Finally Let the Stingray Go — Blackwing Now My Only Fun Car

[hawk02]

Figured I’d share this here since you guys might actually get it.

After 4.5 years with a 2021 C8 Stingray convertible, I finally let it go. Solid car — looked great, turned heads, and had its moments — but over time, it just didn’t excite me anymore unless the top was down and the weather was perfect.

The real deal-breaker? The DCT. Sure, it’s fast and smooth, but it never felt engaging. More like a high-speed appliance than a true driver’s car. The last six months I've been driving the Cadillac more and the Corvette less.

The CT5-V Blackwing, with the 6-speed, is just bout everything I want in a performance car. The torque, the sound, the feel — it’s raw when I want it to be, but still refined enough for a weekend trip without needing a chiropractor or noise-cancelling headphones. It feels like a real car enthusiast’s machine, not something designed by committee for lap times and YouTube clicks.

What’s been really funny is the reaction over on the Corvette forums. You’d think I committed treason. Apparently preferring a Cadillac over their beloved Vette is some kind of cardinal sin.

Anyway, just wanted to share with people who might appreciate the choice. The Blackwing stays. And so far I haven’t looked back.

 

[rubberduck]

Sinning has never been so much fun.

 

[ArgentWing]

Figured I’d share this here since you guys might actually get it.

After 4.5 years with a 2021 C8 Stingray convertible, I finally let it go. Solid car — looked great, turned heads, and had its moments — but over time, it just didn’t excite me anymore unless the top was down and the weather was perfect.

The real deal-breaker? The DCT. Sure, it’s fast and smooth, but it never felt engaging. More like a high-speed appliance than a true driver’s car. The last six months I've been driving the Cadillac more and the Corvette less.

The CT5-V Blackwing, with the 6-speed, is just bout everything I want in a performance car. The torque, the sound, the feel — it’s raw when I want it to be, but still refined enough for a weekend trip without needing a chiropractor or noise-cancelling headphones. It feels like a real car enthusiast’s machine, not something designed by committee for lap times and YouTube clicks.

What’s been really funny is the reaction over on the Corvette forums. You’d think I committed treason. Apparently preferring a Cadillac over their beloved Vette is some kind of cardinal sin.

Anyway, just wanted to share with people who might appreciate the choice. The Blackwing stays. And so far I haven’t looked back.

Corvette guys are a breed unto themselves!

 

[hawk02]

Corvette guys are a breed unto themselves!

Yes they are. They have a hard time believing there may be better performance cars out there besides their enshrined Corvette.

 

[Sergio]

Yes they are. They have a hard time believing there may be better performance cars out there besides their enshrined Corvette.

It’s a cult

 

[BW56M]

I've had three C6 Corvettes. My GT350 was way more engaging than the Vets, let alone my 5BW. Just sayin!

 

[LF4472]

What’s been really funny is the reaction over on the Corvette forums.

Like, you know we can also read those forums, right? I'd say the response there has been overly positive, especially you called the C8 a fluff performance car. Maybe I have that viewpoint because I own a C7 Z06 that I have no intention of selling. If you wanted a Corvette that was more like your 5BW, you'd buy the same Corvette I did!

 

[Bald Guy]

I currently have both a c8 z06 and recently picked up the ct5 blackwing yesterday. I started out with a stingray. I feel both cars are good in their own way but the Corvette hands down gets so much more attention and the mid-engine performance and image is simply hard to compete with. I've been a Corvette owner for a good 2 years now along with experience with so many other cars and performance cars over the past 20 years.

Neither car is better but I can definitely see how some people can prefer the Corvette and some people can prefer the ct5 Black Wing. There's no wrong answer. If I had to pick one and could not pick both, I most likely would stick with a Corvette and hoping that I can get by with a two-seater.

The Corvette definitely gets more attention on the road and the ct5 blackwing is very much a sleeper. In that regard, there's plenty of advantages with a sleeper performance sedan and it has a ton of torque and a lot of power and it's also a luxury Cadillac Pinnacle brand. Again it's very difficult to say one vehicle is better than the other in this case. Owning both is a privilege and a miracle at the same time and we should all be grateful to own one or the other or even both if we are fortunate enough to.

