The Cadillac CT6 is currently the only model to utilize the venerable twin-turbo 4.2L LTA V8, known more popularly as the Cadillac Blackwing V8. Unfortunately, North American production of the Cadillac CT6 is slated to end in just a few days, raising doubts over the future of this impressive powerplant. However, Cadillac President Steve Carlisle recently dropped a hint to our sister publication, Cadillac Society, about the Blackwing’s future, providing a glimmer of hope the motor won’t bite the bullet after all.
Cadillac Society spoke with Carlisle at the recent debut event for the 2021 Cadillac Escalade in Beverly Hills, and asked the executive directly what was in store for the Cadillac Blackwing V8. “We don’t have a plan for the [Blackwing] engine at the moment,” Carlisle told Cadillac Society. “But we were very encouraged by the reactions to the Blackwing, so there will be a little bit of Blackwing still. We’re not done rolling out our performance sedans, so stay tuned on that.”
The Cadillac Blackwing V8 has a wild and wooly ride right out of the gates. Allegedly developed specifically for Cadillac as the brand’s first DOHC engine since the Northstar, it was originally believed that the ‘eight was headed to the next-level, go-faster variant of the Cadillac CT5-V. However, despite adoption of the Blackwing name, the go-faster CT5-V is now believed to come with the same supercharged 6.2L LT4 V8 as the Cadillac CTS-V.
What’s more, the go-faster Cadillac CT4-V, which will also adopt the Blackwing name, is expected to mount the same twin-turbocharged 3.6L LF4 V6 as the Cadillac ATS-V.
| 3.6L V6 TT LF4 | 6.2L V8 Supercharged LT4 | 4.2L V8 TT Blackwing LTA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vehicle | ATS-V | CTS-V | CT6-V |
| Horsepower | 464 | 640 | 550 |
| Torque | 445 | 630 | 640 |
Throw in the discontinuation of the Cadillac CT6 here in North America, and the fate of the Cadillac Blackwing V8 is still up in the air. Nevertheless, it sounds like Cadillac won’t simply chuck this impressive piece of engineering into the trash. Rather, it’s possible the LTA may see use in some future special edition model, but that’s little more than speculation at this point.
Rest assured we’ll follow this story as it develops, so stay tuned. In the meantime, subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac CT6 news, Cadillac news, and around-the-clock GM news coverage.
This post was created in collaboration with our sister publication, Cadillac Society.
Comments
What a waste. On paper that engine is a freaking beast. And GM doesn’t have a suitable chassis?
They can put it in A2XX (CT5/CT4), but the problem is it airgaps too close to their traditional LT4 and TTV6 motors in terms of output.
The likely candidate is the Omega-based SUV that will replace the CT6, probably called “XT9”. But its development got started way too late.
I think that platform may underpin the Corvette SUV too. Blackwing for the Cadillac “XT9” – LT4 for the Corvette SUV.
Are you sure they are making an SUV off of Omega? I thought it was finished. I have not heard that reported anywhere else but it would be good news for Cadillac if true.
Omega and VSS-R are rather close together, so it’s hard to say. I think it’s a distinction without a difference from a competitive standpoint.
Considering how much VSS keeps getting pushed back, my hope is much like C8 pricing, GM did a double fake and made the first “XT9” a quick hatchback-and-lift atop the CT6… much like the XT4.
I really hope you are correct. There hasn’t been much smoke about VSSR lately. I’d love to see some spy shots to know the platform hasn’t been scrapped. I just hate that XT6 and the GV80 are about to be “competing” against each other. There is no excuse for Cadillac not having a similar vehicle on the market by now.
Every interview with Cadillac leadership only emphasizes that the ship has sailed and no one is at the controls.
My take is the rudder has fallen off the ship.
Can’t really put much stock in anything said by those who lead Cadillac. Remember when they backtracked and said news of the CT6 demise were premature? Hmm, CT6 ends production in N.A. in a few days.
Maybe I’m being pessimistic, but his statement is vague enough that he could be referencing only the use of the Blackwing name on the HiPo Vs. I suspect the engine is dead.
Exactly, the marketing people at GM are controlling the Blackwing name now. They’re just trying to squeeze as much equity out of that name until the buying public figures out it’s a sham. Remember in the 1990’s and early 2000’s when Pontiac would slap the Ram Air label onto some its cars?
Exactly my thoughts. The Blackwing is gone, we need to just accept that and move on.
Who knows? Maybe there will be an Escalade V…
I think there will be, but I doubt it gets the Blackwing.
This story is to give false hope and cover the mess created by GM on building a needed engine ten abandoning it for a cheaper model.
You do not build high end luxury cars by seeing how cheap you can build them.
