What did you cross shop?

[Mattmiller1973]

Hi there, Matt Miller here from Bloomberg TV and Radio. I recently drove a CT4 Blackwing and was blown away by the experience. The power, handling, quality and elegance just seem to be on another level and I imagine the CT5 Blackwing is even more of the same.

These cars, especially with the tremec manual transmission, seem to have very little competition. I mean there is no other V8 manual sedan in production anymore, that I know of. And the only competitors that I can imagine, if you’re willing to forego some of that experience and get an auto ‘box are the Germans.

I’m curious what Blackwing owners here cross shopped, if anything. Just M cars?

 

[Roadhawk]

Hi Matt. I favor smaller lighter performance MT cars and the CT4 V BW is right on the edge WRT size & weight for me (but these modern cars are most all that). It is everything you've said though - a superb performer in all respects. The first time I ever drove one was when I picked it up in Atlanta to drive it back to DC. I was immediately comfortable with the car and think I made the right choice. After reading about the car and watching pretty much every video review on You Tube I was convinced that this was the car to get without even needing to drive it (glad it turned out to be so). I was also familiar with (& respectful of) the ATS-V....though for some reason it wasn't on my radar for a purchase.

Several years ago I was thinking our next car was going to be a Caymen/Boxster or possibly even a Miata or Fiat Abarth Fiata but my wife made it clear she wanted a sedan. I've long been enamored with the Audi RS3 as well as the BMW M2 - so these were the cars I've been seriously considering. If the RS3 came with a manual thats probably what I'd be driving right now. But more recently I've been telling folks that an M2 Comp was probably our next car - as it came in a manual. M3/M4 just too large and heavy for me. Anyway not smitten with the latest M2 and BMWs in general have lost their edge quite a bit. We still own and drive a 2004 BMW 330i ZHP and love it.

The 4 V BW really does it all. My wife loves it (comfortable and not too noisy)...it handles great, performs well, is well appointed and the clutch.shifter/gearbox is outstanding. Its really a better choice for a true driving enthusiast IMO - even over the RS3 or the M2 (or other M cars).

A case could be made IMO for the Integra S....but 4 cyl & FWD make it less appealing (otherwise a fine choice). Same might be said for the STI/WRX....though AWD > FWD. I might also consider a Golf R - but I already still own and drive a (heavily modded) MK VI GTI (great car) and wanted something different and maybe a bit more upscale (though am a big fan of hatchback/wagons). None of the other American muscle cars (incl the 5 BW & Camaro) appeal to me due to size & weight and other factors - for Camaro & Mustang outward visibility and interiors also an issue. So yeah 4 v BW...aren't we the lucky (& perceptive) ones...

 

[Roadhawk]

I also have contemplated the possibility of an Alpha Romeo....but not seriously (can't say exactly why....but they do check most of the boxes)...also Jaguar F type for various reasons....but a bit big and heavy for my tastes....still would be fun.

4 V BW is the first American car I've ever bought.

We do still own (and drive on special occasions) an old Mustang ( 64 1/2 vert)...but that was inherited/passed down...

 

[Mattmiller1973]

Is it difficult to get a BW car? Are there long wait times? Dealers jostling for allocation?

 

[LF4472]

My original target was a non-Blackwing CT5-V and my main comparison was a TLX Type S. I couldn't get an allocation for the 5V, found a 4BW matching my desired color combination and some of the considerations pushing me to the 5V changed. So, I paid the extra money to move up the performance class.

 

[GTANotch88]

Personally I didn't really cross shop my 5bw. I had previous Cadillacs and other Gm cars. One car being a V1 CTS-V. I knew I wanted v8, manual, backseat, and a new car warranty. I liked the C8 vettes but no manual and no backseat wouldn't work for me. Next up was a zl1 camaro. I had a '14 camaro and knew the backseat was tight but "ok". After talking to 6th gen camaro owners, it became clear the rear seats were even more useless. So that only left the 5bw.

