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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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