You can sell them for more money if you put something special in them.
GM could put this Blackwing engine in a special model of the Camaro. It will sell, but they can’t make the volume too high, because the engines are hand built by only a few guys. Or they could put the Blackwing engine in a special version of the Vette, to meet certain racing class restrictions which are based on engine size. Or use it as an airplane engine or a high end boat engine. These are both low volume uses which will keep the Blackwing shop guys busy without them being laid off to do other work within GM.
The Camaro is already dead and losing millions for GM. They’re not going to re-engineered the car and put GM’s most expensive engine in it. Who will pay for this?
Some people comment here and have absolutely no business sense at all…
Mary Bara team – incompetent – Cadillac on the right track with Art and Science and then pooped the bed badly…
Art & Science was distinctive and its evolutionary updates withstood the litmus test. Even some of Cadillac’s current exterior design features are done well but when applied to the CT5 & 4, they don’t work cohesively.
More proof GM is totally directionless. No vision for the future at all. EV’s are the future, UNTIL THEY ARE NOT! What a joke.
Blackwing is not going anywhere. There is at least one big i.c.e. crossover on its way. Let’s call it “Xt7” based on the new platform. There is a coupe on its way. So chill. They will probably have ev versions also. Ala audi q8/audi e-tron. But ice engines won’t dissappear.
My insiders told me that this engine was not dead.
Where the heck did you get THAT info? Making an entirely new SUV crossover to slot between the Escalade and the XT6 makes no sense at all. If people want a bigger SUV than the XT6, there’s the Escalade for that. No way GM will allocate the funding for that, especially after the new Escalade just dropped.
The coupe thing is especially funny. If you think a coupe is coming when they can’t even sell the SEDAN, then you don’t know Cadillac.
The reality likely is, that the Blackwing was always a modified version of the new DOHC V8 that’s going into the new C8 Z06, and it was only built to appease JDN before he got canned. After he was gone, they killed his vision, and his engine. It’s dead, sadly, and it’s not coming back.
JDN was good for Cadillac. In my opinion he is the reason we are now seeing a small bump in Cadillac competence. Since he is gone the bump is small and will be short lived.
If they throw the exact same LF4 and LT4 in the CT4 and 5 it will be an epic failure. I suspect at most they will apply modest 5-10% power bumps to “justify” the Blackwing name.
I agree that JDN was good. I disagree that we’re seeing a “bump”. CT6 MCE was great. CT4 and 5 are not great. I’ve read JDN had bigger plans for them but they were scrapped and GM decided to do a heavy facelift to the existing cars instead. All the crossovers are pretty lame. Escalade has a nice interior but powertrain and exterior are lackluster. I suspect Blackwing V8 and a unique exterior body were in the plans but were nixed. I want to be encouraged by the Escalade interior, but I need proof it’s not a one off. Curious to see how the electric crossover turns out. That will tell us a lot about Cadillac.
The electric crossover will be built by the same folks who built the “first ever” Cadillac ELR. I think everyone needs to keep that reality in mind.
ELR looked awesome, inside and out. If I’m remembering correctly, it’s biggest problem was being way overpriced. Being a small coupe probably didn’t help either.
Agreed on all counts.
Sorry but I saw nothing from JDN except this short-lived CT6-V with Blackwing. Am I missing something?
CTS-V and ATS-V were completed before he arrived. The quality of their CT4/5 replacements is very questionable– carryover at best, regressions at worst.
On SUVs, Escalade is the best brand engineering job at GM ever, but it can happen robotically with/without anyone at the helm. The other XT4/5/6 brand engineered crossovers are just nothing to write home about. Can’t hold a candle to Lincoln anymore.
How about using a lower powered 4-cyl turbo when all of the competitors are increasing power? Who takes credit for that misfire?
How did that move to NYC work out? I guess not too well.
So all there is to show for JDN’s tenure is this short-lived CT6-V (Vsport to be precise, as this was never even intended to be a true V).
Enough Blackwing nostalgia. We’ll be lucky if the new V sedans are not neutered versions of their predecessors…
I don’t think we’ll ever see much of what JDN had planned. I think he deserves credit for the CT6 MCE and Escalade. The CT5 was originally planned to be built on Omega. I assume a more substantially overhauled CT4 was also in the works at one point. Remember, the CT6 V-sport was “upgraded” to a V within days following JDN’s departure. I don’t think that’s coincidence.
My information is legit.
According to your logic Cadillac won’t produce anything anymore. Escalade is the last cadillac lol.
There will be xt7(it will have its own beautiful name). Escalade is a local cash cow,while that will go global. There also will be an ultra luxury suv. But before that we will see an rwd based “xt7”. Fwd based xt6 is just a temporary model.
