Would You Pay $158,000 for a Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing?

• A new Curated by Cadillac customization program is launching for the CT5-V Blackwing sedan.
• Buyers will be able to choose from more than 160 additional exterior colors, plus new interior trims and materials.
• $158,000 isn't a crazy amount of money for a car of this caliber, but when the CT5-V Blackwing starts under $100,000, we have to ask, is it worth it?

The CT5-V Blackwing is currently available in nine colors, six of which are $625 add-ons, as well as the $1,225 Radiant Red option. For the sake of this story, we're going to build one in Typhoon Metallic ($625). Inside, we'll select the most expensive option: the $8,090 semi-aniline leather upholstery in a black-and-tan get-up. Right there, we've got a mega-fancy CT5-V Blackwing with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8, 668 horsepower, 659 lb-ft of torque and a six-speed manual transmission for $109,910, including destination. If we want Super Cruise — GM's excellent hands-free highway driving tech — that raises the price to $115,785, because it requires the addition of the Blackwing's 10-speed automatic transmission. Compared to other performance sedans, that's a bargain.

But here's where the Curated program loses us. A Cadillac spokesperson notes that Super Cruise is standard on all 2026 CT5-V Blackwings with the automatic transmission, but that this is "not specific to Curated by Cadillac," meaning it will still cost extra for this tech in the Curated world. Similarly, the $18,000 Precision package, which adds carbon-ceramic brakes, is not included with the Curated by Cadillac treatment. That means a Curated Blackwing with Super Cruise and the Precision package will run you almost $182,000. That's a huge jump.

That same $115,785 CT5-V Blackwing we just built now costs $163,875 in the Curated world. That's a $48,090 increase for paint and interior trim.

Companies like BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which offer their Individual and Manufaktur programs, give you similar expanded options sheets for less money — though those cars don't have the distinction of being hand-built at a dedicated facility. Even Porsche's infamous Paint to Sample and Paint to Sample Plus options are less expensive, and the latter — at more than $32,000 — will let you finish your car in "any technically feasible solid or metallic color based on a submitted color sample," per the automaker's website.

Still, we're sure there will be plenty of folks interested in the Curated program, and we can't wait to see the results, like the one-off purple car pictured here, which will be on display during Monterey Car Week in Pebble Beach, California, later this week. Production of the Curated by Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing models is expected to commence in mid-2026.