Cadillac Manual Transmission Models: Blackwing, CTS-V and ATS-V
Cadillac shoppers looking for a stick shift have a short list: the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing among current V-Series cars with a factory six-speed manual, plus earlier CTS-V and ATS-V models that left the plant with a clutch pedal depending on generation and configuration. Confirming model year and factory equipment matters, because a V badge alone does not prove a Cadillac manual transmission is present.
Which Cadillac Performance Models Offer a Manual?
Among current Cadillac performance models, a factory six-speed manual has been offered on the CT4-V Blackwing and the CT5-V Blackwing. Those two cars answer shoppers asking which Cadillac still has a clutch pedal. Availability is still model-year dependent, so a listing or order form should be checked against the year under discussion rather than assumed from the Blackwing name alone. A CT4-V or CT5-V without the Blackwing designation is a different product path and does not, by itself, establish that a stick shift was factory equipment.
Historically, a CTS-V manual transmission and an ATS-V six-speed were also part of Cadillac's performance lineup. Those cars are no longer current, and a stick shift was not universal across every generation or body style. First- and second-generation CTS-V cars and the ATS-V sedan and coupe are the usual used-market candidates, while later CTS-V production did not follow the same pattern. Shoppers comparing a used V-Series car with a new Blackwing should treat generation, configuration, and documentation as the deciding factors rather than the V-Series badge.
CT4-V Blackwing Manual Transmission Availability
The Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing manual transmission option arrived with the 2022 model year. From that point forward, a six-speed manual has been part of the Blackwing equipment mix for this compact sedan, which is why CT4-V Blackwing listings attract drivers who specifically want a clutch pedal. That start year is the practical cutoff when sorting inventory or placing an order: earlier CT4-V cars without the Blackwing name are not the same configuration discussion. Confirm the model year on the title, window sticker, or order sheet before treating a car as a factory stick-shift Blackwing.
A Blackwing badge still does not finish the transmission check. The CT4-V Blackwing has also been offered with an automatic, so advertisements and dealer descriptions should be verified against the actual car. Interior photos that show three pedals and a manual shift pattern are useful first evidence. Original equipment documentation, including the window sticker and a factory build sheet, then confirms whether that six-speed was installed at the plant rather than described loosely in a listing. Match those documents to the vehicle identification number before treating the car as the intended manual.
CT5-V Blackwing Manual Transmission Availability
The Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing manual transmission followed the same 2022 start as its smaller sibling. From the 2022 model year, this larger V-Series sedan has been offered with a factory six-speed manual, which is what shoppers mean when they want a CT5-V Blackwing with a stick. The CT5-V Blackwing name should stay explicit, because a CT5-V without Blackwing badging is not the same car and does not inherit the same transmission story. Treat 2022 as the beginning of the factory manual conversation for this model, then verify the year of the specific vehicle or order.
Even a correctly named CT5-V Blackwing still needs an equipment check before an order or a used purchase. Cadillac has offered this model with more than one transmission, so the Blackwing label is not a substitute for reading the build. Confirm model-year availability first, then inspect the individual car or the order worksheet for the six-speed. A clutch pedal, a manual shifter, and factory paperwork listing the six-speed as original equipment are the practical proofs. Skipping that step is how a shopper ends up with an automatic Blackwing after assuming the stick was standard.
CTS-V Generations That Offered a Stick Shift
A CTS-V manual transmission is a generation question, not a badge question. The first-generation CTS-V, sold for model years 2004 through 2007, was a six-speed manual model, which is why those years remain a common used-market search. Second-generation CTS-V cars also offered a six-speed manual, and that generation included sedan, coupe, and wagon body styles. Those bodies did not share identical production years, so a listing should be dated from the actual body and model year rather than a single CTS-V range pasted onto every car. Mixing generations is how false stick-shift expectations start.
The third-generation CTS-V was automatic-only, so the CTS-V name by itself does not confirm a factory manual. A later sedan wearing V-Series badges can still be a three-pedal car only if someone converted it after it left the plant, which is not original equipment. A claimed manual conversion needs paperwork showing what was changed, plus a specialist inspection of the clutch, shifter, hydraulics, electronics, and mounting. Without that trail, treat the car as modified until proven otherwise. Factory six-speed CTS-V examples from the first two generations are the ones that match period Cadillac equipment.
ATS-V Sedan and Coupe Manual Options
The ATS-V is another Cadillac performance model that left the factory with a six-speed manual. During its 2016 through 2019 model-year run, both the sedan and the coupe were offered with a clutch pedal. That is why ATS-V shopping sits alongside CTS-V and Blackwing searches. Body-style availability still has to be checked for the particular year, because sedan and coupe inventory were not identical across that short run. Listings should state body and year instead of implying every ATS-V was configured the same way.
An ATS-V headline is not transmission proof. V-Series badging, sport seats, and even a performance-oriented advertisement can describe an automatic car. Confirm the actual gearbox on the vehicle: three pedals, a six-speed shift pattern, and factory equipment listed on the window sticker or build sheet. If those sources conflict with the ad, trust the paperwork and the interior, then have the identification number decoded against Cadillac's original configuration. Treat every car as an individual build until the stick shift is documented, not inferred from the V badge.
Checking a Used Manual Cadillac Before Purchase
On a used manual Cadillac, start with the cabin and the paper trail. Interior photographs should show three pedals and a manual shifter before a trip is scheduled. Then match that appearance to the original window sticker or another reliable factory build document so the six-speed is confirmed as original equipment rather than a later swap. Review service records for clutch work, transmission repairs, and any modifications. Those records describe what was done; they do not set a replacement interval, and a quiet history is not a recent inspection of the hydraulics and friction parts.
An ordinary, legal test drive is the next filter, not a workshop procedure. Note difficult engagement, grinding into gear, unusual noises, or apparent clutch slip during normal takeoff and shifts. Do not perform aggressive diagnostic maneuvers that risk damage or unsafe operation. If the pedal feels inconsistent, the car jumps on engagement, or records are missing, do not assume the gearbox is healthy. Conversion claims, incomplete history, or those symptoms justify a professional pre-purchase inspection. A technician familiar with Cadillac V-Series manuals can separate wear, adjustment issues, and modifications from a sound factory six-speed.