Coupe and a 4 door cabrio is not a rumor. But the last one will be electric.
My insiders don’t lie. They told me that Escalade would get Escala dash 1,5 years ago. The gave me lots of info that actually happened later. Anyway we will see spy shots soon.
How does my logic mean Cadillac won’t produce anything anymore? Just because BMW won’t produce an X9 or whatever, doesn’t mean the X7 won’t get new generations down the road.
I’m sorry, but until I see it, basing my views on what I’ve seen from “where the hell are we?” Cadillac in the last however many years or decades, I don’t see that happening. The ‘global large SUV” thing makes sense on paper, but Cadillac has almost no global presence minus China…where they don’t need a huge SUV. They’re selling very well there. Additionally, with Cadillac trying to go electric, a gas “XT7” makes no sense. And coupes and cabriolets…don’t sell.
I have no clue who you are, or who your insiders are, so I can’t say with certainty that you’re wrong. But based on what I do know, looking at past evidence and future prospects, nothing of what you said seems even remotely likely. I could very well be wrong, but I highly doubt it. Now, if you wanted to lend your take some credence by sharing how you’d know this, what you do, or who your “insiders” are…I’d be very willing to listen. Until then, I can’t believe any of it.
“We don’t have a plan for the [Blackwing] engine at the moment. But we were very encouraged by the reactions to the Blackwing, so there will be a little bit of Blackwing still. We’re not done rolling out our performance sedans, so stay tuned on that.”
I wouldn’t view that statement as hope for anything. He says “We don’t have a plan” and “There will be a little bit of Blackwing still” which likely means they’ll use the name on products that don’t have the engine. That’s all that means. It’s confirmation of the lame plan we’ve already heard about to rebrand the V’s as ‘Blackwing’. It’s also GM speak that means “keep waiting”. In Cadillac’s world, nothing is ever delivered on time and fully competitive. Instead it’s always a waiting game for something that ultimately proves to be a disappointment followed by more promises to get it right in the future. At some point, folks just need to give up on Cadillac. I have. They are never going to get anything right or win. GM needs to sell the brand to someone that knows how to manage a luxury brand. Kohl’s clothes Mary has no clue.
Escalade is the latest disappointment. While the interior is nice this time, it doesn’t have its own body or the Blackwing and its still just a Chevy work truck underneath.
Agree with everything you said. Silverado/Sierra can have unique bodies but Escalade cannot!?!? I’ve been a fan of Cadillac for almost two decades. Been waiting for almost the entire time. I’m now a potential costumer, but unfortunately can’t see myself making a purchase from them.
Is Cadillac coming up with a replacement for the CT6 or has GM just decided to have the Japs and Krauts rule the luxury market.
Supposedly, they are. It’s still a few years off. Only thing is…it’ll be electric. Damn.
A used 2019 or 2020 CT6 is something I’m really starting to covet 7-8 years down the road, because what was arguably their best sedan in over 4 decades is going to be the last of the Mohicans of classic full-size Cadillac sedans.
So few of these engines have been built. Do we know if there are any issues with them?
BMW V8’s with the turbos in the V have had issues. They run incredibly hot and have had a high rate of failures.
Is it possible that GM are forecasting high warranty costs on an engine which is already very expensive to build?
This is, I believe, another plausible scenario. I wouldn’t associate it with the BMW issues – they have issues, period. But with the lack of observed innovation at GM, swinging for the fence with a small displacement, very high boost, hot-V, DOHC V8 that produces twice the horsepower and torque of the only other DOHC V8 ever designed and produced by GM, *may* have been well above the capabilities of those responsible for the project.
Time will tell…but with only a few thousand (?) produced, issues could be concealed, if GM wants them to be concealed.
I am very lucky to have a 2020 CT6 Platinum with the Blackwing engine. It’s an amazing car. I can’t believe that they are discontinuing the car. This is my second CT6 Platinum, the last one was a perfect car. I am not interested in the smaller CT4 or CT5.
Take good care of it, and let us know when you’re tired of it.
Ok GM if you are scanning these comments like Ford does (Hint). Then listen up. Do not stop the production of this badass looking car especially when a badass like Ray Donovan drove it for 2 seasons.
Spend more money on the vehicle raising it standards refining it’s fit and finish and adding more vehicles to the line up coupes, convertibles, etc. If you want to compete with the Germans you cannot end this vehicle production. Most people who spend money on German vehicles don’t wish to drive a Buick or a Chevy.
Put same amount of effort\money\design you put into the Escalade into all your vehicles.
The Bottom line is Cadillac needs to be it own division with it’s own vision, money, engineers, design teams. In Its own building. Move them back to Manhattan.
