Cadillac is going all-in on Formula 1, and the brand just made that impossible to ignore in Miami. Ahead of the Formula 1 Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix 2026, Cadillac unveiled the CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series, a 685-horsepower super sedan built to celebrate the company’s first season competing in Formula 1. Only 26 examples will exist, tying directly to the historic year Cadillac became the first American automaker to field a Formula 1 team.
A Manual Transmission at the Center of It All
That alone would have grabbed attention, but Cadillac didn’t stop at sticking a few badges on a sedan and calling it special. This car arrives with official Formula 1 branding, upgraded performance hardware, track-focused engineering, and a six-speed manual transmission at a moment when most high-end performance cars are rapidly abandoning analog driving experiences entirely. That detail matters because it says a lot about how Cadillac wants enthusiasts to see this new Formula 1 era.
At a time when many automakers are killing manuals entirely in the name of efficiency, electrification, or production costs, Cadillac is still handing drivers a clutch pedal in one of its most important halo performance cars. That decision feels deliberate — the company could have easily leaned entirely into Formula 1-inspired technology and paddle-shifted everything. Instead, it chose to preserve something enthusiasts consistently say they want, creating a strange but fascinating contrast: Formula 1 represents the absolute peak of advanced motorsport technology, revolving around hybrid systems, data analysis, aerodynamics, and relentless engineering complexity, yet Cadillac’s road-going celebration of that world still centers around a supercharged V8 and a manual gearbox. It’s almost rebellious in today’s performance-car climate.
The Timing Is No Accident
Sunday marks the Cadillac Formula 1 Team’s first race on American soil. Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas will drive the MAC-26 Grand Prix cars at Miami International Autodrome, putting Cadillac directly into the middle of Formula 1’s explosive North American expansion. Formula 1’s growth in the United States has been massive since Miami joined the calendar in 2022 — the sport now holds three races in the U.S. and five across North America, transforming what used to feel like a European-exclusive motorsport into a global entertainment machine heavily targeting American audiences, money, and manufacturers. Cadillac clearly sees an opportunity.
The CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series is more than a celebration car. It feels like a statement about American performance culture entering a motorsport world historically dominated by Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull, McLaren, and other European giants. For decades, American automakers largely watched Formula 1 from the sidelines while focusing on NASCAR, IndyCar, drag racing, and muscle cars. Now Cadillac wants a seat at the table.
What Cadillac Actually Built
The base for the project is already one of the most respected performance sedans on the market. The CT5-V Blackwing built a reputation for delivering huge power, rear-wheel-drive attitude, and genuine driver engagement in a luxury performance segment increasingly moving toward numb automation. Cadillac pushed things further for the F1 Collector Series, working alongside GM Motorsports to upgrade the car’s supercharger to produce 685 horsepower from the Track Precision Package, adding carbon-ceramic brakes and chassis upgrades designed to improve track capability.
The design also leans heavily into the team’s racing identity. Cadillac gave the sedan a Midnight Stone Frost finish combined with silver, gray, and black accents inspired by the MAC-26 Formula 1 car, with official Formula 1 and FIA logos appearing throughout the vehicle, making it impossible to mistake this for a standard CT5-V Blackwing with cosmetic tweaks. The car looks aggressive because Cadillac wants it to.
Bigger Than One Limited-Edition Sedan
This is where the story becomes bigger than one limited-edition sedan. Automakers entering Formula 1 are no longer doing it purely for racing credibility — Formula 1 has evolved into a massive branding battlefield where luxury, technology, performance, and lifestyle marketing collide. Manufacturers want younger buyers, global attention, and relevance in a changing industry increasingly dominated by electrification and software-driven vehicles, and Formula 1 delivers all of that.
There’s risk involved too. Motorsport programs are expensive, public, and brutally competitive, and if a team struggles, everyone sees it in real time. Cadillac entering Formula 1 means General Motors is attaching its reputation to one of the most unforgiving environments in global motorsports, and this is still early days — the Miami Grand Prix weekend represents only the fourth race weekend for the Cadillac Formula 1 Team. That means every appearance, every event, and every public activation matters because the company is still building identity and credibility inside the sport, which explains why Cadillac is treating Miami like a major cultural moment instead of just another race. Jungle Plaza in the Miami Design District will become Cadillac Formula 1 Team Miami Headquarters during race weekend, where fans can view Cadillac V-Series vehicles, purchase team merchandise, and watch the Sprint Race, Qualifying, and Grand Prix events. Sergio Perez is also expected to appear during the festivities, adding another layer of celebrity attention to a brand already pushing hard for visibility.
What Cadillac Is Really Chasing
Cadillac isn’t simply trying to win races. The company wants Formula 1 to reshape how buyers perceive Cadillac itself. For years, Cadillac fought to separate itself from outdated stereotypes while competing against European luxury brands that dominated the global performance conversation, and Formula 1 gives Cadillac a chance to reposition the brand in front of an international audience that may never have previously considered the company relevant in high-end motorsport. The CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector Series becomes the physical proof of that ambition. Only 26 buyers will get one, instantly guaranteeing exclusivity, and collectors will likely treat these cars as milestone pieces connected to Cadillac’s Formula 1 entry, even if that exclusivity also means some of these cars end up as investments and display pieces rather than machines driven the way engineers intended, an unfortunate side effect of limited-production performance cars in today’s collector market.
Still, the bigger takeaway is difficult to ignore. Cadillac is attempting something American automakers rarely pursue at this level anymore, pushing deep into international motorsport while still embracing loud V8 performance, manual transmissions, and track-focused driving engagement. That combination feels increasingly rare. As performance cars become more digital, more electrified, and more isolated from traditional enthusiast culture, Cadillac’s Formula 1 gamble stands out because it’s trying to bridge two worlds at once — the cutting-edge prestige of Formula 1 without completely abandoning the raw personality enthusiasts still crave. Whether that balancing act works long term remains to be seen. But for now, Cadillac just rolled into Miami with a 685-horsepower manual super sedan wearing official Formula 1 branding, and suddenly the American performance conversation feels a lot more serious.
About the Author
