CT4-V It's not easy being green.

[nix6speed]

After a couple months of automotive ADHD trying to decide my next car picked up this enthusiast spec'd CT4 a few weeks ago. At the time of purchase in a nationwide search I only found two Blackwings in "Typhoon Metallic" with the other one being out of state and a black interior this lightly optioned gem (seats & exterior color) 300 miles away was a no brainer.

Test drove manual variants of the usual suspects including a C7 Grand Sport, FL5 CTR, G87 M2, MK5 Supra, and two CT4 Blackwings. If you asked me beforehand which one is my least likely choice it was definitely the Cadillac. Had to test drive another to be certain I wasn't losing my mind.

The good? Chassis, steering, brake, shifter, and clutch feel are all excellent. None of the usual numbness or artificial feel from DBW and EPS so many modern cars suffer from. Thick leather steering wheel. Simple screen. Climate control buttons. Motor and trans are proven bulletproof units. Analog oil dipstick. No annoying digital oil level check process. Looking at you BMW.

The bad? Tall gears. With a 3.73 final ratio expected more usability in higher gears. 3.90 would be nice. Backseat is acceptable for pets, children, or Lieutenant Dan but not all three simultaneously. 6500 RPM redline in a high performance TT V6 is on the low side. Rear windows lack auto up feature. You know what other car lacks this feature? A Dodge Neon.

There's some neat features for those choosing a manual transmission. Where the paddle shifters would be on autos you'll find coordinates for GM's proving grounds and technical center. Manuals have titanium connecting rods whereas autos have steel. No lift shift is a thing (DBW cheat code) as is line lock and launch control. Party on.

What's next? Spring Mountain on March 4th and 5th. Try out Big Bend Open Road Race in late April. Lowering springs and OEM aero bits are on the menu. Have a set of wheels waiting to go on. Need to get tires for them. Hopefully keeping this Caddy that zigs a while. Will update the thread as ownership progresses. Thanks for reading.

 

[Champale]

Such a great color combination - congratulations! Welcome to the wonderful world of Blackwings!

What wheels do you have for it?

 

[Melon]

I think there's quite a few of us who ran the gambit of similarly priced cars when making our decision to get the CT4. I've been a long BMW M car fan, and also looked at the C7 GS.

I never noticed the auto-up missing from the rear, mostly because no one is small enough to fit back there. I consider the back seat the same as it was in my Camaro. It's there for show, the doors only allow easier access to the leather lined storage area.

 

[Atemoya]

Congrats! My favorite color combo. Does the car have any options other than the brown interior?

 

[nix6speed]

Such a great color combination - congratulations! Welcome to the wonderful world of Blackwings!

What wheels do you have for it?

19" CCW Classics. Found a used set from an ATS-V and the seller happened to be local.

Congrats! My favorite color combo. Does the car have any options other than the brown interior?

Climate package. Uncertain if that's a requirement with these seats. Didn't want a sunroof. Window sticker.

I think there's quite a few of us who ran the gambit of similarly priced cars when making our decision to get the CT4. I've been a long BMW M car fan, and also looked at the C7 GS.

I never noticed the auto-up missing from the rear, mostly because no one is small enough to fit back there. I consider the back seat the same as it was in my Camaro. It's there for show, the doors only allow easier access to the leather lined storage area.

Definitely thought my next car would be a C7 GS or G87 M2. Test drove a 60k mile CT4 BW manual and 2k mile M2 manual back to back. CT4 is a better driver's car. Speed was not a factor in my decision plus the CT4 is plenty fast. Very happy with it. Other pics from meetup with my Supra buddy. WOT NOIS plate was from my C8Z.

And some AI slop for entertainment.

 

[Melon]

I looked at the AI slop and immediately knew you lived in Houston. Welcome man, I'm not too far from you in Baton Rouge.
Love the color combo.

Yes, the climate package is what give you the seats.

 

[Melon]

Interestingly enough, the final contenders for this purchase was the CT4 and the Integra Type-S.

