Shopping for CT4VBW as a DD/Track car (Maryland)

[JustAGuy]

Good morning all! New guy to the forums doing some research for a new-to-me daily driver/track car. I'm strongly considering a new or used CT4 Blackwing to replace 2 cars - my Q5 daily driver and my Mk5 Supra track car.

I've been doing track events for 20+ years in a bunch of different cars, I've done around 20 LeMons races, and I just completed my 4th One Lap of America in the Supra last week. The Supra is a brilliant car, fantastic on track, but sits in the garage 99% of the time. It's probably time for me to grow up and trim down to 1 car. :-D

I'm shopping the 4 Blackwing against the M3, S4, RS3, and a couple of other options that would be dual-purpose capable for my use case and will be posting some questions in the technical forums. I'll be heading to a local dealer this Saturday for a test drive.

 

[Roadhawk]

Aside from my Spring Mountain session (that is included when you buy a new BW) I've never been on track. It seemed very good to me on track - fast, stable and predictable and quite fun. From all the reviews and from all Cadillac has done with this car to make it track worthy I would say its a fine option for the track.

I will say its a great street driving car. Its a comfortable daily and long distance driver and it performs very well when you want it too. Its very engaging for a modern car and handles its weight very well. It also has a superb Tremec shifter and the driving action is very natural and focused. I highly recommend this car for drivers who value the complete driving experience. I would take this car over all recent generations of M3, S4, RS3 etc for the quality of the 4 V BW chassis and RWD character, for the comfort and performance and great seats and controls etc in the car and well its an American car and one we can be proud of.

Others should weigh in WRT track capabilities...but I think they are very good for a car of this sort (performance sedan thats not a GT3/dedicated sports car or such), I don't think you can go wrong with it.

 

[Roadhawk]

And welcome to the forum BTW and good luck getting a test drive.

 

[JustAGuy]

And welcome to the forum BTW and good luck getting a test drive.

Thank you. I've had good luck getting to test drive other stuff in this price range, so I hope my luck continues.

 

[bloominguez]

Thank you. I've had good luck getting to test drive other stuff in this price range, so I hope my luck continues.

By the look on your face in your profile picture, I'm sure you can be very convincing.

 

[JustAGuy]

By the look on your face in your profile picture, I'm sure you can be very convincing.

Hee hee. Her name is Layla, and she generally gets whatever she wants.

 

[ngoni]

Consumables and repairs should be more reasonable on a GM car.

 

[Kawman]

Here, watch one perform on the track against comparable cars. This is basically a box stock class.

 

[JustAGuy]

Thanks for that. Heinricy in the 4BW is an absolute SCCA legend. T2 is indeed reasonably stockish, and a good measure of the production car.

I drove a 4BW at a local dealership yesterday, and I liked it. It was an "impact edition" that had a bunch of visual stuff that wasn't my style, but I wouldn't buy that car anyway...it's too early in the process to jump.

 

[Kawman]

You should be able to get that Impact Edition for $10K under MSRP.

A while ago Pepe Cadillac in White Plains NY was advertising one for $10K under MSRP.

If you like the color, grab it!

 

[Champale]

Heck one of the IMSA edition matte black ones sold for 25k under MSRP brand new last year at Sewell San Antonio. It was offered to someone I know at 20k off, they declined, but then it sold shortly thereafter at 25k off. My point is those "special" editions are literally just sticker jobs with huge MSRPs and no actual higher performance parts than can be ordered on "regular" 4BWs so a lot of people see right through that marketing stuff and won't pay the premium.

 

[Kawman]

Wow, if I knew of that car being 25 or even 20K below sticker I'd have bought it to store one while I thrash on the other.

I've got a Watkins Glen IMSA car. True there are no performance upgrades, but I wanted the carbon fiber options 1 and 2 but due to constraints it was not possible to get the carbon fiber on a regular car. Just that is $11K that I was willing to pay. The there's the heated, air conditioned, massaging carbon fiber seats for $6K. Point being the extra $20K for the IMSA edition cars is not a marketing ploy where you are paying more for nothing. You are getting $20K of additional options on those cars for the extra $20K price. And you know 15 years from now which ones will be more valuable, right? Just like manual shift cars don't sell well new, but it's what most people are looking for in the used car market.

And a Sebring car? That's something really special because there were only 99 made made in that color. Probably a thousand cars in the electric blue like the Watkins Glen car, perhaps 6 or 700 in Rift metallic like the Road Atlanta IMSA edition, but there's only 99 in matte black.

If you like the color and can get $10K off, jump on it. If you don't, someone else will.

 

[JustAGuy]

I know this is heresy, but i actually want the auto. The purist in me is disgusted, but as a DD in the DC area, I'm just not willing to row my own gears in traffic anymore. The Supra has spoiled me for an auto that does pretty much exactly what I tell it to do, RIGHT NOW. Even when I don't manually shift it on track, it rips off shifts FAST. I don't know if the 10spd is as good as the 8HP, but hardly any torque-converter auto is.

As for the Impact edition 4BW that I looked at, even if I was in the market today, I'd skip it. It's pricey enough that it's hard to justify over a lesser optioned car. I know I want the carbon package since it's actually functional, but since I can retrofit any BW with the carbon fiber splitter and canards from Tapout, it's hard to justify the $12K difference over a car with similar miles at another dealer. Most seem to have the rear spoiler already, regardless of option package.

If I could get a really strong deal on that Impact, and get all the goodies (it does have the heated/cooled/massaging carbon buckets) for a couple $k more than the lesser car, it's a much more compelling argument.

 

[Kawman]

I know the stick is not for everyone, my brother went with the automatic. But:

Auto is quicker in a drag race, but stick eats it on the track.
Do you know the stick has some kind of "anti stall" feature where you don't need to give it gas when letting the clutch out? Computer will give it what it needs to lightly engage clutch, like in traffic.
Do you know about the brake hold feature on a hill? Take your foot off the brake from a stop on a hill and the brake remains on just enough to hold you for a second or two until you release the clutch.
Standard has "No lift shift"
Standard has "Rev match down shift"
An engine built for a standard car has light weight titanium rods, while an engine built for an auto uses standard aluminum rods.
Resale will be better on a standard shift car.

An Impact Edition at $10K off is a much better deal than $2-3K off a regular Blackwing. Basically, you're getting the carbon fiber for free.
You really want to buy and install all those carbon fiber pieces? By the time your done, you're only saving a couple grand and you'll give it all back and more at resale.

The regular cars your seeing with a rear spoiler have the basic little plastic one that comes free. If you want functional downforce you want the big carbon fiber one.

Row, row, row your gears gently through your life. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.
Row, row, row your gears violently around the track ........

Aahh, has theft deterrence been mentioned. Standards are hardly ever stolen because most thieves can't drive standard.