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Where Will the Cadillac Blackwing V8 Go Next?

The Cadillac CT6 V-Sport turned full-blown CT6-V will have a very, very short life ahead of it. But, the car’s new 4.2-liter Cadillac Blackwing V8 engine will live on.

According to a report from Roadshow on Thursday, a source said the twin-turbo DOHC V8 will find a home in the next-generation Cadillac Escalade and the CTS-V’s replacement, likely called the CT5-V. When the engine debuted alongside the CT6 V-Sport (Cadillac rebranded the CT6 V-Sport as the CT6-V earlier this year) at the 2018 New York Auto Show, it was said to make 550 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque.

Cadillac 4.2L Twin Turbo V8 DOHC LTA Engine - 2018 New York Auto Show Live 002

Those figures are shy of the current CTS-V’s 640 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque, which a 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 engines makes, but Cadillac could easily crank up the boost and match, if not overshadow the small-block V8.

The Escalade is a serious no-brainer for the engine. Cadillac has said it wants to create some distance between the SUV’s platform mates, the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon. The exclusive Cadillac Blackwing V8 engine is one way to do just that. Currently, the Escalade shares its 6.2-liter V8 engine with the other SUVs. We’d expect the detuned 4.2-liter Blackwing V8 in the Escalade, though. The detuned version will also grace the CT6 briefly with 500 hp, down from the CT6-V’s 550 hp figure.

2020 Cadillac CT5 Exterior Spy Shots - October 2018 001

GM announced it will kill off a variety of its passenger cars this past Monday, including the CT6. The full-size sedan, assembled at the soon-to-be-idled Detroit-Hamtramck plant, will still launch with its planned updates for the 2019 model year, but Cadillac said it will exit production in the middle of next year.

Despite the end of production, Cadillac said it plans to have CT6 sedans in stock throughout 2019. But the CT6-V? That will likely be buyers only shot at owning a full-size Cadillac with V8 power once and for all.

Former GM Authority staff writer.

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Comments

  1. I think we’ll still see it end up at other brands. Silverado, Sierra, Tahoe, Suburban, Corvette, Camaro.

    Reply
    1. Given the fact that the engine in currant form is Cadillac exclusive, your not going to see it in another platform other then Cadillac. One might see a variant of it like in the up commingling C8, but its not the “Hot V” configuration that being put into the CT 6 V-Sport.

      Reply
      1. It was Cadillac exclusive under Johan, he’s gone as is the CT6-V in less than 2 years. They wont change the turbo configuration for other models, which is what the “Hot-V” is referring too. They may change turbo size and boost, but they wont reroute the turbo elsewhere.

        With all these measures to insure a secure future, GM will want to get a good ROI on that engine, which means dropping it in other models and brands.

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    2. Andrew,

      You are 100% right. It may take a few years but it will. I cant believe anything Cadillac says. They have been saying for years that we make world class cars. Have we got them yet? No.

      All future Cadillac will know as Chevyllacs/Chevallacs as someone mentioned in an another post.

      There is nothing wrong with parts/engine sharing as long it is done correctly – GM does not seem to know how to do that.

      Reply
      1. Andrew,

        You are 100% right. It may take a few years but it will. I cant believe anything Cadillac says. They have been saying for years that they will make world class cars. Have we got them yet? No.

        All future Cadillac will be know as Chevyllacs/Chevallacs as someone mentioned in an another post.

        There is nothing wrong with parts/engine sharing as long it is done correctly – GM does not seem to know how to do that.

        Reply
  2. Where’s it going next? Next? It has not gone anywhere yet.

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  3. XT6/7. Or just put it in Blazer and call it SS.

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  4. I need the boost upto 700 HP

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  5. CT6s in stock through 2019? Probably 2020, 2021,.,,..

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  6. The CT6 is dead.. but will be available til the end of 2019/.. which mean… unless U are an avid enthusiasts.. the news of its demise wont effect U in the least. I still am considering trading my ’16 CTS-V in for a ’19 CT6-V. The only thing that will stop me in fact, automotively related.. would be if I get even a hint that the real reason why the CT6 was not moved and killed.. is because there really is something to the rumor that the ESCALA is being built somewhere else. Either way.. GM is not ready to go full on with their EV plans on every vehicle. I wager that they won’t be a TESLA clone til 2030 at best. The U.S. infrastructure simply is not able to accommodate it. One would literally have to see as many EV charging stations as they see gas stations.. and that EV Charging station would have to be able to charge U up in 10 min or less. On to the actual topic.. the BLACKWING is a safe bet to go into the Escalade and CTS-V.. I would venture to say in the XT6 and CT4 as well. The Escalade and XT6 especially now that Lincoln has a high Output engine in their Aviator and Navigator

    Reply
    1. I think Escala is as dead as CT6. GM has made the calculation that they cannot sell a large sedan in sufficient volumes to meet internal corporate requirements. GM is not a niche carmaker, they only deal in pretty high volume stuff.

      I don’t agree with the assessment that a large sedan cannot sell in sufficient volumes to meet GM requirements; I think the reason CT6 didn’t sell better was that it didn’t have a V-8 and that its powertrains were all out of Chevrolets and it had a low-rent interior. I think a car like Escala, without obvious shortcomings would sell but I think GM disagrees and has exited that market for good.

