--- title: "The Secret Service Is Testing the Chevy Corvette and Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing" date: "2025-05-07" modified: "2025-05-07" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/gm-gave-the-secret-service-two-cadillac-blackwings-so-they-can-learn-stick" categories: - "GM News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Cadillac" - "CT5-V Blackwing" - "luxury" - "sedan" - "sports car" --- # The Secret Service Is Testing the Chevy Corvette and Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing ![]() *\U.S. Secret Service handout\* The genre of "Oh no, the President has been kidnapped!" movies is sort of dead. But back when it was popular, and Channing Tatum was patriotically kicking ass on screen, there were often chase scenes that required Secret Service agents to commandeer a civilian or police vehicle in a different country. As it turns out, such vehicular action is actually a real possibility, and therefore requires real training, which [General Motors]() is willing to help out with. And, an important part of that training is teaching young agents to drive any kind of automobile—even one with a stick. GM donated a fleet of performance vehicles to the Secret Service's James J. Rowley Training Center (RTC) in Laurel, Maryland, and among them were four [Cadillac]() sport sedans: two [CT4s]() and two [CT5s](). Of those, a pair had manual transmissions—indicating they're Blackwing models—even though there would almost certainly never be an official Secret Service vehicle with a stick. Nevertheless, agents often travel overseas to protect their VIPs, and manual cars are commonplace outside the States. So, they can't afford to be stopped by three pedals and a stick. "Not everyone is able to operate a manual shift," said RTC driving instructor Mark Armstrong. “Having that platform here will enable us to give instruction on how to drive manual vehicles for overseas trips.” ![Cadillac sedan being unloaded from transporter for Secret Service use.]() **U.S. Secret Service** ![A Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban being unloaded for Secret Service training]() Even sedans can be foreign to many agents. These days, police vehicles tend to be SUVs, since they can carry more people and gear. But in other countries, government sedans are still commonplace, and agents need to be familiar with them. "Most companies aren’t making four-door sedans anymore that are police-capable," said Constantine Gerukos, another RTC instructor. But GM didn't send only those Caddy sedans; it provided a range of different vehicles, so that agents could broaden the scope of their training and learn about different platforms and how they might be of use in the future. So, the roster includes a [Cadillac Escalade](), a Chevy Colorado ZR2, a police package Chevy Tahoe, a Chevy Suburban, and two Corvettes (one was an [E-Ray]()). The big SUVs are the likeliest to join the active duty fleet, but that doesn't mean the other vehicles couldn't one day see action outside the training course. "I think it is cool to try out all these different platforms to figure out what is going to fit, and what we can use," Gerukos said. "The times are changing, and so is the rest of the world. So, we have to do the same thing." ![A Corvette being used for Secret Service training]() ![A Cadillac Escalade being used for Secret Service training]() ![All vehicles provided to Secret Service by GM in a lineup]() Is that really true, or did the Secret Service just want to blow some of its training budget on fun track days? "Experience with different types of vehicles can help instructors teach students how to adapt their driving techniques based on the vehicle they are operating," said Scott Simons, the Special Agent in Charge of RTC. "Because each vehicle handles differently in any given situation, exposure to new cars will challenge instructors and give them an opportunity to develop more realistic training scenarios." These more unusual vehicles are also sure to surprise students, who are likely counting on Escalades and Yukons to play the suspect vehicles in training scenarios. "The students wouldn’t be expecting it," instructor Brandon Bohonek said of the sports cars and sedans. "We won’t have these vehicles in view. So, they won’t know it is out there. They may be expecting a (police) SUV, and all of a sudden, one of these vehicles rolls up. We try to make it as realistic as possible out here, which is not always easy to do." At the end of the day, unlikely though it might be to see a Secret Service agent jump into a manual Blackwing to rescue a President's daughter, it's not impossible. Plus, you know this all made for a fun day of training. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WASM-1aRdXM *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()