The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is the most powerful production car from the luxury brand of General Motors. Engineering Explained presenter Jason Fenske has all the details about the monster engine in the new high-performance sedan.
Blackwing is the name of an engine and the highest level of performance models from Cadillac. But the CT5-V Blackwing does not use the Blackwing engine, which was a 4.2-liter twin-turbo V-8 that debuted in the discontinued CT6-V sedan. Instead, Cadillac chose the supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 from the CT5-V Blackwing’s predecessor, the CTS-V. However, the engine is now tuned to 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque, compared to the previous 640 hp and 630 pound-feet.
The 6.2-liter supercharged V-8, in turn, is based on the LT4 engine, which debuted in the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 C7 generation for the 2015 model year. It is also a push-rod engine, while the twin-engine V-8 4.2 liters boasted double cams on the head. Their turbos were also located between the cylinder banks in a “Hot-V” arrangement for better response.
2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
On the CT6-V, the 4.2-liter engine produced 550 hp and 640 lb-ft of torque, which is actually more hp per liter than the larger supercharged engine. In the CT6 sedan with four-wheel drive, the Blackwing engine achieved even better fuel economy than the LT4 engine in the C7 Z06, noted Fenske. So why did GM choose the engine derived from the Chevy instead of the specific engine of the Cadillac?
First, the supercharged engine can run higher than the twin engine – 6,600 rpm versus 6,000 rpm. The 6.2-liter engine is also quite compact for its displacement, said Fenske (remember, it was designed to fit under the hood of a Corvette). It is also more responsive, he noted. Even if you disagree with the engine choice, it is also important to note that the CT5-V receives a standard 6-speed manual transmission – something that was not available in the CT6-V or CTS-V sedans.
The CT5-V Blackwing may also be one of the last of its kind. Just before revealing the supercharged sedan, GM announced that it “aspires” to eliminate the exhaust from all its passenger cars and light trucks by 2035. While aspiration is different from the compromise, it is a sign that the days of internal combustion are over. counted in America largest automaker. Even before the announcement, the Cadillac was expected to be mostly electric in the next decade, starting with the Lyriq SUV and the Celestiq sedan.