There's Only One Manual, V8, Rear-Wheel Drive Sedan Left In America
Once upon a time, the perfect sports sedan recipe was simple and readily available. You had a V8 engine up front, a manual gearbox and five seats in the middle, and drive sent to the rear axle. Those were simple times, and that recipe gave us some of the greatest cars of all time.
From BMW M3s (E90) and M5s (E39) to more run-of-the-mill models like the Chevrolet SS and a plethora of American muscle sedans, there was an abundance of cars that fit that brief. But in the year of our Lord 2025, there is just one sedan left with a V8, a manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive: the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing.
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2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
The 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is a high-performance sports sedan that offers a combination of power and luxury. Under the hood, the vehicle is equipped with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 engine that delivers an impressive 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ft of torque. This potent powertrain can be paired with either a six-speed manual or a ten-speed automatic transmission, allowing drivers to choose their preferred driving experience.
On the exterior, the CT5-V Blackwing showcases a redesigned front fascia with aggressive styling elements, new wheels, and a more modern rear end. The vehicle's overall appearance is enhanced by its muscular proportions and sporty details. Inside the cabin, the CT5-V Blackwing boasts a luxurious and technologically advanced interior. The centerpiece of the dashboard is a large 33-inch LED display that provides a user-friendly interface for accessing various vehicle functions and entertainment options. Other notable interior features include a performance data recorder, a hands-free driving assistant, and a premium audio system.
We discuss the performance metrics of the 2025 CTS-V Blackwing before analyzing the state of manual, RWD, and V8 sedans in America today. Inventory numbers are accurate as at time of writing and are sourced from manufacturer websites. This article was originally published in June 2026, but has been updated with the latest information available in February 2025.
The Best Performance Sedan Ever?
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing red on track front
By now, you know the CT5-V Blackwing's headline figures, with the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 engine pumping out a thunderous 668 horsepower and 659 lb-ft of torque. Whereas the BMW M5 and performance sedans of its ilk have paired that much power with AWD for the better part of a decade, Cadillac's defiance of driving the front axle is admirable. But making the manual standard? That's worthy of parades through the streets.
The manual is a six-speed unit sourced from transmission specialists Tremec, featuring No-Lift Shift functionality and Active Rev-Matching for the most performance possible from a car with three pedals.
2025 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing Petit Pataud Special Edition Exterior Beauty Shot
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With one of the most beautifully balanced chassis, a long wheelbase, keen steering, and the ability to row gears yourself, the CT5-V Blackwing puts in a strong shout for being crowned one of the best performance sedans ever built. The only problem is that this has officially been crowned the final send-off for the ICE-powered Cadillac V series, and while the manual was retained for the 2025 facelift (thanks to a nearly 50 percent take rate for the six-speed in 2023), when the CT5-V Blackwing thunders off into the night, it'll take that six-speed with it.
The Number Of Rear-Wheel Drive V8 Sedans Is Dwindling
2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Le Monstre Special Edition Exterior Beauty Shot
The premise for this article was based on my research into how long we have left with V8 RWD sedans. In my mind, Dodge was the last bastion of V8 cars with a manual gearbox, but that's only really true of the now discontinued Challenger. In case you're wondering, there are only 127 Challengers left in stock nationwide with a V8 and a manual gearbox sending drive to the rear axle.
But what V8 sedans are still left with rear-wheel drive? I could only find two American-made sedans that weren't the CT5-V Blackwing, and both are no longer on sale for the 2025 model year. Instead, you have to shop existing stock, of which the numbers are few and the dealer markups high. Meanwhile, there's one Japanese sedan with RWD and a V8, but it's unlikely to be around for much longer:
- 2023 Dodge Charger - Production ended in 2023 of the Dodge muscle sedan, but there are still 6,063 examples at dealerships or in transit to dealerships that fit the criteria of having RWD and a V8 engine. Of those, 166 have the 5.7-liter Hemi V8; 315 are equipped with the 6.4L SRT Hemi V8; and just 68 examples have the supercharged 6.2-liter V8.
- 2023 Chrysler 300 - Chrysler said goodbye to the 300 with a 6.4-liter Hemi-powered 300C, but that ended production in 2023 and sold out quickly. But you can still buy a dealer-stock 300S equipped with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8 and RWD. We found just 31 units still left on sale.
- Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance - Arguably one of the best-sounding V8s around, the IS 500 is a relic in some ways, but one we love nonetheless. It falls short of its core rivals in every on-paper performance metric, but it has a soul, and we love it for that, as the 5.0-liter V8 at its heart is one of the last naturally aspirated manuals in the mainstream, as everyone else goes turbo and hybrid. But with Lexus slowly but surely replacing V8s with turbo V6s, we're unsure how much longer the IS 500 will keep its V8.
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