- We hear that the new high-performance V version of the Cadillac CT5 won't have the engine we were expecting.
- Instead of the twin-turbo 4.2-liter Blackwing V-8 we anticipated, the new sports sedan will use the same supercharged 6.2-liter as its predecessor the CTS-V.
- The name of this upcoming CT5-V variant is still unclear, but it will likely arrive later this year.
The new top dog in the Cadillac CT5-V lineup will have a V-8 engine, but not the one we were expecting. Instead of Cadillac's twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter V-8, nicknamed Blackwing, this high-performance sedan is likely to have the same supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 engine as its predecessor the CTS-V, according to a source familiar with the project.
Videos of CT5-V prototypes testing seem to support this. While we can't quite make out a distinct supercharger whine, the raspy engine note we hear as these sedans accelerate is far more similar to the small-block V-8 sound we recognize from the old CTS-V and the Chevy Camaro ZL1 that also uses this LT4 engine. And, hey, we're not complaining—this engine is awesome and made a whopping 640 horsepower in the CTS-V, meaning the CT5-V is shaping up to be an equally impressive performance machine.
We think that packaging is the key reason behind this decision. Because of the Blackwing V-8's double-overhead-cam design, it's taller and wider than the pushrod 6.2-liter V-8, meaning it may not fit easily between the strut towers of the CT5, which uses GM's Alpha platform. The Blackwing V-8's only application so far is in the now defunct CT6-V, which rides on a different, larger platform called Omega. We haven't heard rumors of any other applications for this engine, so disappointingly this new V-8 may go the way of the CT6 and never be heard from again.
A higher-performance CT4-V is also on its way, and video footage confirms our earlier speculation that this will have a twin-turbocharged V-6, likely the same 3.6-liter unit from the ATS-V.
Both of these V sedans will clearly sit at the top of their respective lineups, although we still don't know what Cadillac will call them to set them apart from the current CT5-V and CT4-V models. The naming scheme has gotten confusing, as Cadillac is now designating these medium-performance models as V-series variants and hasn't yet announced names for the upcoming range-topping performance models. We should hear more about these high-performance Cadillac V sedans later this year.
Despite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.