 

[nix6speed]

Interestingly enough, the final contenders for this purchase was the CT4 and the Integra Type-S.

I had an Integra Type-S in the past too. Fantastic car! I think the CT4 does everything better but the price also reflects that. You can't go wrong with either. I don't care about features. Too many people whine about folding mirrors or cooled seats whatever. Just enjoy the car for what it is a driver's car with a little bit of luxury rather than a luxury car that's capable. Some pics of the ITS. Had the best vanity plate for it.

 

[Atemoya]

After a couple months of automotive ADHD trying to decide my next car picked up this enthusiast spec'd CT4 a few weeks ago. At the time of purchase in a nationwide search I only found two Blackwings in "Typhoon Metallic" with the other one being out of state and a black interior this lightly optioned gem (seats & exterior color) 300 miles away was a no brainer.

Rear windows lack auto up feature. You know what other car lacks this feature? A Dodge Neon.

I've been scouring websites for the car that you just bought. Not a single green. You must've snapped it up minutes after it went online. Was it private party or from a Cadillac dealer?
Regarding the bold part above, my 2024 Canyon Denali also does not have auto up. Only driver's side has both auto up and down. The rest only have auto down. My 2017 Acura MDX has all auto up/down. SMH. Though I must admit I rarely use that feature.

 

[nix6speed]

I've been scouring websites for the car that you just bought. Not a single green. You must've snapped it up minutes after it went online. Was it private party or from a Cadillac dealer?
Regarding the bold part above, my 2024 Canyon Denali also does not have auto up. Only driver's side has both auto up and down. The rest only have auto down. My 2017 Acura MDX has all auto up/down. SMH. Though I must admit I rarely use that feature.

I bought it from Sherman Chevrolet in North Texas almost to Oklahoma. Had maybe 100 miles on it from test drives. It was at an Arlington dealer before that. Sounded like both dealers didn't want it.

 

[Melon]

Your plate says it all. For the price point, I was in the realm of used F87 M2 Comps, an Integra Type-S was just a hard sell.

 

[DonD]

I never noticed the auto-up missing from the rear, mostly because no one is small enough to fit back there. I consider the back seat the same as it was in my Camaro. It's there for show, the doors only allow easier access to the leather lined storage area.

I'd disagree. I'm 6' 3 and can sit in the rear seats. Do I have any room to spare? No, just move the legs. Would I want to go on a long drive that way? Absolutely not but short trips are OK.

 

[Melon]

Agreed, I'm 6'2", it's possible, just not comfortable. I just wouldn't use it as an ideal four adult vehicle.

 

[Champale]

6'2" here and I did squeeze into the back seat for a quick drive and it was tolerable. But my 5BW is a limo in comparison.

Type S is a fantastic driver's car. Came close to buying one after a fairly brisk test drive when they first came out but realized I really wanted RWD after a couple of years with FK8 Type R. Ended up getting rid of the FK8 for my 5BW 6sp (and then got rid of my Evora 400 for a 4BW 6sp).

 

[Melon]

How do you do, fellow talls?

 

[Atemoya]

I bought it from Sherman Chevrolet in North Texas almost to Oklahoma. Had maybe 100 miles on it from test drives. It was at an Arlington dealer before that. Sounded like both dealers didn't want it.

What search engine did you use to find it?

 

[nix6speed]

How do you do, fellow talls?

I'm a measly 6' in comparison. I've sat in the backseat but not ridden. I agree on the not ideal for four adults. My buddy's 5'9" and rode in the backseat for a long trip with no complaints.

What search engine did you use to find it?

The usual Cargurus, cars.com, autotrader, and autotempest. Forget which one I found it on. Since it's no longer listed doubt you'd see it now. Just did green exterior and manual trans for filters.

 

[Melon]

I used Auto tempest to find mine. It came from Minneapolis, MN (Key Cadillac).

 

[Melon]

Also, OP, beautiful color combo and photos! Seriously, I need to do a pro photo shoot with my car.