Wife surprised me with a CT5-V

[Kadorja]

Hello. I'm coming from a C6 Corvette I had a few years ago and 1980 Vette I had a few years before that. I currently daily drive a highly modified 2015 WRX and the wife has a 21 Blazer. Long story short my wife surprised me with a 21 CT5-V that has mostly all the packages and features. I've always loved the look of the CTS-Vs and actually started looking around at those and the ATS-Vs. My research led me to the CT4 and CT5-Vs and luckily we had a few in our local area. I'm away for work right now so my wife test drove this one and said she would figure out prices and stuff just to see what I thought. Ended up in our garage later that night. I'm extremely excited to get home and drive it. I'm going to miss shifting gears in a manual transmission but I'm sure the seat massagers and automated parking will make up for it.

 

[AACaptRet]

Welcome and congratulations. Keep your wife and keep the BW. They are both winners.

 

[Rob]

Congrats and welcome!

 

[Roadhawk]

Congrats and enjoy!

Give us your impressions of the new ride once you've driven it. And You'll have to show us some pics of your other interesting cars and give some details on the WRX..

I sometimes rode in a co-workers late 1970s/early1980s era vette back in the 1980s and I have to say it felt like I was riding on a board right on the pavement. I wasn't used to harder suspensions back then but it was otherwise great fun. You'll find the ride in the CT 5 V firm but much cushier than your probably used to (certainly compared to the WRX).

 

[Kadorja]

Congrats and enjoy!

Give us your impressions of the new ride once you've driven it. And You'll have to show us some pics of your other interesting cars and give some details on the WRX..

I sometimes rode in a co-workers late 1970s/early1980s era vette back in the 1980s and I have to say it felt like I was riding on a board right on the pavement. I wasn't used to harder suspensions back then but it was otherwise great fun. You'll find the ride in the CT 5 V firm but much cushier than your probably used to (certainly compared to the WRX).

Unfortunately it's going to be a few months before I get to drive it. I can't exactly say what I've been doing but it has been on the news very recently.

My 80s Vette was interesting for sure. I had chrome hooker headers and sidepipes but it only made 190hp when it was brand new so I'm sure it was struggling to make anything near 160hp at that point. Plus the 3 speed automatic was terrible for a daily driver. Loved the looks it got though. Had enough torque to get me in trouble a few times.

The WRX has a 2" lift and a bigger turbo kit. Made 440whp about 80k miles or so ago when I last had it dyno'd. Engine has held up great so far (surprising since it's near double the stock HP) but 3rd gear gave up once around 30k miles. I had to drive it to work for about 3 days with pieces bouncing around in the transmission. It's a fun daily that surprises people but it makes absolutely no torque until around 4k rpm so it's either a dog from a stoplight or I have to use launch control to make up for it. It's a 3"' exhaust all the way to a double resonated muffler system but I do have an exhaust cutout under the car as well. It's fairly quiet when it's closed but nice and loud when it's open.

 

[Roadhawk]

I get it what your doing (and why you likely won't b home to drive the car for a while). Though I'm retired nearly 10 years now I try to keep up. I used to work for the Director of Operations in the Joint Staff and served (as a civilian) for a few years on the Chairman's battlestaff.

WRT to the vette - its amazing how what we considered to be fast powerful cars back in the day look pretty tepid these days in the world of super high horsepower cars. I'm sure it was a fun drive though and a nice car to own.

I almost bought a first gen WRX - big fan of small fast hatchbacks. I've been less enamored with some of the styling of the newer WRXs but still love the engine/performance for what they are. I do really like the looks and styling of your gen WRX -0 always loved that spoiler and with nice wheels and such they look great and would be great fun.

CTV-5 will be a whole different beast. I think you'll really like the interior - comfort and tasteful purposeful tech.

Take care over there....thanks for your service....do us proud!

 

[Roadhawk]

I have over100K since our GTI has been Stage 3 with the big turbo - with nearly double the original hp & tq (and lots of other mods) still going strong with few if any real issues...and I drive it very hard.

 

[Kadorja]

I get it what your doing (and why you likely won't b home to drive the car for a while). Though I'm retired nearly 10 years now I try to keep up. I used to work for the Director of Operations in the Joint Staff and served (as a civilian) for a few years on the Chairman's battlestaff.

WRT to the vette - its amazing how what we considered to be fast powerful cars back in the day look pretty tepid these days in the world of super high horsepower cars. I'm sure it was a fun drive though and a nice car to own.

