Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series: Manual sports sedan gets brand’s most powerful V8 yet

HSV may be dead, but V8-powered three-pedal sports sedans live on in the General Motors stable over at the Cadillac division, which has launched its most powerful one yet.

The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series has been revealed with a 6.2-litre ‘LT4’ V8 like the regular CT5-V Blackwing, but in collaboration with GM Motorsports its supercharger has been upgraded.

Outputs have consequently been boosted to 511kW of power and 912Nm of torque – up 13kW and 19Nm.

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That makes it the most powerful V8-powered production Cadillac ever, though not the most powerful Cadillac overall.

That title goes to the electric Escalade iQ and Escalade iQL which produce 560kW and 1064Nm when flicked to Velocity Max mode; in regular driving, these outputs are a still-heady 505kW and 834Nm.

Unlike the regular CT5-V Blackwing, which is offered in the US with a choice of a 10-speed automatic or six-speed manual transmission, only the latter is available in the Collector Series.

Just 26 examples of the Collector Series will be produced, marking the year Cadillac joined the Formula 1 grid.

Cadillac says the F1 Collector Series was developed in close collaboration with F1 and its governing body, the FIA.

Each example is finished in Midnight Stone Frost paint with gloss-black badging, and features monochromatic Cadillac badges, Carbon Flash metallic wheels, Harbor Grey metallic brake calipers, and carbon-fibre lower bodywork with a Switchblade Silver pinstripe.

The only interior colourway available is Jet Black.

Under the bonnet, you’ll find a CNC-machined supercharger cover created by GM Motorsports, featuring F1 and FIA logos.

You won’t soon forget this is an F1 special edition, as F1 and FIA logos can also be found in numerous places throughout the vehicle.

This includes on the spoiler, sill plates, head restraints, gear shifter and centre console, while there’s also a numbered plaque.

The Precision Package, usually a US$18,000 (A$24,900) option for the CT5-V Blackwing, is fitted as standard.

This includes retuned suspension, carbon-ceramic brakes with cross-drilled rotors, and 19-inch high-performance summer tyres.

Production of the F1 Collector Series will begin in mid-2026 and, because the CT5 is produced only in left-hand drive, this is yet another in a long line of Cadillac sports sedans that Australians won't be offered.

GM Authority reports the price tag of the CT5-V Blackwing swells from US$100,695 (A$139,400) to a whopping US$260,000 (A$360,000) in this special edition.

That makes it the most expensive V-Series performance model yet from Cadillac.

The American luxury brand celebrated 20 years of high-performance V-Series models in 2023, with the lineup now including not only supercharged V8 models like the CT5-V Blackwing and Escalade-V SUV, but also the Optiq-V and Lyriq-V electric SUVs.

Cadillac has confirmed the current CT5 sedan, which entered production in 2019 and was facelifted for 2025, will be replaced by a new-generation model with an internal combustion engine.

It's expected to be based on a version of the same Alpha 2 platform.

The new CT5 will reportedly enter production late in 2027 alongside new Buick and Chevrolet sedans, though it’s unclear whether it will offer the same range of powertrains as the current sedan.

The current generation is offered with turbocharged four-cylinder, twin-turbocharged V6, and supercharged V8 petrol engines.

MORE: Explore the Cadillac CT5 showroom