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MT Buyers Only: If MT was not available, would you still buy a Blackwing?

If a manual wasn't offered, would you still get/have gotten a Blackwing?


  • Total voters
    136

white98ls

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This question is only for those who are getting an MT. If an MT wasn't offered, would you still get a Blackwing or something else?

Depending on the results, this ought to send a message to Cadillac that they did the right thing by going through the trouble to offer a manual, as you can likely see from the take rates.
 
To answer my own poll, I probably still would. I had been set on a used '18-20 E63S Wagon. When I saw the manual was back for the 5BW plus the glowing reviews, I was sold. I've owned only manuals my whole life, and it takes a lot to give that up.

If not for the manual, it would be a tough call between the Merc wagon and an auto 5BW. The Merc has a more luxurious interior, is immensely practical, is just super cool as a 600+hp wagon that can hit 60 in 3.0, and I personally love the looks.

On the other hand, although I haven't driven a 5BW yet, pretty safe to say it has a substantially better ride, more physical controls which are a huge plus, and generally more useful vs. flashy features and options (dash cam/magnetic ride/wireless charging+CarPlay/Android Auto vs. adjustable mood lighting/cabin fragrance/soft-close doors). Combine this with the reliability of a new w/warranty GM small-block vs. 30-50k-mile, 3-5yr-old Mercedes hot-V with air suspension and I'd probably lean Blackwing.
 
I voted no. There's better out there if you want an auto, especially with 2023 prices. I'd might reconsider (on the 4BW) if the upgraded interior was standard.
Just curious, what would you get? Agree there are enticing options if you're not limited to 4 doors or seats, but among sedans it's pretty hard to beat a 4BW at ~$70k. I just saw Motor Trend's test of a Merc C300 which rang in at $63k for their tester :LOL:
 
Just curious, what would you get? Agree there are enticing options if you're not limited to 4 doors or seats, but among sedans it's pretty hard to beat a 4BW at ~$70k. I just saw Motor Trend's test of a Merc C300 which rang in at $63k for their tester :LOL:
It's not much of a 4 seater, my niece had no room in her car seat and my mom's knees were in the dashboard. My mom is 5'3" .. It's a unique position because GM wanted it to be that way to compare it to the M3 when it should really be compared to an M2. That being said, I'd still choose an M2 Competition over it.

If I actually needed a sedan and needed a usable rear seat I'd not be buying a new performance sedan. A used M550i xDrive looks real good from where I'm sitting
 
Easiest question I've heard all week, maybe all year. Definitely not. I wouldn't have even glanced at the BW without a manual.

I wasn't looking for a fast 4-door sedan, I was looking for "fun cars, with manual transmissions." While we can still get them. Where "fun" can be defined very broadly. Maybe a Mach 1, maybe a BRZ, there aren't that many others.

Would love to have considered a Beaver Motoren Werke, maybe an M3, but sadly I've already hit my lifetime maximum number of BMWs (one). One can only handle so many "check engine" lights in a lifetime, and the BMW manual transmissions are nothing special.
 
I voted "definitely not," but if they offered a DCT comparable to what's in the C8 along with (or in leu of) the 10-speed auto...

Outside of racing sims, I've never driven a DCT car and it's definitely on by bucket list. A Z06 powered Super Caddy with a DCT? Sounds like a great way to pop that particular cherry.
 
Coming from an (automatic) Chevy SS... probably not.
The manual 5BW marked an opportunity to go from one rare future collectable to a different rare future collectable, but this time with a manual :)
If I had a manual SS, I probably wouldn't have even bothered at all.

Maybe would have picked up a 4BW auto? I could have done that and still kept the SS
 
I voted "definitely not," but if they offered a DCT comparable to what's in the C8 along with (or in leu of) the 10-speed auto...

Outside of racing sims, I've never driven a DCT car and it's definitely on by bucket list. A Z06 powered Super Caddy with a DCT? Sounds like a great way to pop that particular cherry.
I could definitely do the car in a DCT if no manual was offered. No matter how good a traditional automatic feels, it doesn't compare to manual or DCT.

Yes the DCT is expensive if it breaks but these aren't exactly econo-cars
 
I don't think these cars would have gotten nearly the press and attention they did without a manual option and also a name change.

