Will the next-gen Cadillac CT5 Blackwing keep the manual and V8 combo?

Cadillac announced last year that it would retire the current generation of the CT5 luxury sedan, including the high-performance CT5-V Blackwing, after the 2026 model year.

While the standard CT5 has already been confirmed to return for a next generation, the fate of its track-focused super sedans remained unconfirmed. However, a new report from GM Authority indicates that the soul of the brand's performance division will live on.

The report claims that General Motors is already deep into planning a direct successor to the CT5-V Blackwing as part of the next-generation CT5 lineup. Still, though, the company has not officially announced whether the future portfolio will feature high-performance V-Series or Blackwing iterations.

Tech specs for the next-gen CT5-V Blackwing are not known, meaning the biggest questions will be about its powertrain configuration, the availability of a manual transmission, and its official launch. Historically, Cadillac has introduced its top-shelf V-Series and Blackwing performance variants months after showing the mainstream, volume-selling versions of its luxury sedans.

The current-generation CT5-V Blackwing is a unique and much-loved offering in the modern executive sedan landscape, pairing a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine that produces 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque with rear-wheel drive and an available six-speed manual gearbox. While keeping this traditional enthusiast arrangement would keep with the car's heritage, future emissions mandates could influence General Motors to take the next-generation model in a different direction.