The analog driving experience, as it’s been known for a very long time, is rare these days. Before compact cars got big and fat, and before sports sedans got smooth and soft, there was a mechanical, seat‑of‑the‑pants connection that attentive drivers would perceive as being plugged directly into the car’s sounds, weight, and feedback, sans multiple layers of filtering, software, and automation applied between their inputs and the vehicle's reaction.A small and shrinking circle of drivers still chooses new vehicles based on how they engage the senses or make them feel, with many turning to the used market for an even better taste. Meanwhile, the average driver’s emotional attachment to their Honda CR‑V or Chrysler Pacifica is almost toaster‑like. The vehicle is simply an appliance used to serve a purpose for a time, during which you hope everything works as expected without a fuss.Cadillac That contrast has only grown sharper as modern buyers prioritize things like fuel efficiency, safety, hip‑room, and residual value over sporty steering, a connected‑to‑the‑road feel, or a manual gearbox. The rapidly diminishing take‑rates for manual transmissions are a perfect example of shoppers drifting toward cars that are increasingly autonomous and automatic.Sometimes, cars come along that fight back. As cars change rapidly before our eyes, the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is one of these. After generations of experience selling three-pedal sedans with supercharged V8 engines stuffed up front, this Blackwing entered an increasingly electrified scene with a 668‑horsepower supercharged V8, three pedals, and two middle fingers in the air.Today, second‑hand copies are trading for more than their original sticker prices, as used‑market pricing trends continue to show. Let's dig in to see what’s behind this sport sedan's rising value. The Blackwing Is The Last Of Its Kind Cadillac Powerful, fun cars with manual transmissions are very trendy these days, especially because they're becoming tougher to find. In the CT5-V Blackwing, we're seeing this push used prices slightly higher, enough to slow or stop depreciation and even push certain examples (especially manual ones) to appreciate in value over their original MSRP.Cadillac At this price point, you're dealing less with 'average shopper' types on a limited budget, and more with higher-income earners who are increasingly likely to collect cars, sometimes as investments. These shoppers love all sorts of different vehicles, including the high-powered analog supercar (or super sedan) experience. For these shoppers, the CT5-V Blackwing will likely join a driveway or garage populated by other favorites. In recent years, we've seen drivers and collectors alike show similar interest in the second-hand Dodge Viper as a low-cost way to add a manual-equipped two-seater supercar to their garage, helping spur higher demand and asking prices.We’re talking a lot about the manual transmission in the CT5-V Blackwing. It's a proven six-speed Tremec unit with a Blackwing-specific gear cut to reduce cabin noise. Power is sent to the rear wheels, between which a trick limited-slip axle with a potent computer brain helps deliver lightning launches, laser straight.CadillacThis combination of old-school and new-age tech is remarkably appealing to fans, especially given that manual scarcity is now quantifiable. Three-pedal performance cars have become virtually extinct, leaving a major supply gap just as younger drivers are becoming (slightly) more interested in driving stick-shift cars. Still, manual-equipped machinery accounts for less than 1% of new vehicle sales. Demand Helped Drive High Pricing From Day One, But Limited Supply Helped CadillacThe first CT5-V model year was 2022. Back then, with its full suite of race-ready hardware and software, Cadillac was charging $84,990 for the base model and $125,580 for the fully configured version.It’s important to point out what a bargain that was for a car that could do 0-60 in 3.4 seconds en route to 200‑plus MPH, with three pedals at the driver’s feet and a spacious rear seat behind for everyday usability. A pro driver could run a sub‑3‑minute lap of the VIR Grand Course and then drive their mother to brunch without breaking a sweat. For 2023, after its first year on sale, pricing climbed to $91,995 for the base model. That’s $7,000, if you’re counting. By 2024, pricing was up again, now $93,495. By 2025, the starting MSRP pushed toward $96,000, and for 2026, you’re looking at the better part of $98,000 for starters. That’s more than $13,000 added to base model pricing over the span of just a few short years.A price increase alone doesn't prove rising demand, and the economic and supply chain conditions the CT5-V Blackwing has lived in have been tumultuous, to say the least. This machine isn't supposed to be a high-volume model, and price increases tend to come into play when a model is supply-constrained or consistently selling out, both of which were true here. Classic high-demand behavior was all the rage during the pandemic, and shoppers in this pricing universe were accustomed to paying high premiums over MSRP to be among the first to get behind the wheel.In the case of the CT5-V Blackwing, we can take the increasing year-over-year MSRP as evidence of a high-demand, limited-supply situation, a unique product with no competitors on the horizon, and the likelihood of an even smaller future supply as Cadillac pivots towards more electric products.Further, the Lansing Grand River plant that built the CT5-V Blackwing had a relatively small capacity to do so. Engines were hand-built, and additional complexities were required to facilitate a model built with both automatic and manual options.Cadillac Even as demand spiked, supply could not be dramatically increased in the near term. From that basis, the CT5-V Blackwing’s confirmation of discontinuation after 2026 now meant the clock was ticking to secure a brand-new unit, raising interest, demand, and prices once again.Put simply, two major demand factors began to act on the Blackwing almost simultaneously: at launch, there was nothing else like it, it had the three pedals required to make serious waves, and shoppers knew this machine would be a limited-time ordeal with no competition likely.Interest and demand continue to grow, as does pricing, in the few years to follow. Then, the Blackwing gets axed in its prime, like a Game of Thrones character, all while that pent-up market demand remained at a rolling boil. Now, with the supply cut and demand running unchecked, it looks like CT5-V Blackwing prices have nowhere to go but up for the foreseeable future.Though KBB.com data officially lists the CT5-V Blackwing's depreciation at 15 percent over two years, that figure doesn’t seem to account for the premiums some in-market shoppers are paying. Resale values fluctuate depending on the source, with some price trend reports showing rising prices on certain ‘holy-grail’ models (ie, manual-equipped). There May Not Be Cars Like This Ever Again, But Should You Pay 100,000 or More? Cadillac If you're shopping the American analog supercar space, you've probably seen this phenomenon before with the Dodge Viper. Towards the end of the line for America's supercar in 2017, a limited-production ACR offering re-ignited passion for the long-running V10 nameplate, and orders flooded in. This got enthusiasts and collectors paying attention to Vipers of all stripes once again, helping drive a market price increase that followed an uptick in demand just moments before this highly analog, manual-only supercar left production for good.As another example, there are cases of a manual-equipped Lamborghini Murcielago selling for a six-figure premium to shoppers dead set on the three-pedal version once it was no longer available. You might pay $400,000 for a Murceilago, but a manual-equipped copy could cost you $100,000 more.Cadillac Should you pay $100,000 for a used CT5-V Blackwing? Probably. If there’s ever another machine like it, it’ll likely be electrified and automatic. By the way, Blackwing refers to the engine, and supercharged V8s are disappearing quickly, too. Translation? This is a nameplate we may never see again.After all, a slightly used copy will have some warranty remaining, and requires none of the wait for a brand-new unit. Changes over the years have been minimal, meaning a one- or two-year-old copy is virtually the same as a brand-new one. Some drivers will choose to drive their Blackwing for a year or two under warranty and sell it afterward, likely for close to what they paid.Cadillac With the CT5-V Blackwing now virtually extinct, the market may be about to see its next high-urgency, big-dollar manual collector's item. That might be especially true of the limited-edition 2026 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing F1 Collector’s series. With upgraded bodywork and cosmetics backed by an upgraded 685-horsepower version of the supercharged V8, this ultimate expression of the CT5-V Blackwing will relieve its 26 lucky owners of a cool $260,000.