 

[BW56M]

I had a 2019 Shelby GT350, so there was nothing left for me to cross shop, if I wanted a V-8 manual. No offense to the 4BW owners, but I would have kept my GT350 had I not landed my 5BW.

 

[ernsteeng]

The only other car I considered was a new Acura Integra. But then it didn't do much for me so I passed. When shopping I was only looking to replace my 4 door 6MT car with another one. If I hadn't found a good manual transmission car with 4 doors, I would have kept my bmw.

 

[vagabond]

My backup plans were: New BMW M5, New BMW M5CS, New or Used 6.2L GMC Sierra Crew Cab +Supercharger, New or Used Bentley Bentayga (preferably hybrid), in that order.

For 1.5 years I had a CT5-V Blackwing order in at two dealerships while staying consistent watching in-transit flow from cadillac.com to dealers and calling when spec'd close.. Finally nailed it December 2023, bought it while it was in transit, and drove it from Miami, FL back to the Pacific Northwest w/ my dad in early January 2024.

There were others cross-shopped but less seriously: Tesla Model S Plaid, Tesla Model X Plaid, Early 2010s GMC Yukon or Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Chevrolet SS (used), 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle, Porsche Macan, BMW M8 Convertible, Porsche 911 Turbo S, Cadillac CT4 Blackwing, used McLaren (didn't fit), used Lamborghini (didn't fit).

 

[Roadhawk]

I'm getting the real impression that many members here are real performance car enthusiasts...and like fast cars (I at least fit in in that regard). That being said SUVs have never done it for me. I can see them making sense for some folks for a variety of reasons...but I probably would just get in trouble for driving over shit if I owned one...and otherwise don;t excite me or interest me at all. But whatever....

A very good friend of my wife...from Puerto Rico...married (& divorced) this (same) guy 3 times. Anyway...we got along. He had some wicked performance cars...a heavily boosted 1994? Toyota Supra (fastest car I've ever driven) and was a old time Grand National street racer...where 10 years ago when he was probably in his 60 or 70s I watched "kids" in PR swarming him to get autographs...he was still taking us out to see street races. Anyway - fastest and most insane driver I've ever been in a car with....watched him drive multiple cars off the road at various times and do crazy things.

Anyway - we were out once in his big SUV (can't even remember what kind) going to a town party/carnival (they have them all over and all the time) that was way popular. Big back up to get in. he just floors it down the oncoming lane - driving several cars off the road...pulls back in right in front of the cop directing traffic....who sends us over into another back up of cars trying to park. He just drove it up and over the curb, parking curbs and what not and into a spot. Whole thing blew me away...but I knew him and kind of what to expect. Anyway...I would probably kind of be like that with an SUV. One of the reasons I stay away/ But otherwise not much interested.

 

[rubberduck]

He just drove it up and over the curb, parking curbs and what not and into a spot. Whole thing blew me away...but I knew him and kind of what to expect. Anyway...I would probably kind of be like that with an SUV. One of the reasons I stay away/ But otherwise not much interested.

I think that is a character issue with him and you don’t seem like the kind of person that would do that. I’ve had 4x4 trucks a good portion of my driving life and rarely find it necessary to jump curbs. I’ve had my Jeep on 37s now for 10 years and can’t even remember the last time I went over a curb if ever. Perhaps it’s because I learned to drive in a 1977 Blazer (the full size one, not the later abomination). Just like I don’t consider the street a race track I also don’t think of it as an off-road course. Although I have to admit, when I was younger I had a need for speed issue on the street. To the point that I now believe it was not in the best interest of the citizenry.

Back on topic, I was shopping for an S580, but something didn’t seem right about that idea and one night in January 2022 I stumbled upon a bunch of 5BW videos and the next day I started calling dealers around me. I immediately knew this was the car I had been looking for. There was no need to look any further.

 

[Roadhawk]

True he had issues,...still the curbs would be tempting...

