2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing

Cadillac had dethroned Packard as America's leading luxury car brand by 1950, and was only briefly domestically challenged by Lincoln in the late 1980s.  But sales declined by the mid-1990s with the advent of Toyota's new Lexus brand and the higher prestige of imported cars from Mercedes-Benz and BMW.  The latter had performance credentials foreign to Cadillac, so an effort was made to create some higher-performance Cadillac models.  As best I can tell, this effort has been at least marginally successful, so it continues.

A fairly recent example is the Cadillac CT4 Blackwing variant that features a design with aggressive-looking details.  The CT4 was launched for model year 2020 and the Blackwing appeared early in 2021.

CT4 and CT5 Blackwings are fairly rare birds.  I didn't really notice a CT4 Blackwing unil early August 2024 in Anacortes, Washington while sipping coffee at a Starbucks.

The CT4 has a wheelbase of 109.3 inches (2776 mm) and a length of 187.2 inches (4755 mm) with fairly short overhang.  This seems to help the design's chunky, aggressive-looking appearance.  I should note that its General Motors Alpha platform was shared with the final-generation sporty Chevrolet Camaro.

Photos below are of a 2022 Blackwing listed for sale.

Gallery

Slender, vertical running lights have been a Cadillac recognition feature in recent years, while slender, vertical tail lights have been on Cadillacs for decades.  The massive snout with its large upper and lower grille framing lacks chrome, giving a more purposeful, less-decorative appearance.

What appear to be air vents fore and aft of the forward wheelwell imply the capability for aggressive braking.  The after slot is echoed somewhat by the side sculpting.

The rear spoiler is a performance touch that might even be necessary as opposed by being evocative.  Of interest is the body sculpting that blends into the tail light assembly: nice touch.

Somewhat similar fenderline sculpting can be found towards the front of the car.  The vertical running light seems at odds with the rest of frontal styling.