Like non-avian dinosaurs millions of years ago, V8-powered sports cars, especially sports sedans, are going extinct. But these four-door firecrackers are going down in a blaze of glory, and Lexus and Cadillac are helping. However, while the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and 2022 Lexus IS 500 are very different send-offs to the V8, they’re still rivals. So, which one can shred its rear tires faster? YouTube team Throttle House decided to find out.

V8 showdown: Naturally-aspirated 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance vs. supercharged 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing

At first glance, the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance doesn’t look significantly different than any other IS model. But if you look closer, the differences start standing out. Note the front spoiler and rear diffuser, for example, as well as the larger brakes. And whether it rides on the Enkei wheels or the Launch Edition’s BBS ones, both IS 500 wheelsets are lighter than what the IS 350 F Sport offers.

However, the biggest difference only becomes obvious once you fire it up. The 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance makes power the old-school way: a big naturally-aspirated engine. It has the same sonorous 472-hp 5.0-liter V8 as the LC 500, with a lineage that stretches back to the IS F. Which, by the way, the IS 500 F Sport Performance isn’t technically a successor of, at least according to Lexus.

In the powertrain department, the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is more new-school. It has an updated version of the C7 Z06’s supercharged V8, complete with extra radiators and slightly more power. But the Blackwing is even more old-school than the Lexus in one area. While the IS 500 is automatic-only, the 2022 CT5-V Blackwing has a standard manual. And though it doesn’t shift as fast as the 10-speed automatic, the stick is more involving.

But on paper, the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing doesn’t the optional automatic to be faster than the Lexus IS 500. The latter sedan is lighter, but it can’t make up the horsepower and torque gap. However, there’s more to racing than just straight-line speed.

This sports sedan duel isn’t just a drag-race battle

Now, Throttle House did put the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing and Lexus IS 500 through their drag-race paces. The hosts first ran a standing-start ¼-mile race and then a rolling one to eliminate launch difficulties. However, they also pit both sports sedans against the clock on their local racetrack. And there, power isn’t the only factor.

But even with a freshly-paved dragstrip to improve traction, the Lexus IS 500’s chances don’t look good. In Car and Driver’s instrument tests, the NA V8 sedan trails the supercharged one in 0-60, 5-60, and ¼-mile times. Furthermore, it finished Car and Driver’s Lightning Lap 15.5 seconds behind the CT5-V Blackwing.

Yet that doesn’t mean the Lexus is out completely. Its 0-60 and 5-60 times are slower, but its top gear 30-50 and 50-70 times are roughly half of the Blackwing’s times. And its braking performance is right up there with the Cadillac’s stopping potential. Plus, tracks aren’t identical: some favor power, others favor lower curb weights.

So, even if it doesn’t win the drag race, the IS 500 might eke out a track win.

Is the 2022 Lexus IS 500 as fast as the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing?

Inevitably, the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance lost to the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing in the drag races. From both a standing start and a rolling one, the supercharged Caddy left the Lexus behind. Though credit to the IS, it kept up for a significant portion of the rolling race.

Unfortunately, the IS 500 couldn’t do the same on the racetrack portion. It’s fun, slidey, noticeably cheaper, and sounds great. But whether it’s on the straights or around some corners, the Blackwing is faster.

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