Like you, once I came across BW videos (just last year) I was immediately intrigued and it wasn't long before I was telling the wife that a 4 V BW was going to be our next car.

 

[rubberduck]

True he had issues,...still the curbs would be tempting...

Yea, but where do you draw the line? How about driving over someone's front yard, bushes, shrubs, flowers, sidewalk. I've done all those things, in a car! No need for an SUV to do that. In high school I took my 1972 Camaro into the washes in Arizona and had to get towed out several times. The car would have 6" of sand inside and it's a wonder the brake pedal didn't get jammed up.

We have a large proportion of trucks in Arizona and I rarely see anyone drive over curbs. Your friend is just a lunatic or thinks he's still a teenager, and don't let it rub off on you.

 

[Mattmiller1973]

Amazing stories all, thanks so much! I can’t wait to get in a BW5 after loving the BW4 so much — if you’re interested, I have a podcast where I talk about these things, and tomorrow’s episode will touch on the BW: Hot Pursuit! - Bloomberg

Also, as an aside, I drive SUV’s and trucks as well — got a 6.2l Raptor in 2014 and a G500 in 2020 — and I drive over all curbs all the time. Makes parking lot travel time way shorter and gets me the best spots

 

[rubberduck]

Amazing stories all, thanks so much! I can’t wait to get in a BW5 after loving the BW4 so much — if you’re interested, I have a podcast where I talk about these things, and tomorrow’s episode will touch on the BW: Hot Pursuit! - Bloomberg

Also, as an aside, I drive SUV’s and trucks as well — got a 6.2l Raptor in 2014 and a G500 in 2020 — and I drive over all curbs all the time. Makes parking lot travel time way shorter and gets me the best spots

You should come out to Arizona some time and try some rock crawling instead of mall crawling.

 

[Roadhawk]

Amazing stories all, thanks so much! I can’t wait to get in a BW5 after loving the BW4 so much — if you’re interested, I have a podcast where I talk about these things, and tomorrow’s episode will touch on the BW: Hot Pursuit! - Bloomberg

Also, as an aside, I drive SUV’s and trucks as well — got a 6.2l Raptor in 2014 and a G500 in 2020 — and I drive over all curbs all the time. Makes parking lot travel time way shorter and gets me the best spots

I'll make sure to check it out.

 

[Roadhawk]

Yea, but where do you draw the line? How about driving over someone's front yard, bushes, shrubs, flowers, sidewalk. I've done all those things, in a car! No need for an SUV to do that. In high school I took my 1972 Camaro into the washes in Arizona and had to get towed out several times. The car would have 6" of sand inside and it's a wonder the brake pedal didn't get jammed up.

We have a large proportion of trucks in Arizona and I rarely see anyone drive over curbs. Your friend is just a lunatic or thinks he's still a teenager, and don't let it rub off on you.

Yes he is (was?) a lunatic...in a bunch of ways...but he had some nice cars - modded, classic (old 1960s era Corvette), fast bikes and very fast boats (understatement)...He was a well known street & fast boat racer on the Island...and never grew up...but my wife's friend was right to divorce him that one final last time.

A ways back I had a friend who also rode over folk's lawns and such...I once had to wrestle the steering wheel away from him to avoid hitting someone's dog. The two of us once drove our cars down train tracks over a high bridge right into and through a tunnel.....train came through right after....would have been toast. We also used to take our cars on mini bike trails....totally nuts stuff we did back in the day...glad I survived...

When I lived in California (1980s) used to take my 1981 Toyota Starlet off road in the desert and mountains. Once passed a dune buggy in the sand with it - going 70 mph...boy was he shocked. In 1986 I drove along the 3 Sisters mountain pass in Oregon through deep snow (me & the trucks & SUVs) and only had to turn around where they all did - impassable wall of snow. So yeah - never had an SUV - but have lots of offroading experience - lol....our cars now all ride too low for that though...