It’s been a while since we tested a car that will happily launch you into the universe and wrap you around a telephone pole spectacularly in under four seconds. Suffice it to say, the 2022 Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing wants to kill you.

The most powerful and fastest Cadillac ever is a car you must respect. With 668 horsepower and 659 pound feet of torque it will launch you (hopefully) in a straight line to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds with the six-speed manual. It will go over 200 mph if you have enough survival space. Few of us do.

The best part of this instant death? It’s fun as hell.

One of the last V8 Cadillac’s we will ever see as we transition to an all-electric world in the coming decade, the CT5 V Blackwing is a last hurrah to the old days of squirly over-powered muscle cars that you should’nt hand to a teenager – yet ever teenager wants one.

While it’s available with a 10-speed automatic, the manual is the choice to make here. It allows you to really reap the rewards of the driving experience which is filled with explosive power booms and a sound that is heavenly.

Harsh and immediate lets of power will send the chassis squirming and give you reason to keep it pointed in a straight line even at speeds of 80-90 mph. While yes it has all the traction nannies and stability blah blah, the stuff will let you get slideways and out of control to a degree. So keep your hands on the wheel.

Outside of those observations, the chassis is exceptional at its job. With a dual ball-joint strut suspension up front and a multi-link set up at the rear it is remarkably precise in its feel and its responses to your inputs and wrestling it into control.

The Magnetic Ride 4 dampers automatically adjust to changes in your driving behavior, allowing for a livable ride most of the time but grabs on for dear life when you romp. You can also dial it up hard all the time with the drive modes if that’s your kink.

19-inch wheels with 275 section tires at front and 305 section tires at the rear do their job of grip resolutely providing for up to 1.01g of lateral grip. Huge Brembo brakes front and rear work well to haul the 4100 pound sedan down from high velocities.

In spite of our prodding about the car being a crazy squirrel, it’s a sharp well designed tool for a driver who knows what they are doing.

The cabin is a place that also impressed us with rich semi-aniline leather hides and almost as much yardage of genuine carbon fiber. One of the best interiors from Cadillac we’ve ever sat in, the upgrades are well worth their cost to make the entire package feel worth the car’s sticker price of $104,440.

We stand at the end of our drive duly impressed with the Cadillac that will likely represent the highest and best use of their legacy. It was fun, it was gratifying, it was memorable. We’re glad we’re alive to tell the story.