* My opinions and sides could change as I experience more of the ownership of this vehicle over time and as I become more mature and older at the same time. Opening poster is definitely right that it has a lot of torque and a lot of power and it's definitely addicting and it has more of a kick than the stingray and more of a kick than probably the Z06 at least with the low end torque that the z06 does not have as much and it has that high RPM kick instead. We can see how the experience goes. The zr1 seems like a game changer though.

 

[hawk02]

I currently have both a c8 z06 and recently picked up the ct5 blackwing yesterday. I started out with a stingray. I feel both cars are good in their own way but the Corvette hands down gets so much more attention and the mid-engine performance and image is simply hard to compete with. I've been a Corvette owner for a good 2 years now along with experience with so many other cars and performance cars over the past 20 years.

Neither car is better but I can definitely see how some people can prefer the Corvette and some people can prefer the ct5 Black Wing. There's no wrong answer. If I had to pick one and could not pick both, I most likely would stick with a Corvette and hoping that I can get by with a two-seater.

The Corvette definitely gets more attention on the road and the ct5 blackwing is very much a sleeper. In that regard, there's plenty of advantages with a sleeper performance sedan and it has a ton of torque and a lot of power and it's also a luxury Cadillac Pinnacle brand. Again it's very difficult to say one vehicle is better than the other in this case. Owning both is a privilege and a miracle at the same time and we should all be grateful to own one or the other or even both if we are fortunate enough to.

* My opinions and sides could change as I experience more of the ownership of this vehicle over time and as I become more mature and older at the same time. Opening poster is definitely right that it has a lot of torque and a lot of power and it's definitely addicting and it has more of a kick than the stingray and more of a kick than probably the Z06 at least with the low end torque that the z06 does not have as much and it has that high RPM kick instead. We can see how the experience goes. The zr1 seems like a game changer though.

I think you did a good job of describing each vehicle.

My C8 was a lot of fun when I got it in 2021 because very few people owned one or had even seen a mid-engine Corvette. It was rather special back then to have one. But now that we’re almost into year seven of production, Stingrays—and even Z06s—are no longer rare. You see them at every turn.

My Blackwing is now the rare vehicle. There aren’t many in my area, and most people at a car show or cruise-in have no idea that it’s a Cadillac when they first see it—let alone that it makes almost 700 HP. I like that. It provokes a lot of conversation with people.

My C8 had become just another one of the 200,000 produced. Add in the homogenized driving experience, and the car had lost a lot of its initial luster for me.

As far as the C8 ZR1 and ZR1x go, there’s no question they are engineering marvels. To make that much power from a 5.5-liter small block is damn impressive. The problem with both is the price—especially when dealers tack on their market adjustment garbage. The Corvette used to be the sports car that the average Joe could one day afford. With the ZR1, the Corvette now enters Porsche and McLaren territory when it comes to price. For the majority of us, both cars are simply out of reach.

 

[Bald Guy]

^ those are all very good points. I personally think the high volume vehicles are the best even if it's the Corvette and I don't mind blending in to a high volume of owners which is probably a good thing in a way because there's more parts availability and more support from the manufacturer and dealerships.

I'm pretty upset that the zr1 is so expensive as well. I'm also damn surprised and shocked that I got into a z06 in the first place and it was hard enough to get into a stingray. Even the Black Wing at $100,000 is crazy money but that's just my opinion. Sometimes I feel that I should just stick to playing video game racing car stuff.

 

[ngoni]

After 4.5 years with a 2021 C8 Stingray convertible, I finally let it go. Solid car — looked great, turned heads, and had its moments — but over time, it just didn’t excite me anymore unless the top was down and the weather was perfect..

What’s been really funny is the reaction over on the Corvette forums. You’d think I committed treason. Apparently preferring a Cadillac over their beloved Vette is some kind of cardinal sin.

Well at least now you won't be forced to wear jorts and white New Balance sneakers. You can diversify your wardrobe again.

 

[Bald Guy]

Well at least now you won't be forced to wear jorts and white New Balance sneakers. You can diversify your wardrobe again.

 

[leres]

Yes they are. They have a hard time believing there may be better performance cars out there besides their enshrined Corvette.

Five weeks ago I had a 2007 C6 Z06 and a 2014 CTS-V which I referred to as "my slow car."

Today I have a 2025 CTS-V Blackwing and a 2007 C6 Z06 which is my new "slow car."

1173 HP garage!

[edit: yes, I need to update my profile picture; working on it]

 

[FLYARMY]

WOW ! C8's are THAT old already !
When are the C9's coming ?