Cadillac Blackwing Twin-turbo V8 Now Has Its Own Logo
Blackwing V8 showcases the future of GM’s performance engines.
General Motors has developed some very interesting new engines. Initially slated for Cadillac use, these new V8 engines are a dramatic shift from current GM performance engines. These smaller displacement engines, slated for 4.2-liter and 5.5-liter variants, feature a dual overhead cam design, and twin turbochargers.
We’re still waiting for more information on that 5.5-liter version, which, we suspect, will power the upcoming mid-engine Corvette Zora. However, until that 700+ horsepower engine surfaces, Cadillac has been slowly parsing out information on that 4.2-liter mill. Dubbed “Blackwing,” this Hot-V engine will produce 550 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque. This new engine will power the 2019+ Cadillac CT6-V, the successor to the outgoing CTS-V. Though, rumors suggest a slightly detuned version could pop up in the smaller CT5 coupe. The CT5 being an ATS-sized coupe.
Why does all of this matter? Well, it’s rather simple. While Blackwing will be a bespoke offering, built by a small team of six craftsmen, this next-generation powertrain will be spread out across the General Motors performance line-up in due time. Sure, this one has a Blackwing badge, made exclusively for Cadillac, but a General Motors internal document showcases the bigger picture.
Internally, the engine is denoted as LTA. GM fans will immediately see the family ties here. The second generation Cadillac CTS-V, and fifth-gen Camaro ZL1 used an engine that was dubbed LSA. That engine was based upon the LS9 engine used in the C6 Corvette ZR1. LT is the current generation architecture of the General Motors LS family of engines. It’s not too much of a stretch to see this LTA engine used in a seventh-gen Camaro ZL1, and another variant, likely that 5.5-liter version, being used in the mid-engine Corvette.
So, how much longer until we see the end of the pushrod V8?
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