New 2026 CT5 BW manual owner - observations and anecdotes

[Wingman]

Hey all - long time lurker, first time poster. Thank you everyone for all the info. Got my 2026 CT5 BW manual, Argent Silver, black rims, no carbon fiber, slick top, in October of 2025 through Sewell. Not as much of a goat rodeo as I was led to believe, so that was nice. I have two young kids and commute to work, so this is my daily driver, and my review perspective is coming from a early-40s jock dad-bro who's always loved cars. Currently putting 1200-1500 miles a month on the thing and loving every one of them. The smiles per gallon is extremely high. Previous car ownership includes several Honda Accords, Buick Regals, a Prius, a 2024 Ford Explorer ST, a 2017 Chevy SS manual, a 1998 Mustang Cobra Convertible manual, to name a few. This Blackwing is on another level and I could see myself putting some serious miles on it. Anyways, here are a few things I've noticed, some of which have been mentioned here, but hopefully helps those on the fence make a decision.

Current mods: glass black PPF roof only, aftermarket plush floor mats, IGLA, and 20% tints. Thinking about adding a 10in subwoofer.

Areas for improvement/things I noticed:

1. Turn signal click is weirdly far from the steering wheel. I have big hands so not a huge deal, but I noticed right away.
2. It would be nice to turn the daytime lights off perminately vs. needing to every time the car starts. I wish the daytime lights could be orange.
3. Volume knob/button to turn off stereo: bring it back.
4. Terrible turning radius
5. Why does the carbon fiber pack list the car with more ground clearance vs non-carbon fiber?
6. Would be great to have multiple "my mode" driving profiles
7. New 2026 software does not allow left side of the screen to be changed like previous models

Reasons to buy the car:

1. Insane power and driving experience, pure joy. The noises are... something else.
2. The transmission is incredible, and very easy to drive calmly. This is the most surprising aspect of the whole car.
3. Love the subtleness. It gets less attention than the Chevy SS, but when people know, they stare.
4. Has a fat ass to die for, looks incredible from the rear.
5. Two words: "cold start"
6. All the C&D, YouTube and other reviews are correct, it's incredible this car even exists.
7. Personally love the floor-anchored gas pedal.
8. Extremely high "cool factor"

I think that's it for now!

 

[nordique14]

Congrats on the manual slick top. Glad you got what you liked without having to go through the goat rodeo. Agree on the reasons to get the car. 5BW is a super fun car for grown ups.

Couple of answers/comments to your questions/comments:
- agreed on the turning radius of the car. It is terrible.
- from what I have gathered from various posts, the non-CF car has front tire deflectors while the CF1 package cars do not. At least for cars with CCB (not sure about iron brakes). The deflectors will reduce clearance in the front. The deflectors should be removed when tracking the car to improve air flow to the brakes.
- the V mode can also be customized. So you have My Mode and V Mode for customizable settings. Only My Mode is persistent. V mode will default back to Tour when restarting the car
- in my 2025 (same as 2026), the left side can be customized. Pick one of the infographics from the menu on the right by holding it to bring up the option to pin to the left side. You can only pin one item to the left.

 

[JLayer]

I asked the owner of venom drl what it would take to get a harness built for the ct4/5 platform for amber like he has for the GM trucks and Corvette. He said he would need about 50 people to consider the R&R to make them.

I posted on here about it and it didn't get much traction.

I would love amber drls but I think it's a long shot.

 

[Champale]

Congratulations on your new Blackwing! As much as you are enjoying it now, the more you drive it - slow, fast, whatever - the more you will love it. And I like your specs - both of my BWs (2024 5BW and 2026 4BW) are 6sp, slicktop, no CF cars.

Put some pictures up when you get a chance - I have placed an order for an Argent Silver 2026 5BW PP so I like seeing all the pictures of that color that I can!

 

[Exit_17]

So with you on the volume knob thing. Can't tell you how many times I've fumbled around for volume control and had to consciously think "oh sh**, it's only on the wheel." I came from Audis which automatically reduced the audio volume by 50-75% when it was put into reverse. Super underrated and thoughtful feature I wish our cars had.

I didn't want to believe the turning radius concerns, but yeah... it's like an ocean liner compared to even our Sienna and wifey's Infiniti SUV.

Small potatoes aside, it's 11/10, an incredible machine.

 

[xnifex]

I really wish there was some aftermarket volume knob