Two Very Sporty Sedans

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The Honda is mainstream and the Cadillac is upscale, as reflected by their badges, trim, and prices. Typical of luxury cars, the CT4 V-Series Blackwing offers a wide array of options, and this tester had almost $15,000 worth, including the highcontrast Sky Cool Gray interior ($4,900) with Torch Red seat belts ($400), all wrapped in a Radiant Red Tintcoat finish ($1,225).

New cars are boring, right? They can seem that way compared to the less bulky and driver-isolated models we’ve known. However, the two sport sedans we’re examining here—the Cadillac CT4 V-Series Blackwing ($76,760) and Honda Civic Type R ($44,385)—are about as exciting as any four-door you’ve tried, past or

The CT4 V-series Blackwing’s functional options are pretty neat: the power lumbar massage (part of the $600 Climate Package) is soothing on long drives, and the Performance Data and Video Recorder ($1,600) syncs with third-party Cosworth Toolbox data analysis tools to improve your technique.

Compare that to the Civic Type R’s one-and-done setup. You could spend $3,100 for lightweight forged alloy wheels, but I’d probably stick with the stock rims on San Francisco’s rutted roads. The deeply bucketed front seats are swathed in red “suede-effect” fabric, which locks you in while your back sweats enough to dampen your shirt. Curiously, the two-person rear seat skips the red with black upholstery that fades into its surroundings, emphasizing the Civic Type R’s driver focus.

This is confirmed on the tarmac, where the Civic Type R’s 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine belts out 315 horses and 310 lb.-ft. of torque. You might suspect that the Type R’s front-wheel drive would be challenged by sending all that juice to ground in a straight line, but there’s no torque steer here; the biggest concern is not overpowering the available traction, even with the softer summer tires on the tester.

Once underway, it’s important to strategically shift the six-speed manual transmission to keep the engine in its power band. Slow down in fourth gear, and you’ll find not much there when you hit the pedal again, and a quick skip to second instantly reignites the flame. Hopped-up Hondas have always been rev-happy performers, and the Civic Type R falls in line.

This CT4 V-Series Blackwing is different, with a 3.6-liter V6 engine with twin turbos and 472 horsepower and a stump-pulling 455 lb.-ft. of torque. Partially offsetting the Blackwing’s advantage is its 700 extra pounds over the Type R, but that massive torque pushed through a 10-speed automatic makes the Blackwing more obliging in the city, with greater strength at lower speeds. The CT4 is a rear-drive car with available all-wheel drive, so traction is less of a worry than blasting your insurance rates with the tickets you’ll get using all that thrust.

As for which is better, it would depend on your mood that day. The Civic Type R is exuberant, and the CT4 V-series Blackwing is ruthless. Got room for both?

Philip Ruth is a Castro-based automotive photojournalist and consultant with an automotive staging service.