      The future for Cadillac is the XT4, XT5, XT6, and Escalade which are all Chevy-based SUVs. It wouldn’t surprise me to read that Johan’s RWD CT4 and CT5 sedans have been shelved too.

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      1. Good ol GM build cheap and sell high and they wonder why their products are not selling.

        With the reputation that GM has (perceived and otherwise) They needed to make all of their vehicles better than all the rest and sell them for less.

        Then when they have established themselves as the leader of the pack then they can raise their prices to get their money back.

        Reputation first then the money comes later. It seems that GM tried to do it the other way around.

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      2. I’m not 100 on the Escala theory. The CT6 will still be being built in China.. a market that recognizes Cadillac as a luxury leader.. and still loves cars over CUVs.

        Ironically.. Americans will hate on Cadillac if they import the CT6 or Escala from a foreign market.. but buy a Lexus, BMW, Benz, Volvo from one. The stacks of high against GM and even Ford for that matter. Truth be told… if they went on record and said they were closing certain factories just for revenge and spite I’d still support them

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    2. The XT6 cannot handle the 4.2 V8 with it’s FWD platform. I don’t think it can handle the 3.0 TT either. Why anyone would want to buy a CT6, and throw down that kind of money ($80,000-$110,000) after this announcement is beyond me. The depreciation on these will be staggering…….

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      1. The XTS can handle the 3.6L TT quite well. Why cant a larger vehicle handle similar HP?

        Give a car AWD and almost anything is possible. For example, in “tour” mode in the XT5 there is MAJOR wheel spin and torque steer when floored. However, when put into “sport” there is absolutely none. People way underestimate the power of AWD sometimes.

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  7. I’ll believe it when I see it on a showroom floor, this is GM we’re talking about here.

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    1. I think it would make a lot of sense o spread it around to recuperate the huge thing nvestment. But like you said this is GM whose has a habit of investing huge sums of money in developing products only to abandon them in the short run.

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  8. YESSSSS!

    My wishlist:
    1) More energon (always)
    2) AWD AWD AWD AWD AWD!!!
    3) Priced no higher (pref lower!) than the Audi RS5 which has a porsche twin turbo engine, AWD and starts at $74 balloons. Starting closer to M3 money would be even better!
    4) Twin clutch? I like to downshift from time to time without having to depress the pedal and wait for a zillion years.

    If I can get 2 and 3, this will literally be the last car I buy before everything goes autonomous.

    Imagine sliding home from work in the snow with kids singing some Raffi tunez in the back blasting a 550hp roar pissing off all the neighbors. In rossa corsa with tan inside. Oh man. So stoked.

    Reply
    1. Even with slightly less power than the CTS, AWD would make this the quickest Cadillac ever. We can always hope GM lets this car see the light of day…

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  9. Cadillac is over for me! I still have a 2010 DTS Platinum, but Cadillac now offers me NOTHING ! I do NOT WANT A SUV so my only option is a foreign auto (probably a Mercedes) What does Cadillac offer to us older sedan owners ! Nothing !!! What is wrong with GM !! Older folks who want a Sedan who have money, all must got to buy foreign cars ! T.Y.No wonder Johan left he probably got wind of GM’s latest Brainstorm!

    Reply
    1. No offense.. but GM/Cadillac built 2 large sedans for U.. for the last 3(2016-2019 CT6) and 6(2013-2019 XTS) years. Both have won gobs of praise. One is literally a superior version of your DTS, while one is a direct competitor to the S550 (3.0LPlatinum CT6) and U still haven’t bought.. maybe.. they just tired of waiting. BTW.. there are still new XTSs and CT6s on the showroom floor til the end of 2019… a year that hasn’t even happened yet.

      My name is Cmicasa the GreatXvX.. and I approve this message LOL

      Reply
  10. I wonder if an CT5/Alpha based Chevy sedan is still in the cards since Impala will be history?.

    Reply
  11. It is dead on arrival. Tell us something relevant. Like a new car, not a dead car. Please.

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  12. Owned a 2002 DTS. Great car with many innovative features. Car had “Street presence” for those us Car Guys that like to drive flashy cars. When the CT6 arrived I went to dealer and drove one, a V6. I was not impressed! The car felt smaller even though the specs we’re about the same as the outgoing DTS. And no V8! When you see one on the street it looks just like the CTS and doesn’t stand out as a luxury car. I searched the internet and found a extremely low miles 2011 DTS Premium and bought it! Car stands out in a crowd, As a Cadillac! I also own 2 Corvettes and a 2010 Escalade. However, it’s getting difficult to remain loyal to GM….

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  13. This is another potential reason for why General Motors CEO Mary Barra needs to be fired.. she killed off the CT6; but what to do with the 550 hp Blackwing V8 engine as the only viable home for the V8 is the next generation Cadillac Escalade and the upcoming Cadillac XT6 CUV.

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    1. Mary Barra is a disaster period, she has to go.

      Reply
  14. I heard that Buick will get that engine,
    in what I don’t know but something is cooking at Buick

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    1. If Buick does get the Engine it will most likely be for China only. Can’t say that I really understand GM who treat the people in their home country like second or third citizens. We are almost never considered first when it comes to new products.

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    2. Put it in something like the Buick Avista… Too bad after that concept died, it became abundantly clear nothing is cooking at Buick.

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  15. The CT6 is a rear , or all wheel drive.

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  16. Importing a top of the line Cadillac from China would be a profound mistake not just for marketing, but for the brand.

    Reply

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