The General Motors Alpha 2 platform, otherwise written Alpha II, is an automotive vehicle architecture designed to underpin compact and mid-size vehicles with a longitudinal front-engine, rear-drive configuration. The platform is a successor to the first generation Alpha architecture, or Alpha 1.
Like Alpha 1, Alpha 2 was engineered with a focus on world-class driving dynamics and light weight, and can be adapted to underpin luxury and non-luxury vehicles. The new chassis was first used by the 2020 Cadillac CT4 and 2020 Cadillac CT5 sedans, and is expected to underpin the seventh-generation Chevy Camaro, if a seventh-gen model is to exist, that is.
| Production: | 2020-Present |
| Driveline: | Longitudinal, Front-Engine, Rear-Wheel Drive |
| Class: | Compact, Midsize |
| Vehicle Type: | Passenger Cars, Sports Cars |
| Body Styles: | 4-Door Sedan |
| Predecessor: | Alpha 1 |
| Successor: | – |
Overview
Alpha 2 was engineered with the same criteria as Alpha 1 – to support compact and mid-size passenger cars with a focus on being lightweight and delivering exceptional driving dynamics.
Similar to the first variant of the platform, Alpha 2 supports rear-wheel and all-wheel-drivetrain configurations. Interestingly, Alpha 2 platform indirectly replaces the Omega platform, at least in the case of the Cadillac CT5, as the original plan was to base a future entry in the luxury car D-segment (internally referred to by Cadillac as Luxury Car 3) on the Omega platform. That Luxury Car 3 model is what we know today as the Cadillac CT5. Alas, those plans never came to be, as development of Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) started to sap funds from actual vehicle programs. These costly, resource-intensive endeavors caused a change in thinking as it relates to the business, leading to the discontinuation of the CT6 – which remains the only vehicle based on the Omega platform. The change in business strategy resulted in the XT6 on the C1 platform, while the CT5 was shifted to ride on the Alpha 2 chassis.
Notable components of the platform include:
- Front-engined, longitudinally-mounted layout
- A four wheel independent suspension system with a McPherson Strut in the front and a 5-link independent setup in the rear
- Rear- and all-wheel-drive applications
- Flexible wheelbase configurations
- Extensive use of high-strength steels
Engines
The Alpha 2 platform is expected to be capable of supporting a wide range of General Motors engines, including naturally-aspirated and force-inducted variants of four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines.
Vehicle Applications
| Year | Vehicle | Transmission | Engine | Power (hp / kW @ RPM) | Torque (lb-ft / Nm @ RPM) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-Present | Cadillac CT4 | 8-Speed Auto (M5N) | 2.0L LSY I4 | 237 / 177 @ 5000 | 258 / 350 @ 1500-4000 |
| 2020-Present | Cadillac CT4 | 10-Speed Auto (MQA) | 2.7L L3B I4 | 310 / 231 @ 5500 | 350 / 475 @ 1500-4000 |
| 2020-Present | Cadillac CT4-V | 10-Speed Auto (MQA) | 2.7L L3B I4 | 325 / 242 @ 5500 | 380 / 515 @ 2000-4000 |
| 2022-Present | Cadillac CT4-V Blackwing | 10-Speed Auto or 6-Speed Manual | TBD | TBD | TBD |
| 2020-Present | Cadillac CT5 | 10-Speed Auto | 2.0L LSY I4 | 237 / 177 @ 5000 | 258 / 350 @ 1500-4000 |
| 2020-Present | Cadillac CT5 | 10-Speed Auto | 3.0L LGY | 335 / 250 @ 5400 | 405 / 550 @ 2350-4000 |
| 2020-Present | Cadillac CT5-V | 10-Speed Auto | 3.0L LGY | 360 / 268 @ 5400 | 405 / 550 @ 2350 |
| 2022-Present | Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing | 10-Speed Auto or 6-Speed Manual | 6.2L LT5 V8* | TBD | TBD |
Alpha 2 News
2025 Cadillac CT5-V, CT5-V Blackwing Production Has Begun
Delivery estimates are still on track for late 2024.
Read More »