I almost bought a first gen WRX - big fan of small fast hatchbacks. I've been less enamored with some of the styling of the newer WRXs but still love the engine/performance for what they are. I do really like the looks and styling of your gen WRX -0 always loved that spoiler and with nice wheels and such they look great and would be great fun.

CTV-5 will be a whole different beast. I think you'll really like the interior - comfort and tasteful purposeful tech.

Take care over there....thanks for your service....do us proud!

It's been interesting here to say the least. Starting to become groundhog day though at this point and I'm ready for a change.

I dumped a ton of money into my C6. Built motor, cam, full exhaust and a procharger. Unfortunately either the engine builder wasn't the best or the tuner wasn't the best and it always kept having issues. It was a fun car but eventually I hated all the money I had dumped in to it and it became more of a weekend toy and eventually a car I didn't even want to touch so I parted it out and sold it. I'm hoping the Cadillac brings back a little of that enjoyment. I know it's no Blackwing but is still has those familiar features my Vette had. Plus there's always the option of a tune down the road after the extended warranty expires... just a little extra boost wouldn't hurt lol.

The WRX was a fun daily driver. I fell in love with the 05-06 style STI's. I actually went shopping around one day for a truck to tow my motorcycle with but none really fit the bill. Test drove a ecodiesel Jeep and then randomly decided to check out Subarus again. I honestly think tuning it with a big turbo helped the longevity of it. The stock turbo is a small twin scroll setup so they made a ton of boost down low but the connecting rods were thin and had an odd angle to them and people snapped them left and right. Moving the torque away from the low end and forcing me to have to downshift for power helped out. I just hate the open differentials and sloppy shifter.

I'm excited for a luxury car. The nicest I've had was the Vette with the HUD and memory seats. It sort of gave me a back massage with the cam that it had in it. I am disappointed that the CT5-V limits the rpm's to 3k in park and neutral though. I think I got the PTM and driving modes figured out. Similar to the Vette with TCS off, on and competitive driving mode. With the time left I have floating around here I might have the manual memorized by the time I drive the car lol.

I appreciate you and what you have done as well.

 

[Roadhawk]

It may take me years to figure out this new car(first GM ever and new American car and first new car I've bought in over 10 years)...and I'm old and slow now...lol

Our Audi was a maintenance nightmare though my shop did great work and I can't complain about any of the upgrades. I pretty much researched and specked everything I wanted done to it...same with my little beast - the GTI,,,that I still own. I too think the bigger turbo has been better for the car - less strain for most driving...of course I get on it quite a bit,

I bet the WRX is great fun...nice to improve its top end....seems thats where they were lacking stock The big turbo in my GTI has a huge torque punch down low but really gets going up top.Its not a huge BT but larger than stock and bigger than a KO4...so turbo lag is slight which I prefer.

The CT4v BW has almost unnoticeable turbo lag....its there but not so much - very linear...just feels like a V8 pretty much. In some ways I wish they would have gone small block V8 with this car....but the turbo V6 actually has more ultimate (easier) potential.

CT5V has same tunable engine as the 4 BW...its capable of much more power and you already get that. Like you I am in no hurry (though I want want want)...but I'll be patient.

You couldn't begin to imagine all the things I have done work wise. Though a civilian I was pretty much always at war or in a state of it. It was real. Not like what your doing though...I was never going to be shot at...and if I ever took a shot...per se...well...no one would want that. Mostly what I did was assessment and certification....of 4 stars and their battlestaffs...through role playing wargamming that I developed with my team.

 

[BimmerFan]

Unfortunately it's going to be a few months before I get to drive it. I can't exactly say what I've been doing but it has been on the news very recently.

Well, all I can add to this is congratulations, and be careful! Kudos to the wife, she done good! Maybe if you're lucky, she'll put some break-in miles on it for you, so that it's ready to go when you get home.

FWIW I test drove a WRX a couple of years ago, it's a fun little monster, but it felt (to me) like the throttle was an on/off switch, and there really is no driving it slowly. And it was loud.

I had a C6 years ago and actually bought another one last month. It's really comfortable and surprisingly livable for a "sports car" but wow, the Cadillac is just sooooooooooooo much more refined, it's night and day.

That's the advantage of having a second car (like the WRX) so that if you start to get complacent about the CT5, you can drive the old rattle-trap and appreciate the BlackWing all over again.

 

[FLYARMY]

Yeah, I bought my wife a 2022 BW5 . I let her look at it. I wash and maintain it . I take her for rides in it. I told her that I would pay for all the gas and monthly payments too !!! She is so excited to own a Blackwing !