Cadillac’s flagship CT5-V rumored to fit only GM’s 6.2 supercharged LT4 V-8

Ever since Cadillac introduced its new CT4-V and CT5-V sedans, fans of previous V-Series products have been wondering what the luxury brand’s true followup to the previous flagship, the CTS-V, will look like. It seemed logical that as far as the powertrain is concerned, GM would jam in its Cadillac-exclusive 4.2-liter twin-turbo Blackwing V-8 in the nose of those special V cars. However, Car and Driver now reports that Cadillac may be forced to use a well-proven 6.2-liter supercharged V-8 LT4 instead.

Sources claim that the twin-turbo Blackwing simply doesn’t fit in the CT5-V’s chassis, while a successor of the previous CTS-V’s LS9 does, meaning that the fastest Cadillac sedan to date could hit the market as early as the end of this year.

The current CT5-V is powered by a 355-horsepower twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 engine, leaving plenty of room in the lineup for a successor to the 640-hp CTS-V. So far, Cadillac’s modern twin-turbo V-8, the 4.2-liter Blackwing, only made it into the discontinued CT6-V, which is a car built on GM’s larger Alpha platform. Complicated plumbing aside, the Blackwing is also a DOHC design, meaning it’s a much taller V-8 than the 6.2-liter LT4, despite the presence of a Roots-type supercharger.

Featuring Magnetic Ride Control, a 10-speed automatic and an electronically controlled limited-slip rear end, the CT5-V already has the tech that makes a fast Cadillac stand out. If these reports can be trusted, coming up is the power the platform craves, now to be delivered the old-fashioned way.