2019 Cadillac CT6 V-Sport revealed with all-new twin-turbo V8
Cadillac is turning its flagship sedan into a speedboat.
The 2019 CT6 V-Sport debuting at the New York International Auto Show is a high-performance version of the full-size four-door, and introduces an all-new engine to the brand’s lineup.
The 4.2-liter turbocharged V8 is Cadillac’s first of the type. The very modern motor features a "hot-V" design that sends the exhaust through twin turbochargers stuffed in-between the cylinder banks. This creates a compact package and helps reduce turbo-lag, courtesy of the shorter distance that the exhaust needs to travel before it hits the turbos.
Cadillac says the engine produces 550 hp and 627 lb-ft, while a detuned version be offered in non-V-Sport models with 500 hp and 553 lb-ft. Both are matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy ratings have not been revealed, but the engine is equipped with a stop-start feature that turns it off when the vehicle isn’t in motion.
The CT6 V-Sport also features a louder exhaust than other models, a performance-oriented suspension and all-wheel-drive system, summer tires, Brembo brakes and subtly aggressive bodywork. The entire CT6 range is getting a mild styling refresh and updated controls for the infotainment system, with more auxiliary buttons and a knob controller to go along with its touchscreen interface.
One thing the V-Sport is not getting is Cadillac’s Super Cruise semi-autonomous driving aid, which allows for hands-free driving on the highway. The feature is offered on other CT6 models, but not currently destined for what's very much a human driver's version.
WATCH: SUPER CRUISE TESTED IN 360-DEGREE:
The CT6 will continue to be built at GM’s Hamtramck, Mich., factory, but the origin of the new V8 is intriguing. It will be hand-assembled at GM’s Performance Build Center, which is located in the Bowling Green Assembly plant in Kentucky where the Chevrolet Corvette is made.
While this particular engine is exclusively Cadillac’s, GM is known to be working on a new mid-engine sports car, presumably a Corvette successor, and leaked documents suggest that it’s getting a 4.2-liter twin-turbocharged V8, but without the hot-V layout.
Although nothing on the sports car is confirmed, it’s altogether possible that the two engines could share some key components, or that the new car will be a Cadillac, not a Chevy. Cadillac president Johan de Nysschen has previously said that a supercar could be in the brand’s future.