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Cadillac 4.2L Twin Turbo V8 Designed With Turbos In Mind, Can Hold 4 Fuel Pumps

The 2018 New York International Auto Show was dominated by Cadillac news. With the debut of the first-ever 2019 Cadillac XT4, a refreshed 2019 Cadillac CT6, and the introduction of an exclusive DOHC engine in the first-ever 2019 CT6 V-Sport, the brand threw its own party in a city it has called home for two years and counting. And while the significance of a new Cadillac crossover can’t be overlooked, the real excitement seems to revolve around the 2019 CT6 V-Sport and its punchy new LTA V8 twin-turbo engine.

The introduction of an all-new DOHC V8 engine architecture fuels a lot of speculation. Will it go in the Corvette? Will it come in different displacements? Will it come in naturally aspirated form? A few of these questions are too early to confirm officially, but after an interview with Cadillac V8 chief engineer Jordan Lee, we have and understanding that the new 4.2L LTA V8 engine won’t be shedding the turbos any time soon.

“(The LTA) was designed from the ground up with turbos in mind,” said Lee. “Think of it as a point solution for Cadillac. It’s a purpose-built and designed engine for the CT6 V-Sport.”

It’s difficult for a turbocharged engine to replicate the pedal feel and power band of a naturally aspirated V8 engine. However, Lee said the torque curve isn’t finished being shaped yet, but did note that his team could engineer the engine to breathe without turbos, if need be. Moreover, the new engine architecture likely has capacity for greater potency.

“This engine has two pumps, but can have as many as four,” said Lee. Lee also oversaw the development of the current Gen V Small Block family, including the 6.2L LT1, LT4 and LT5 performance engines.

With 550 horsepower and 627 lb-ft of torque as a baseline, it’s easy to assume this all-new DOHC V8 engine architecture has potential to be one of the most powerful V8 engines the world has ever seen from any automaker. That’s if it should ever plug in another set of fuel pumps, and add the necessary provisions such as increased airflow.

So while Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen has been vocal about Corvette never getting “this engine,” the extra power on the table seems deliberate. It’s hard to imagine a future Corvette not utilizing this engine architecture, likely with a quartet of fuel pumps, but nothing is confirmed.

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Former staff.

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Comments

  1. Cadillac’s LTA engine will not be in these corvette c8 ME. Corvette C8 ME engine will be different. Cadillac’s LTA engine will go into other Cadillac models. As I said before this engine is more powerful, then there showing.

    Reply
    1. Maybe the intention is to use similar “engine architecture” in a new 5.5L twin-turbo V8 for the ME C8???

      I hope so.

      Reply
  2. I wonder how long it will take the horizontals on these plastic headlights to scratch and yellow like their predecessors… It’s like a cross between a hearse and the batmobile… hearse looks, batmobile performance… and looks

    Reply
    1. Plastic yellowed and faded headlights are only due to neglect. They don’t all do that if you use the correct wash soap and keep the vehicle waxed.

      Reply
    2. Same as any car. Not forever but longer than the previous generation.

      Plastics have come a long way even in the last 10 years.

      Reply
  3. I have a high suspicion this will be the new motor for V series/Escalade too.

    Reply
  4. High Performance PHEV and All electric BEV plug in is coming from Cadillac too.

    Reply
  5. I just hope they’re not making the thing slower by messing with the “pedal feel”…

    Reply
  6. Given most DOHC-4v engines generate about 90 hp-per-liter of displacement, one can assume a naturally aspirated 4.2L DOHC-4v V8 being capable of generating 390-400 hp and should be built as it could be an excellent engine for vehicles in Cadillac fleet as possibly as a mid-engine option with the LTA twin-turbo variant being the top option.

    Reply
    1. LOL. “90 hp-per-liter of displacement”… only in America…. in the 2010s…

      I remember the second car I looked at back in the early 90’s was a Toyota “something” coupe (can’t remember the model name) but it’s 1.6 liter DOHC NA engine put out 200bhp at the crank (That’s 125bhp per liter). Japanese & European engines have a much higher specific-output-per-liter in NA engines.

      Reply
  7. C8 ME :: LT1 V8 engine, Later- 5,2 liter DOHC N/A V8 engine, TT 4.6-liter DOHC V8 engine (TT on side of block), 5.4-liter TT DOHC V8 engine (TT on side of block-with-Hybrid High-performance system.)

    Reply

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