I love the outgoing BMW M5. I love the CS variant even more. But Jason Cammisa once pitted it against a Tesla Plaid on a track, and it was destroyed by the speed. Dismayed, Camissa posed a question: if it’s not the fastest, and it’s not the most engaging to drive, then what’s the point of a BMW CS? Especially if you can grab a Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Precision Package.
What is the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Precision Package?
Did you miss this? Don’t worry, it’s just some things a CS probably should have:
- Increased spring rates, larger front stabilizer bar and revised suspension bushings
- New front steering knuckles and rear suspension toe links, which allow for more aggressive wheel alignment for track usage
- Recalibrated MagneRide dampers, steering, chassis controls and Electronic Limited Slip Differential
- Carbon ceramic brakes included
- A second set of rear toe-control links are provided—they come in the trunk.
- Cup 2R rubber is available
- The rest of the updates coming to the car are here as well.
Now, this V already offers the perfect balance of sport and comfort, so Caddy leaning into the sport a bit more is exciting. I bet it rides way better than the upcoming M5.
What’s missing – more power? Steel beams from the Verrazzano bridge to make it stiffer than five doses of Viagra? Actually, one of the rear cradle bushings is now 1000 percent stiffer. How do you get something to be 1,000 percent stiffer on a car like this?
Isn’t that what BMW does?
What was in the F90 CS?
Things you probably won’t notice:
- 18 more horsepower (the most powerful M car at the time)
- Retuned bearing springs at the front and rear axle, with refined damper control.
- Weight reduction of 147 pounds over the standard M5
- Pirelli P Zero Corsa track tires
- Carbon fiber roof
Feels like a badge job, because there’s much more that’s changed cosmetically:
- M Carbon seats that only came on the CS
- Bucket seats in the back, again a CS exclusive
- Arm rest deletion
- M Alcantara steering wheel
- “CS” badging on the instrument panel and between the bucket-style seats in the rear
- Gold wheels
- CS badging with gold trim
- Yellow headlights
- Frozen Brands Hatch Grey metallic and Frozen Deep Green metallic paint
The list is twice the size.
You don’t need a Blackwing with the new Precision Package, but…
There’s no word on price yet – the refreshed car won’t be available until the start of 2025. But it won’t be cheap – those brakes alone are nearly $10k.
You still won’t be faster than a Tesla, or likely the new M5, but that doesn’t matter. Everyone always asks me for buying advice, so here it is: get two of these. One to drive, and one to store. When the first one is dead, open up the second. Or sell it for a million dollars.
Cars like this are going, going…
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