ve got one, keep records, keep it clean, and drive it. Museum pieces are boring; the whole point of this car was motion.
Where We Go From Here
I don’t think the V8 four-door dies forever. Cycles swing. Regulations get rewritten. Consumer demand keeps tapping the glass. We’ll see V8 noise return in places you didn’t expect—and we might even get clever hybrids that preserve feel while gaming the test cycles. But a factory manual sedan? That’s probably a wrap unless an exec gets sentimental and signs off a farewell run. I’d love to be wrong.
Final Word
The CT5-V Blackwing manual wasn’t just a spec—it was a statement. It said America still builds a proper driver’s car with room for friends and a clutch pedal. We can argue margins, EPA, and model cycles all day, but the truth is simple: when you take choice off the lot, you take people with it.
Drop your thoughts below—did markups keep you out, or were you always Corvette-bound? If you own one, flex the spec. And as always, stay petty, my friends.
