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Chief Engineer Explains Why 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing Didn't Get LT5 Engine

The most powerful Cadillac ever produced could’ve been more powerful, but the crown jewel of General Motors decided against the LT5 small-block V8 of the C7 ZR1 over a simple issue. According to Blackwing chief engineer Mirza Grebovic, “you couldn’t see out of the car.”
2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing 17 photos
Photo: Cadillac
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He isn’t mistaken, though. A shaker-like hood and a dry-sump lubrication system featuring a supply tank would have made the hood of the CT-5 Blackwing so high that you wouldn’t see outside of the car. “We wouldn’t have met regulatory requirements for vision,” Mirza told Cadillac Society.

That isn’t the only problem with the LT5, which mainly differs from the LT4 in terms of supercharger displacement (2.65 versus 1.7 liters). “Let’s say this car did make 760 horsepower. We wouldn’t have the right chassis for it,” said the chief engineer. Even though 100-odd ponies could've been extracted with a larger blower, the rear tires wouldn’t like the extra torque on the strip.

Cadillac fits 305-section rubber to the CT5-V Blackwing, which aren’t as wide as the 335/25 R20 tires of the seventh-generation Corvette in ZR1 flavor. Even the Dodge Challenger SRT Super Stock rocks 315/40 R18 drag radials, which are pretty much useless if the rubber isn't hot enough.

Another reason why the premier brand of General Motors didn’t go with a more potent motor is the Alpha 2 platform, which is an evolution of the Alpha introduced by Cadillac in the 2013 model year ATS sedan. This architecture will be ultimately replaced by the VSS-R vehicle set for RWD-based applications. Furthermore, looking at the bigger picture, General Motors made it clear that electric vehicles will play a larger role in the mid-term future.

The EV craze is why the future of the Chevrolet Camaro (also based on the Alpha platform) is uncertain. Speaking of which, former Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser has been heading the EV program since January 2019.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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