The Chevrolet Camaro is dead. Long live the Camaro of Cadillacs.
The sixth-generation Camaro went out of production in December with no immediate successor in sight.
There have been rumors that the name is going to return on an electric sport sedan or — gasp! — SUV, but you can get your four-door Camaro fix right now. Sort of.
The 2024 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing shared its platform with the Camaro and was built alongside it.
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Despite being a four-door, it’s actually shorter in length with a shorter wheelbase than its coupe and convertible counterparts.
Instead of the Camaro’s naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 that cranked out 455 hp and 455 lb-ft of torque, the CT4-V Blackwing is powered by a 3.6-liter turbocharged V8 rated at 472 hp and 445 lb-ft. Call it six of one, a half-dozen of the other.
Brembo brakes, an adaptive Magnetic Ride Control suspension, Performance Traction Management system, aerodynamic enhancements and chassis stiffening all turn it into a legit road and track attack machine in the same vein as the BMW M3.
Like the M3 and the Camaro, for that matter, the CT4-V Blackwing comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission and a 10-speed automatic is available, but you can only get it with rear-wheel-drive.
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Prices start at $62,390 for the stick and $65,565 for the auto, while a fully loaded car tops out around $75,000. That’s right where the M3 starts before options and there’s nothing between the two sedans on performance. They deliver roughly the same power and speed, and I personally prefer the CT4-V Blackwing’s ride and handling, but just by a nose.
The CT4-V Blackwing can fly to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds with the 10-speed and 4.1 seconds if you do it yourself. Cadillac says the top speed is at least 189 mph.
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My test car was wearing Michelin Pilot Alpin snow tires, but the standard rubber is a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S run-flat summer tire comprised of three rubber compounds that was engineered specifically for the car.
Regardless, it took corners with perfect balance as the Performance Traction Management (PTM) system dished out the stability and traction with point-and-shoot, i.e., steer-and-slam-the-throttle precision.
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The level of PTM intervention can be dialed up via a knob on the steering wheel, which comes bundled in a $4,900 high performance seat option that also gets you heating, cooling, adjustable bolsters and a massage function. You can mix and match the suspension, brake feel, transmission, etc. and store it in a V Mode that’s accessed by a button on the other side of the wheel.
The throaty exhaust is on that list, and sounds hilarious when you crank it up all the way.
The snap, crackle and pop when you lift off the throttle will not be tolerated as you pull up to the country club, but those squares are just going to have to deal.
I wish I could say rear seat passengers will enjoy it as much as the driver, but being smaller than a Camaro means its a tight fit back there. I’m six foot one and its essentially a three-seater when I’m at the helm.
There was, of course, an even more powerful version of the Camaro with a 650 hp supercharged V8, but if you want the sedan version of that you’ll have to step up to the larger CT5-V Blackwing that is being updated for 2025.
Cadillac hasn’t yet said if the CT4-V Blackwing will be back next year, but it’s nice to see the Camaro’s spirit isn’t gone for good.
Check out our review in the video above and click here to subscribe to our YouTube channel for more.