290 HP 2005 DTS

[Rick]

I just picked up the 2005 Deville sales brochure. It states the DTS is equipped with Northstar NHP which delivers 290 HP and 285 lb-ft of torque. Does anyone know what the "NHP" stands for and why the horsepower and torque ratings were reduced?

[Cadillac STS]

new hybrid powered N8 ? LOL i dunno but maybe theymeant the base deville/DHS will have 290hp and 285lb ft tq???

[Bruce Nunnally]

Hmm, the powertrain 2005 what's new page does not really address, but may have been an offshoot of the commonality with the GXP changes:

In 2004, the Northstar family of engines benefited from a host of new technologies and engineering features. In comparison, 2005 is a quiet year regarding change. The story in 2005 for GM's premium V-8 engine is that GM Powertrain's push toward reducing build complexity is yielding genuine, significant fruit.

For example, the LH2 Northstar debuted in the 2004 Cadillac XLR and SRX models. For 2005, this engine finds itself in the all-new 2005 Cadillac STS as an optional powertrain. Normally, a myriad of changes are required to adapt an existing engine to a new vehicle. In the case of the STS, only one part was required to enable the LH2 to bolt into an STS. That one part is the battery cable (it is positioned differently from other applications, and thus required its own unique part).

GM Powertrain's success in commonizing engines has continued to improve. For example, one challenge faced by GM Powertrain in 2004 was the fit of the DeVille's LD8-code Northstar for the 2004 Bonneville GXP. In this case, not only the battery cable changed, but several brackets and hoses needed to be redesigned. While the GXP and the DeVille could have continued with multiple variations on the brackets and hoses, those developed for the GXP have been retrofitted to 2005 Deville applications, eliminating what were essentially redundant parts that served the same purposes.