Cadillac used to be the biggest name in American luxury automobiles, but its trajectory in the 21st century has proven to be quite different from the gargantuan chromed land yachts it primarily sold in the company’s first 100 years. In fact, Cadillac has made one of the most significant rebrands in modern automotive history, shifting from selling luxobarges to now making some of the most involving driver’s cars in their respective categories. Cadillac is also now so focused on motorsports that it’s entered the world of Formula 1, and now the automaker is releasing something special to commemorate its first race in America, this weekend’s Miami Grand Prix. Meet the new Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series, Cadillac’s most powerful Blackwing model ever.
The CT5-V Blackwing is already an exceptional vehicle to drive, particularly with the addition of the Precision Engineering Package that I so fortunately got to pilot around the main circuit at Atlanta Motorsports Park last year. That package is standard on this special edition, and it’s only available with the six-speed manual transmission. In the F1 Collector Series, though, it gets an extra 17 horsepower and 14 pound-feet of torque over the standard car, now producing a monstrous 685 hp and 673 lb-ft. Why just 26 units? Because 2026 is the year that Cadillac entered F1, obviously.
Visuals are subtle but so is Cadillac’s F1 livery
In addition to the extra power, the F1 Collector Series also gets aerodynamic and visual additions that echo Cadillac’s rather dull F1 livery. There’s Midnight Stone Frost paint, gray metallic wheels and brake calipers, a carbon-fiber body kit with silver pinstripes, and a black interior. Naturally there are lots of F1 logos including on the spoiler, door sills, and supercharger cover, as well as a stamped F1 logo on the front doors and and a sweet 3D-printed F1 medallion on the manual shift knob.
Cadillac’s livery for this weekend’s race is a similarly tame monochrome design that looks fine, but especially considering that the first race is in the colorful city of Miami, it’s just a bit underwhelming. One thing’s for sure though, driving the CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series will not be underwhelming. It’s almost enough to make you feel patriotic. Almost.
Cadillac
The CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series will be sold in the U.S. and Canada with production scheduled to begin soon. Since there are only 26 units available and no mention of price, you probably won’t be able to get your hands on one even if you could afford it. Neat car, though.
