Cadillac is responsible for bringing to market the first mass-produced V8, the L-head engine introduced in 1914 in the Type 51 with a displacement of 5.1 liters. The most luxurious brand controlled by General Motors also used to offer V8s across the lineup before the Oil Crisis, but as you’re well aware, only two models can be had with eight cylinders today.
The Escalade takes its mojo from a small-block V8 based on the LT1 of the Camaro, a 6.2-liter engine modified for truck use. In this application, General Motors offers 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet (624 Nm) of torque, which is alright for a full-size SUV that isn’t going anywhere fast.
Revealed for the 2022 model year, the CT5-V Blackwing features a similar displacement and an Eaton four-lobe supercharger for good measure. The 1.7-liter blower helps the LT4 engine develop 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet (893 Nm) of torque, making the mid-size sedan the most powerful Cadillac ever produced and the most potent iteration of the LT4.
Jason Fenske of Engineering Explained is much obliged to analyze the all-aluminum lump against a 4.2-liter V8 with a twin-turbo setup, the engine that brought us the Blackwing name in the first place. To make a long story short, Cadillac discontinued it after one application in the guise of the CT6-V. Adding insult to injury, General Motors doesn’t plan to use the hot-vee design in the Corvette ZR1 and Zora for the 2024 and 2025 model years.
One of the most important details highlighted by Jason is how the LT4 revs higher than the LTA-codenamed Blackwing. 6,600 versus 6,000 RPM seems like a negligible difference at first glance, but it’s not if you remember that we’re dealing with pushrods versus an overhead-cam engine.
Scheduled to arrive at dealers nationwide in the summer, the CT5-V Blackwing may also be the final Cadillac with a supercharged V8 we’ll get because General Motors will go electric by 2035. Cadillac is expected to lead the zero-emissions business plan with an all-electric lineup by 2030.
Here it is! This is the LT4 engine to be used in the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing! 668 HP, 659 lb-ft from a 6.2L...
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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