Luxury sport compact sedans have been out of the spotlight lately, as buyers fall in love with sportier crossovers instead. But lets say that you aren’t impressed by a high-performance SUV and would rather spend your time in a more road hugging sport sedan, well there’s still hope for you. The 2022 BMW M3 and Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing are keeping the sport sedan segment alive.
How do they measure up on paper? The Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is powered by a 3.6-liter twin-turbo V6 that generates 472 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque. You can get a CT4-V Blackwing with either a six-speed manual or a 10-speed automatic transmission. The BMW M3 is powered by a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine with 473 horsepower and 406 pound-feet. The M3 is only available with a six-speed manual, but if you want an automatic you can step up to the more powerful M3 Competition.
While the CT4-V Blackwing and standard M3 have comparable power specs, BMW also offers the more powerful M3 Competition, which boosts the output to 503 hp and 479 lb-ft. The M3 Competition are also available with all-wheel drive, while the CT4-V Blackwing is only available with rear-wheel drive.
The M3 will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds, while the CT4-V Blackwing is slightly faster at 3.9 seconds. Both sedans have a nice sounding exhaust, but the CT4-V Blackwing’s exhaust has more bite.
The Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing is the more attainable of the two with a starting price at $60,390, including destination. The pricing for the BMW M3 starts at $71,095.
Moving past the specs, both the M3 and CT4-V Blackwing are a joy to drive. The CT4-V is based on GM’s rear-wheel drive Alpha platform and it stands out with its MagneRide dampers and Performance Traction Management modes. The CT4-V Blackwing is agile and its chassis always asks for more. The steering is nearly perfect. It also has great brakes, which easily outperform the M3’s brakes.
The Cadillac’s V6 has good power on paper, but a low 6,500 rpm redline takes some of the fun away. The engine does have a broad torque curve and is ready to get the CT4-V Blackwing up to speed fast, but it’s missing the personality that that the M3’s engine brings to the table . The good news is that when you’re ready to just cruise down the road, the CT4-V Blackwing’s suspension is surprisingly smooth and definitely not as harsh as its predecessor, the ATS-V.
At the other end, the M3’s engine revs up to a nicer 7,200 rpm. As you’d expect the inline-six is super smooth and the six-speed manual is perfect. The M3’s power comes on with ease and its steering is quick and responsive. On back to back sprints through the canyons, the CT4-V feels more planted to the road.
Moving past how great both sedans are on the road, there are some differences in their interiors. Both interiors are luxurious, but the M3’s interior feels a bit more modern with its larger touchscreen. The M3 also has higher quality materials, than the CT4-V Blackwing with some of the parts in the Cadillac looking like they came right out of GM’s lesser priced models. But, we do expect the M3 to have a higher quality materials, considering its higher price tag.
At the end of the day, it’s hard to pick a winner between the BMW M3 and Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing. The CT4-V Blackwing stands out with its excellent handling and great brakes. But we can’t ignore the M3’s strong traits, like its fabulous six-cylinder engine and perfect steering. So there you have it, both sedans are great, just don’t wait too long to decide, since gas-powered luxury sports cars will be more scarce by the end of the decade.
