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Cadillac Blackwing

The Cadillac Blackwing moniker represents the pinnacle of the automaker’s performance offerings, and may refer to one of three current products: the CT4-V Blackwing sedan, the CT5-V Blackwing sedan, or the twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter LTA V8 engine utilized by the now-discontinued CT6 and CT6-V.

Blackwing V8TT Engine

The name first took hold with the arrival of the 2019 Cadillac CT6 and 2019 CT6-V, which were available with the hand-built, twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter LTA V8 engine. At the time of the CT6-Vs birth, the Blackwing nameplate was specific to the powerplant, while the model itself was simply the CT6-V. For the CT6 model, a detuned version of the engine was restricted to the Platinum trim level.

Assigned GM RPO code LTA, the eight-cylinder, Dual-Overhead Cam (DOHC) gasoline engine is the result of a new clean-sheet design. It’s also Cadillac’s first-ever twin-turbo V-8 engine, and features the following highlights:

  • Twin-scroll turbochargers
  • Electronic wastegate control
  • Twin water-to-air charge coolers
  • Twin throttle bodies
  • Direct injection
  • Dual-independent camshaft phasing
  • Active Fuel Management / Cylinder Deactivation
  • Variable-pressure oiling system
  • Stop/start technology

As mentioned, engine output varied from model to model. Output figures are shown in the table below:

Model Year Brand Model Engine Transmission Power hp / kW @ RPM Torque lb-ft / Nm @ RPM
2019 Cadillac CT6 Platinum LTA 10L90 500 / 373 @ 5000-5200 553 / 750 @ 2600 – 4600
2019 Cadillac CT6-V LTA 10L90 550 / 410 @ 5700 627 / 850 @ 3200 – 4000

The boosted V8 was only used in the CT6 Platinum and CT6-V, with no other GM vehicles utilizing it. The engine was discontinued in conjunction with the discontinuation of the CT6 model range in North America.

CT4-V Blackwing Sedan

With Cadillac’s transition to its Y-trim strategy during the launch of the CT4 sedan, the nameplate was split into a three-tier lineup comprised of the CT4 (Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport), CT4-V, and the range-topping CT4-V Blackwing. While the CT4-V offers a sporty model over the regular CT4 models, the CT4-V Blackwing is the highest-performing vehicle within the CT4 model range.

Notably, the CT4-V Blackwing is the only CT4 model to offer a manual transmission. A 10-speed automatic is available as an option. The high-performance sedan comes equipped with the torquey twin-turbocharged LF4 V6, and is available exclusively in rear-wheel-drive configuration.

Model Year Brand Model Engine Transmission Power hp / kW @ RPM Torque lb-ft / Nm @ RPM
2022 Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing LF4 6-Speed Manual or 10-Speed Auto 472 / 352 @ 5750 445 / 603 @ 3000

The Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing was first seen in a teaser aired during the Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race, and was officially unveiled on February 1st, 2021. The CT4 range topper launched during the summer of 2021 as a 2022 model year vehicle.

CT5-V Blackwing Sedan

The Y-trim strategy was also applied to the CT5, resulting in the CT5 (Luxury, Premium Luxury, Sport), CT5-V, and range-topping CT5-V Blackwing. While the super sedan offers a boosted V8, it does not feature the twin-turbocharged 4.2-liter LTA Blackwing V8, as its name may suggest. Instead, the familiar supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V8 sits under the hood of the CT5-V Blackwing with a GM-estimated output of 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque.

Similar to the CT4-V Blackwing, the CT5-V Blackwing is the only CT5 model to offer a manual transmission, which is a substantial departure compared to its indirect predecessor, the third-gen CTS-V sedan. Cadillac says the luxury sedan is capable of reaching over 200 miles per hour.

Model Year Brand Model Engine Transmission Power hp / kW @ RPM Torque lb-ft / Nm @ RPM
2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing LT4 6-Speed Manual or 10-Speed Auto 668 / 498 @ 6400 659 / 893 @ 3600

Just like the more compact CT4-V Blackwing, the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing was first seen in a teaser aired during the Rolex 24 At Daytona endurance race, was officially unveiled on February 1st, 2021. It launched during the summer of 2021 as a 2022 model year vehicle.

Discussion

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