Cadillac has turned its hottest CT5 into a roll call for Formula 1. The new 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series marks the brand’s entry into the championship, and it does so with the sort of hardware that makes enthusiasts smile and accountants twitch: 685 hp, 912 Nm, a manual gearbox, and a production run capped at just 26 cars.
The special edition arrives just before the Miami Grand Prix, giving Cadillac a timely spotlight in the same city where its F1 ambitions are being paraded. It uses the moment to attach a halo car to the program before the team has even turned a competitive lap.
Black paint, carbon trim and a lot of F1 badges
Visually, the car leans hard into exclusivity rather than subtlety. Midnight Stone Frost matte paint, Carbon Flash wheels, Harbour Grey brake calipers, glossy carbon-fibre side accents with a thin silver stripe, and an integrated carbon spoiler on the boot lid all do the obvious job of saying ”this one is different”.
Cadillac has also laced the cabin and bodywork with Formula 1 and FIA branding. The logos appear on exterior panels, are embroidered into the headrests, and even show up as a laser engraving on the supercharger cover. There is also a 3D-printed medallion on the gear lever, because apparently no limited edition is complete without one detail that sounds like it was specified by a design studio with access to a printer and a deadline.
685 hp and a six-speed manual
The real story is still under the bonnet. Cadillac has upgraded the 6.2-litre V8 to 685 hp and 912 Nm, making this the most powerful production Cadillac with an internal combustion engine. Power goes to the rear wheels only, and it does so through a 6-speed manual transmission, which is exactly the kind of decision that earns respect in a world increasingly obsessed with computers doing the driving for you.
- Engine: upgraded 6.2-litre V8
- Output: 685 hp
- Torque: 912 Nm
- Transmission: 6-speed manual
- Drive: rear-wheel drive
Standard equipment also includes the Precision package, with carbon-ceramic brakes and a track-focused suspension. That nudges the car away from being just a commemorative object and toward something that could actually see a circuit, which is good news if you are paying six figures for more than badge embroidery.
How many Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing F1 cars will be built
Only 26 examples will be made, a thinly disguised nod to 2026, the debut season for Cadillac’s F1 team. Each car costs $260,000, production begins in the middle of 2026, and sales are limited to the US and Canada. For everyone else, it is another reminder that the most interesting performance sedans are usually the ones you are least likely to buy.
The move also fits a familiar pattern: automakers often use motorsport entries to justify special editions that sharpen the brand image before the racing results arrive. Cadillac is doing that early, and intelligently, because the collector car sells the story long before the team has to earn it on track.