Cadillac Debuts ‘Blackwing’ 550 Horsepower 4.2 Liter V8 Twin Turbo Engine
Blackwing V8 motor is spurring rumors about another V8-powered, possibly mid-engine GM product.
GM’s freedom to allow Cadillac to do their own thing has resulted in some interesting tech and design. The latest of which comes in the form of the “Blackwing” V8 motor. According to Motor1, this 4.2-liter V8 is completely new from the ground up. It has reverse flow heads, with the two turbos nestled into the “hot V” area of the engine, and this is beneficial for a number of reasons. For one, it makes for far less turbo lag, but another benefit is that it makes the overall package of the power unit more compact.
Aside from those benefits, power numbers are quite healthy, with horsepower rated at 550, and an incredible 627 lb-ft of torque. Chief engineer for Blackwing, Jordan Lee states, “Designing an all-new engine was the best way to achieve the performance goals for the CT6 V-Sport. It builds on Cadillac’s well-established turbocharging know-how and forges new ground with innovative features that deliver exceptional performance and refinement.”
The CT6 sits in an interesting place in the Cadillac lineup. It’ll overlap the CTS for a year as the latter is phased out, but this Blackwing V8 powered model will fill eventually that gap and be called the CT6-V as a fully fledged V model.
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While that specific model has 4-doors, this power plant could also be in the CT5 coupe. Seen below, our research indicates this new model may make it’s debut within the next year. It’s size and shape indicates that it could use General Motors’ Alpha platform.
Although developed by Cadillac, and so far only slated for that brand within GM, the rumor mill has already started regarding this engine playing a role in the up-coming mid-engined Corvette.The rumor mill has some cred behind it, as a 5.5-liter variant of that “Blackwing” engine has already been patented by GM.
It makes sense if you think about it, too. Placing an engine behind the drivers presents packaging issues. Issues which the Blackwing could potentially solve, thanks to its compact and squared-off “Hot-V” engine setup.
There’s been rumors of a step away from the LS and LT engines because of the drastically different needs of that kind of performance car. But as they stand, those rumors are exactly that. Just rumors. More news as we have it.
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