Car and Driver: Cadillac CT6 to Offer 4.2-liter V-8, But Not As a V-Series

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For some time, it has been unclear whether Cadillac would continue making V-8 engines. Gas prices were high, and GM executives felt that the trend towards downsizing could force even luxury automakers to abandon the traditional V-8. Thankfully, and after painstaking deliberation, Cadillac has made the right decision: They will make another V-8. Having spoken with CEO Johan De Nysschen this week, we can give you a few more details.

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Cadillac’s new V-8 is not based on GM’s small-block architecture, and it doesn’t have any commonality with the supercharged 6.2-liter engine in the current CTS-V. Instead, the new V-8 will be twin-turbocharged, and it will feature a displacement of 4.2 liters.

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That’s an unusual number—most competitors, such as Mercedes-Benz and Audi, have elected to go with a displacement of just under 4.0 liters, in order to avoid an important financial barrier in the Chinese market. But Cadillac has concluded that the demand for V-8 engines in China is so low that this wouldn’t be a consideration.

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The launch of the new engine will happen in the CT6, with the V-8 tuned to produce power “in the upper 400s,” says De Nysschen. Sportiness is not the main focus here, and therefore the eight-cylinder model won’t be a V-Series car. We expect the engine to be offered in the CT6 Platinum instead, and it will wear a 4.2 TT badge on the trunk. It will be mated to GM’s eight-speed Hydramatic.

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What about a future V-Sport or a V-Series? A V-Sport could happen, as on the XTS and the CTS; a true V-Series is far less likely. For sheer power, the 640-hp CTS-V will remain the top choice in the foreseeable future.

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