Cadillac put everybody on notice earlier this month with the announcement of two new high-performance sedans for 2022, the CT5-V Blackwing and the CT4-V Blackwing, that would offer “ultimate track capability, zero compromise.”
Barrett-Jackson links up with Cadillac’s turbocharged twins by offering the first production examples in two back-to-back charity sales during its 50th anniversary Scottsdale auction scheduled for March 20-27 at WestWorld.
The sales of the CT5-V Blackwing VIN 001 and the CT4-V Blackwing VIN 001 will benefit Black Ambition, a PolicyLink non-profit initiative launched by singer Pharrell Williams that provides a bridge to success for Black and Latinx business startups in the fields of tech, design, healthcare and consumer products and services.
According to Cadillac, the new models push the needle up a notch in performance, the CT5-V Blackwing powered by a 6.2-liter twin-turbocharged, hand-built V8 capable of 668 horsepower, “making it the most powerful Cadillac ever built.” The CT4-V Blackwing features a 3.6-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine capable of 472 horsepower.
The zero-60 sprint times for these super sedans are 3.7 and 3.8 seconds, respectively. Notably, each of them will be available with 6-speed manual transmissions, which the GM luxury division says are expected to be the last Cadillacs so equipped.
“The Cadillac CT5-V and CT4-V Blackwings have seen tremendous attention since their introduction just days ago,” Craig Jackson, chief executive of Barrett-Jackson, said in a news release. “These modern luxury performance sedans combine Cadillac’s most powerful engines ever built with a spectacular suspension to set a new standard for comfort and performance.
“As the last in a line of Cadillacs with a factory 6-speed manual transmission, these two first-production vehicles are destined to be coveted collector cars for generations to come. It is an honor that GM chose to auction these performance sedans as part of the largest docket of VIN 001 and first-production vehicles ever offered during one auction.”
Barrett-Jackson has had a flurry of first-example vehicles offered in charity auctions during recent years, including such special cars as the first 2021 Chevrolet Corvette C8 and the first 2020 Toyota Supra GR. The winning top bidders earn the rights to the first production examples off the assembly lines.
The first-production cars all have been sold for charitable causes, usually with sky-high results. The beneficiary of the Cadillac sales, with the cars donated by General Motors, is an initiative designed to help budding minority business people achieve success.
“Black Ambition’s long-term vision is for inclusive entrepreneurship to be the new normal,” according to the Barrett-Jackson release. “The startup non-profit initiative, a PolicyLink project, will be led by an all-star advisory team that includes Grammy Award-winning recording artist, producer, songwriter, entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist Pharrell Williams, with support from The Bridgespan Group, a global nonprofit organization that advises mission-driven organizations, nonprofits, philanthropists and impact investors.”
The Blackwing-edition Cadillacs are the latest in the company’s long tradition of innovation, Barrett-Jackson president Steve Davis said.
“More than a century ago, Cadillac put the automotive world on notice with the first mass-produced V8 engine,” Davis said. “Today, the company has rewritten the rules for performance sedans with the introduction of the 2022 CT5-V and CT4-V Blackwings.”
Barrett-Jackson’s flagship Scottsdale was rescheduled from its customary January dates during Arizona Auction Week because of the ongoing pandemic. The March 20-27 event is planned to continue the fair-like atmosphere of past Scottsdale auctions, although with limited attendance and such COVID precautions as mandatory face masks, social distancing and hand sanitation stations, plus enhanced online and off-site bidding.
For more information, visit the Barrett-Jackson website.
