V-Series Family | V-Series Blackwing | Cadillac

[Bruce Nunnally]

 

[Cadillac Jim]

Looking at the Cadillac.com first page on the "build and price" pages for the CT4 and CT5 Blackwing, the CT4 uses a twin-turbo  3.6 liter V6 rated at 472 hp, and the CT5 uses a hand-built supercharged 6.2 liter V8 rated at 668 hp, apparently adapted from the Corvette supercharged engine.

[Bruce Nunnally]

Yes, updates of the previous engines more or less -- the LF4 update perhaps less than the LT4.  It is a shame after all the development the new Blackwing engine didn't get used except in the CT6.  This is why car companies are sometimes described as great capital destruction organizations

[cdgrinci]

This ad sends conflicting messages about what Cadillac is and what they profess for the future.  Don't get me wrong, I all for the "Blackwings", but with an all electric future, anyone who is paying attention can see that the message(s) are ambiguous.

[Cadillac Jim]

The all-electric future is a lot farther away than most realize.  You can't jump in any all-electric vehicle and take a two-day road trip.

Somebody decided to cancel the 4.4 l DOHC Blackwing V8 before developing it to produce 700 hp and remain warrantable to 100,000 miles.  The 6.2 LT is about the same weight and its size is manageable.

[Bruce Nunnally]

There is some thought that this gas engine is the 'last hurrah' for a full-on V8, but we'll see.  I like the idea of battery electric Cadillacs but yes they need a better solution from cross-country trips

[Cadillac Jim]

There is room for both engine types in autos.  As an engineer, I see turbines as the best technology for long-haul 18-wheelers and even trains, but turbines have obvious carbon-capture problems.  Trains have used diesels with electric motors powering the drive wheels since 1924, and turbines driving the generators are the obvious modern design.  For short trips, stop-and-go, plug-in electric is the obvious choice, with some competition from PZEV turbo four-cylinder engines which have decades of development behind them.  For the near term, I see plug-ins and hybrids as becoming dominant in consumer vehicles that are used in town 99% of the time, combustion engines for commercial trucks that run all day, and diesels and diesel-electric hybrids for long haul trucks.  I don't mention turbines because turbines have never found a niche in the automotive world.  Sports cars are a separate consideration, and there are many kinds of sports cars, so the drivetrain technology will likely fork, too.  All-electrics have the edge in drag racing, for example, and you will not see an all-electric entry in a 500-mile race anytime soon.