I have grown up riding around with my uncle and grandfather in GM vehicles. I have owned GM vehicles for many years both Chevy, Oldsmobile, Pontiac, GMC. I now own a 2016 GMC Denali and Escalade.. Love them both I love my Cadillac the best.
Also two more things get ride of the torque rating on the back of the vehicle it stupid. In your commercials advertisements get more YOUNGER looking successful, family, looking people driving the vehicles both men and women. The XT6 commercial has young people that’s great more of it…
Last thing Cadillac is starting to get looked at by many people if you want to compete you have to keep the cars and add more to the line up.. If you want the German, Japanese luxury car buyers to buy Cadillacs you have to offer them something that is going to be better that what they have period…
Rename the V-Series the Blackwing series ..
GM does not want Cadillac to compete with the Germans. That would require a lot of effort. That would be hard. GM would rather take a Tahoe, which itself is a Chevy work truck underneath and add a heaping helping of chrome and some leather, do a little custom interior work, and call it luxury. They then add a $40,000 markup for a few thousand in actual added content and make a fortune. It’s their recipe for the XT6 too. Take a Traverse and make it a Cadillac on the cheap.
The CT6 had to die because with the Blackwing it was finally a true-blue, honest, exclusive Caddy with a top notch engine and unique platform and GM just doesn’t do that. The bean counters must’ve been tricked into building it like the Fiero team tricked them all those years ago. But alas, the bean counters always win at GM. They pull the plug on the stuff that can’t be built cheap and priced high. That’s why Cadillac will never compete with the Germans despite the never ending lip service to the contrary.
I liken it to taking a Timex and putting a fancy case around it and pretending you’ve created a Rolex competitor. You can sell it to dumb people and make a lot of money but the savvy customers know the difference. The CT6 Blackwing was the true Rolex; the Escalade is just another Timex to be snapped up by professional athletes and the like that don’t know the difference.
This may be an accurate assessment. If it is, they (GM bean counters) are incapable of appreciating the Corvette model – the halo concept that lends credibility to each vehicle below it, in turn generating additional value in each of those.
The CT6 with Blackhawk was a halo vehicle for Cadillac. But before it’s gravitas could be leveraged into a desire for buyers to WANT to buy CT4 & CT5 (marginal, but more affordable cars), GM pulled the plug – AFTER, of course, spending hundreds (?) of millions to develop it.
There are absolutely no winners in this. GM lost money and credibility it can never recover. CT6 buyers lost money when GM killed their model, devaluing their purchases at a much faster rate than if the car remained in production.
“venerable”? The Blackwing was in one model, for like 1 year. How the heck is this engine “venerable”? It has neither age, nor wisdom, nor character. I do not think that word means what you think it means.
Agree 100 percent. I thought that too but didn’t want to be the one to say it.
It appears the GM and Boeing have similar leadership issues! GM creates these absolutely gorgeous concept cars that would re-establish Cadillac as a world class luxury brand only to cave in to the bean counters demands for bland and boring!
So true!!!! Elmiraj, would have been a huge hit, BUT NO, GM cant do that…….
Lol, at least you can still get a Cadillac car, Lincoln think everyone will fall out their chairs for faux Range Rovers without the off-road capabilities.
Today I saw a new CT6 traveling alongside a new Lexus LS and looking at the two, both painted black, and looking similarly sleek and elegant, I thought to myself, Cadillac almost made it. After all the hype and promises, they almost got there. They came close to being a Tier 1 luxury carmaker. It would’ve taken more years for consumers to see Cadillac as a peer, and their lineup needed more Omega variants but in the critical flagship niche, Cadillac finally had a product in their CT6 Blackwing that was competitive, and a top-notch flagship sedan is critical to how a brand is perceived. Lexus can sell a ton of RX models because the halo of the LS and LC shine brightly over them. Cadillac almost had a real halo…..for one brief shining moment.
Nah! Not even close. Lexus rates at the very top of every consumer agencies while Cadillac is at the very bottom. It takes more than a little styling to be there. Tier 1, are you kidding? Cadillac has barely 1% of the world luxury car market and most countries only know the name outside the US because Elvis had one.
The GM / Cadillac way of thinking… The Blackwing engine costs money…. The Blackwing name costs nothing…. Lets go with the name! Look at all the money we saved!!!!!! This is how you BOLDLY lead the industry!!!!
Cadillacs good days are many years behind them. GM should drop this brand now or keep it in China where it belongs. Cadillacs problem is in its reliability. Anyone under 65 years old wants nothing to do with Cadillac. GM cooked its own goose and it didn’t happen overnight. Caddys are JUNK !!!!! And their lousy resale value proves this.
Blackwing is just like every other 4 or so liter turbo V8! The LTs are more american and more reliable.