Cadillac Explains Why The Blackwing Sedans Don't Have AWD

The engineer behind the Cadillac V-Series models has spoken.

Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing

Jacob Oliva

By: Jacob Oliva

Feb 20, 2021 at 10:44am ET

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The BMW M5 and Mercedes-AMG E63 S. Both German performance sedans come with all-wheel drivetrains. Looking to the west, however, Cadillac's contenders in the hot four-door category, the CT5-V Blackwing and the smaller CT4-V Blackwing, remain faithful to the rear-wheel-drive formula. But why?

In an interview with Cadillac Society, Cadillac's performance variants manager Mirza Grebovic shared some answers for those who have been wondering. Of note, Grebovic has the engineering responsibility not only for the new Blackwing models but for the rest of the V-Series models as well.

Gallery: 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

According to Grebovic, the decision to stay rear-wheel driven came from his team's desire to keep the Blackwing models drivers' cars. He cited that the Cadillac V-Series was born from motorsports, with the Cadillac brand not having any motorsports application with all-wheel-drive.

Then, there's the obvious. Grebovic naturally mentioned the weight penalty of having to drive all four wheels, along with the cost, complexity, and engineering challenges. With the amount of power that the Blackwing models produce, he said that his team wanted to celebrate "the art of driving."

That last bit was referred to by Grebovic as driving in good, dry weather, on the track or on canyon roads.

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With that said, Grebovic isn’t telling you that you can't drive the Blackwings on snow. With cautious driving partnered with the right winter tires, plus a heightened common sense of not pushing the car to the limit on precarious conditions, you can and you will.

Then again, the lack of an all-wheel drivetrain doesn't seem to bother the first 500 owners of the CT5-V Blackwing and CT4-V Blackwing. The limited 250 units of each model were sold out quickly at the time of launch.