Hottest Cadillac V Models to Carry Blackwing Name, Not Blackwing Engine

Cadillac has pulled the curtain back on its expanded CT4-V and CT5-V sedan lineup, confirming that the brawnier versions of those performance variants will carry a Blackwing designation.

Designed with track days in mind and available with manual transmissions, the CT4-V and CT5-V Blackwings will offer potent power, just not of the Blackwing variety.

It seems Cadillac still has no use for the twin-cam 4.2-liter Blackwing V8 that served briefly in the now-defunct CT6-V. Instead, Caddy’s turned to larger-displacement, lower-tech fare, massaging the former CTS-V’s supercharged 6.2-liter for CT5-V Blackwing duty. Output remains unconfirmed, which can also be said of the model’s introduction timing.

Lower on the Cadillac totem, the CT4-V Blackwing is expected to carry a twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter V6, much like its ATS-V predecessor.

When Cadillac debuted its new compact and midsize sedans, reaction was muted. The same went for the resulting V-badged models, which seemed too mild to be worthy of the designation. Fear not, Cadillac brass said, more is on the way. It looks like the V family can have more than one member.

Calling the upcoming models “the apex of Cadillac performance and driver engagement,” the brand said the two models eclipsed their predecessors’ lap times during testing at Virginia International Raceway. It was spy photos taken during testing that alerted us to the presence of a burlier brace of Caddys looming in the pipeline.

Besides the upgraded mills, Blackwing variants differ from stock V fare via a specially tuned chassis and vehicle control technologies.

All that said, it’s strange that the name of an in-house engine will end up plastered to the exterior of vehicles that don’t carry it. Not that the 550-horse motor was likely to beat the old 6.2L, rated at 640 hp in CTS-V guise (and likely more in the CT5-V Blackwing).

“The Blackwing name has come to represent the very best of Cadillac performance engineering, craftsmanship and technology,” said Cadillac executive chief engineer Brandon Vivian in a statement. “The new CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing build on the brand’s respected legacy of ultimate-performance driving experiences and elevate them even further.”

Stay tuned for more details as the two Blackwings draw nearer.

[Images: General Motors]