The 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is the most powerful production car ever from General Motors' luxury brand. "Engineering Explained" host Jason Fenske has all of the details on the new performance sedan's monster engine.
Blackwing is the name of both an engine and the highest tier of Cadillac's performance models. But the CT5-V Blackwing doesn't use the Blackwing engine, which was a 4.2-liter twin-turbocharged 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 for 668 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque, compared to the previous 640 hp and 630 lb-ft.
The 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 is in turn based on the LT4 engine that debuted in the C7-generation Chevrolet Corvette Z06 for the 2015 model year. It's also a pushrod engine, while the 4.2-liter twin-turbo V-8 boasted dual overhead cams. Its turbos were also located between the cylinder banks in a "Hot-V" arrangement for better responsiveness.
2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing
In the CT6-V, the 4.2-liter engine made 550 hp and 640 lb-ft of torque, which is actually more hp per liter than the larger supercharged engine. In the all-wheel drive CT6 sedan, the Blackwing engine even achieved better fuel economy than the LT4 engine in the C7 Z06, Fenske noted. So why did GM opt for the Chevy-derived engine over the Cadillac-specific one?
First, the supercharged engine can rev higher than the twin-turbo engine—6,600 rpm versus 6,000 rpm. The 6.2-liter engine is also fairly compact for its displacement, Fenske said (remember, it was designed to fit under the low hood of a Corvette). It's also more responsive, he noted. Even if you disagree with the choice of engine, it's also worth noting that the CT5-V gets a standard 6-speed manual transmission—something that wasn't available in the CT6-V or CTS-V sedans.
The CT5-V Blackwing may also be one of the last of its breed. Just before unveiling the supercharged sedan, GM announced that it "aspires" to eliminate tailpipes from all of its passenger cars and light-duty trucks by 2035. While aspiration is different from commitment, it's a sign that the internal combustion's days are numbered at America's largest automaker. Even before the announcement, Cadillac was already expected to go mostly electric within the next decade, starting with the Lyriq SUV and Celestiq sedan.
