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The new Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is a sports sedan with almost no flaws, and it's competitively priced as well.

The 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is a ferocious mid-size sports sedan that is here to rival well-established offerings like the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63. Offered by Cadillac for a base MSRP of $83,995, the CT5-V Blackwing is one of the ultimate choices of the segment for those who want a powerful and driver-focussed sedan that could do the regular commute duties on the weekdays and set racetracks on fire at the weekends.

Offered in a single trim configuration like the outgoing 2022 model, this 2023 model year comes with the powerful 6.2-liter supercharged V8 motor mated to a slick-shifting 6-speed manual as standard. The acceleration times and top speed are better than all the segment rivals, and the cabin is spacious and reasonably luxurious. The only change happens in the form of a new 120th Anniversary Edition to the lineup. Before putting down your money, here are 10 things you need to know about the 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing​​​​​​.

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The 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing gets the 6.2-liter supercharged V8 motor with VVT and active fuel management system and produces an impressive 668 hp and 659 lb-ft of torque. This makes it the most powerful mid-size sports sedan out there as the rivals like the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63 offers close to 600 hp only.

You could get the CT5-V Blackwing with a 6-speed manual transmission as standard. However, there is also an optional 10-speed torque converter automatic as well. With the RWD drivetrain being the only option, the 6-speed manual-equipped trim could do 0-60 MPH in 3.6 seconds and the quarter-mile run in 11.6 seconds.

The sporty color palettes on offer and the beautifully crafted exterior with handsome front-end styling, clean side profile, and the typical Cadillac rear end makes it very gorgeous to look at from any angle. The car can be had in nine exterior colors and the 19" alloy wheels can be had in three different designs.

For the folks who want to stand out from the crowd even further, we would also highly recommend the Carbon Fiber 2 Package for an additional $5,230, as it gives a carbon fiber grille header, rocker moldings, extensions, rear valance diffuser, and a few more bits. The CT5-V Blackwing has a purposeful stance to it with perfect width and height, and the elements like LED headlights, LED taillights, quad exhaust, and functional air vents add to the appeal even further.

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Cadillac has always been a brand that provides most of the bells and whistles as standard with even the lowest of the trim configurations. When it comes to the 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, we are happy to report that this custom hasn't been changed much. Most of the interior, exterior, and infotainment features are onboard as standard.

The buyers are going to appreciate the 15-speaker AKG audio system, a large 10" CUE infotainment system, leather upholstery, heated, powered, and ventilated seats, 19" aluminum alloy wheels, LED headlights & taillights, and lip spoiler coming in as standard. Even the driver-assistance techs haven't been compromised when compared to the rivals.

The 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is a 5-seater sports sedan and there aren't any major compromises in terms of the interior space. The sports seats at the front offer top-notch side bolstering, under-thigh support, and lower back support. Even the rear seat also turned out to be better than both the segment rivals.

There is enough headroom and legroom for all five passengers. The cabin also offers multiple cubbyholes and storage spaces in the form of large under-armrest storage, a deep glove box, and multiple bottle holders and cup holders. However, the cargo capacity of 11.9 cu ft could have been better.

What makes the 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing a hoot to drive is due to the inclusion of the magnetorheological dampers as standard. This helps the car to have a semi-active suspension system which changes the damping behavior according to the road conditions and speed one travel through.

Along with such an advanced damping system, the 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing also comes with a MacPherson strut at the front and a five-link setup at the rear. There are multiple driving and suspension modes as well, and these highly alter the driving behavior of the vehicle when out on the open road.

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The braking hardware has been carried forward unchanged from the outgoing 2022 model year, and you would have no problems in slowing down this sports sedan from high speeds. As standard, it gets 4-wheel ventilated disc brakes with 13.6" front rotors and 12.4" rear rotors.

The features like ABS with EBD, automated emergency braking, brake assist, performance brake linings, and electric parking brake are offered too. The 70-0 MPH braking could be done in just about 154 feet. If you want even better braking behavior, you can also get it with the optional carbon-ceramic braking system.

Being a supercharged V8 with no mild hybrid system on board, the 2023 CT5-V Blackwing is not going to be a frugal daily driver. This sedan offers a city gas mileage of 13 MPG in city and 21 MPG on the highways, both of which equate to combined gas mileage of just 15 MPG.

The 17-gallon fuel tank capacity helps the CT5-V Blackwing to do about 357 miles on the highways with a full tank of gas. The rivals like the BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63 offer a slightly better combined gas mileage of 17 MPG and 18 MPG, respectively. They also churned out a better tank range due to the higher tank capacity on offer.

The enticing price tag of the 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing makes it a much more attainable sports sedan of the segment. The base MSRP of $83,995 makes this Caddy about $18,000 cheaper than the BMW M5 and close to $23,000 cheaper than the Mercedes-AMG E63 S.

Along with the value-for-money pricing, we also found it to be packed with many of the features, that you would normally expect in the optional catalog, as standard. The optional features and packages aren't as steeply-priced as the Mercedes, BMW, and Audi, and that helps to keep the price under check if the buyer wants to go all in.

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The 10" touchscreen infotainment system with Cadillac User Experience software offers all the bells and whistles and is pretty intuitive to use as well. The standard features include Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, SiriusXM radio, navigation, Bluetooth, voice recognition, connected apps, and wireless charging.

The infotainment can also be accessed through a rotary dial that is attached to the center console close to the gear lever and that helps the driver to access the infotainment while on the move. There is a well-integrated 12" digital gauge cluster display as well. The audio is handled by a 15-speaker AKG audio system.

All the basic safety features like ABS with EBD, traction control, side-impact beams, stability control, airbags, reverse camera, OnStar and Cadillac Connected Services, and parking sensors are standard for the 2023 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. It also gets many driver-assistance techs as well.

The driver-assistance techs that come as standard include automated emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane-keeping assist, forward collision monitoring, and collision mitigation system. However, we would also recommend you to opt for the parking package and driver assist package if you want even more techs and features.

Mohith is our in-house motorcycle mechanic and automotive geek. He loves riding and driving at the limits, and you would frequently notice him on racetracks at the weekends. Mohith is someone who would redline anything that comes with a motor - even our office lawnmower. He often does cross-country road trips in his trusted 300ZX and you could find him riding his CB750 quite often through the streets of Pasadena as well as on the Moore Motorsports racetrack.