It was 26 years ago when the 1993 Caddy Allante debuted the last Cadillac-only engine, the 4.6-liter Northstar. After 26 years, GM engineers decided that it was time to bring a new Cadillac exclusive engine back to the market, and this time it is a twin-turbo 4.2-liter V8 that’s set to power the 2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport. The special Cadillac engine came as a surprise to most, and we have to say that we’re quite impressed by the details we’ve learned so far.
The new stout twin-turbo Cadillac V8 will deliver 550 horsepower and an even more impressive 627 lbs-ft of torque for the V version of the CT6. A base model engine will also be available with 500 horsepower for the non-V CT6 models. The V-Sport, albeit not a true V in the way we think of the CTS-V, is the first performance CT6 version to make an appearance in the lineup. The car will be equipped with other features to handle the new power of the cushy vehicle, this includes summer performance tires, a mechanical limited slip differential, magnetic ride dampers, and massive 19” Brembo brakes will give it the stopping power it needs. Another first for the car, it will be the first V8 to appear in a CT6, which makes the model pretty darn special to be getting the first Cadillac exclusive V8 in nearly three decades.
The engine will appear as a quad-cam, 32-valve, direct injection aluminum V8, with the turbos mounted at the top of the engine. The highlight of the design is the hot V design that changes the configuration of the cylinder head’s intake and exhaust system so the turbo can be mounted up top. This will essentially eliminate turbo lag and reduce the engine’s overall size. We can’t wait to see what happens when the first few tuners get their hands on this thing!
Shawn Henry is a Texas native who has spent the majority of his career building and selling F-Bodies and Corvettes. Now studying journalism, he is taking a new direction with his love of GM Performance vehicles.
