Cadillac rolls out the 2025 CT5-V Blackwing Le Monstre Edition as a tribute to the brand's racing heritage. The new limited edition honors the participation in the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans. The model drops just in time for the 101st edition of the endurance race at the Circuit de la Sartre, alongside another special edition: the CT4-V Blackwing Petit Pataud.
The name of the 2025 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Le Monstre special edition was inspired by the heavily modified 1950 Cadillac Series 61 that raced at Le Mans 74 years ago. "Le Monstre" is French for "The Monster," and that is what it truly is, in quite a stylish way.
Back in 1950, the wedge-shaped Le Monstre was powered by a 331-cubic-inch V8 engine, which delivered 160 horsepower. It hit a top speed of 130 mph across the 24 hours of racing, which was 13 mph quicker than its twin, the Petit Pataud. The latter has also inspired a special edition rolled out by Cadillac with that exact name.
Unfortunately, Le Monstre, displaying the stylized number 2 on its doors, struck a sandbank early in the race, dropping to the 35th position. However, the driver fought his way back up, finishing 11th, one position and five miles behind the Petit Pataud. However, Cadillac took the motor racing by storm with two of the first-ever, post-war American vehicle entrants at Le Mans.
That same number, looking like it did in 1950, shows up on the doors of the new special edition as well, complementing the Magnus Metal Frost paint scheme with Stormhawk Blue carbon fiber accents and matching Royal Blue brake calipers.
Photo: Cadillac
The number 2 is also present on board, appearing stitched into the backrest, 3D-printed on the gear shifter knob, and engraved on the door sill plates.
On board the two special edition Cadillacs, customers can go for either the Jet Black/Phantom Blue or the Sky Cool Gray/Phantom Blue and Santorini accents, matching the blue seat belts.
An option in the CT5 lineup, the CT5-V Blackwing Le Monster features the 33-inch screen that integrates the digital instrument cluster and infotainment display.
The limited edition should go into production in early 2025, together with its sibling, the CT4-V Blackwing Petit Pataud. Only 101 Le Monstre example will see the light of day, as a homage to the 101st edition of Le Mans, while only 50 customers will be able to go home with a Petit Pataud.
There is no change on the powertrain compared to the stock CT5-V Blackwing, unveiled back in January. Therefore, the CT5-V Blackwing Le Monstre is powered by Cadillac's 6.2-liter V8 engine, which pumps out 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque. This version will start at around $95,000.
Meanwhile, the CT4-V Blackwing Petit Pataud rocks a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6 engine, which generates 472 horsepower for a starting price of $63,590.
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