Reviews would have been along the same lines of the v3 CTS V, great chassis, no AWD so not as quick as the competition, interior not as good as competition (especially with the decontenting compared to the CTS V)

But with the name change to Blackwing and the return of the manual, the hype got amped up to insane levels.

I don't have an auto BW and never driven one, but if it feels the same as the 10 speed in the 6th gen Camaro, then it's no match for that 8 speed ZF in the M cars.

In my wife's x3m comp, that 8 speed always does exactly what you want. In manual mode in the fastest setting there is no delay on downshifts and nearly none on up shifts.
 
No. I'd own a M3 instead.

This.

Or...if I prioritized a midsize V8 but could only have an auto, I'd opt for an M550xi
 
I would have probably just kept my 2020 CT5-V if it was not for the manual, lol.. You guys are killing me with this manual trans thing... IMHO its a great car period.... I have never owned a high end euro car but I'm around a lot go guys that have and they have a lot of problems with them and why I was afraid to ever purchase one...
 
I think the manual is what really enticed me to the 4BW. If it's auto, then my other option is an RS3. I've sat in both a 2022 CT4-V and 2022 S3, and I think they both are similar size and adequate rear seat when I sat in them. I'm 5-11 so average size. I like the Cadillac interior better especially with the gray contrast option, and there is no comparison between a manual shifter console and that metal switch on the Audi. But the Audi is faster, less expensive in my build, and gets better mileage. So to me it's a tossup, but both are a waiting game. I still overall prefer the 4BW/MT even at about $5k more MSRP.
 
I voted 'definitely not'. Although a great car is more than the sum of its individual parts, in the BW it's an essential part of the recipe for me. The manual makes the car engaging to drive, on top of the raw performance.

Auto only, for similar money I would go for the M3 Comp X-Drive - that car suits an auto perfectly. It's ugly as sin but for performance, it's hard to beat. A high-tech tour-de-force, it will smoke a 5BW in the 0-60 if that's your thing, and requires little from the driver to extract its amazing performance. Even on a technical road course (I drove one at a BMW Track Days event) I could see a poor driver in the M3 edging out an average driver in a Blackwing.

I did actually have one on order (a 50 Jahre edition) but after thinking it over, I felt like the tactile/fun experience of the manual in the Blackwing would be less likely to leave me bored a couple years down the line, once the novelty of the performance fades.
 
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I voted 'definitely not'. Although a great car is more than the sum of its individual parts, in the BW it's an essential part of the recipe for me. The manual makes the car engaging to drive, on top of the raw performance.

Auto only, for similar money I would go for the M3 Comp X-Drive - that car suits an auto perfectly. It's ugly as sin but for performance, it's hard to beat. A high-tech tour-de-force, it will smoke a 5BW in the 0-60 if that's your thing, and requires little from the driver to extract its amazing performance. Even on a technical road course (I drove one at a BMW Track Days event) I could see a poor driver in the M3 edging out an average driver in a Blackwing.

I did actually have one on order (a 50 Jahre edition) but after thinking it over, I felt like the tactile/fun experience of the manual in the Blackwing would be less likely to leave me bored a couple years down the line, once the novelty of the performance fades.


Yeah for me if the 5BW order didn't come in I would have gone M3 comp x drive too. I was talking to a dealer about ordering one at MSRP expecting my BW order to go nowhere forever, but before I got a chance to I got my BW order picked up about 1 month after placing it. I then placed an order for an X3m comp for my wife instead (she absolutely insisted on SUV unfortunately).

I'd be super interested in the upcoming M3CS. BMW has shown that the CS models are the ones they really care about (M2CS M5CS). The S58 engine is a riot and the 8 speed ZF and AWD combo is killer.
 
Definitely not camp here. Would be RS3 or Elantra N otherwise. M3 is too big (4BW is max size for me) and 'too easy' and getting into the 90s for a well spec'd one doesn't help either.
 
Nope, the enticing thing to me is that a manual is offered with a supercharged V8 in a luxury sedan. The last of its kind, the swan song.

If it was auto only like the prior CTS-V, I'd still think the car was great but I wouldn't buy one. Actually it would make my life easier, I wouldn't be trying to figure out which car to sell to get the Blackwing, I'd just keep what I have.

I'm more dissatisfied that it took them this long to bring the manual back. Its sad when you can't buy a new Corvette with 3 pedals but you can go buy TWO Cadillac sedans with them.
 

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