Cadillac’s 4.2L Blackwing was a hand-built, twin-turbo V8 made for the CT6 range. In the CT6-V, Cadillac rated it at 550 hp and 640 lb-ft. Its production application ended when the CT6 program wound down, leaving the engine with a brief run in one model family.
What was the Cadillac 4.2L Blackwing V8?
It was the hand-built 4.2L twin-turbo V8 offered in the Cadillac CT6 range. Cadillac’s CT6-V legacy page lists the engine at 550 hp and 640 lb-ft. The 2019 CT6 brochure describes it as a “hand-built 4.2L Blackwing Twin Turbo V8” and says the engine was available in two outputs.
The brochure also calls out titanium-aluminum turbine wheels in the turbochargers. That is a documented engineering detail, but it does not by itself establish broader claims about the engine’s construction, development history, reliability, or performance in independent testing.
Which Cadillac used the 4.2L Blackwing?
The engine belonged to the CT6 range, including the high-performance CT6-V. It should not be confused with the later Blackwing-badged cars, which use different engines. Cadillac’s current lineup lists a 3.6L twin-turbo V6 in the CT4-V Blackwing and a 6.2L supercharged V8 in the CT5-V Blackwing.
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- OEM number: 12652772
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| Cadillac application | Engine | Source-listed output |
|---|---|---|
| CT6-V | 4.2L twin-turbo V8 | 550 hp and 640 lb-ft, per Cadillac’s legacy vehicle page |
| CT4-V Blackwing | 3.6L twin-turbo V6 | Not stated in the cited current lineup source |
| CT5-V Blackwing | 6.2L supercharged V8 | Not stated in the cited current lineup source |
Cadillac identifies the latter two engines in its current performance lineup. Their shared Blackwing name does not mean they share the CT6’s 4.2L engine.
Why was the 4.2L Blackwing’s lifespan so short?
Its documented production home was the CT6. On February 22, 2019, GM announced that CT6 production at Detroit/Hamtramck would continue into January 2020, later than the previously scheduled June completion. Cadillac now lists the CT6-V as discontinued in 2020.
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That timeline explains the engine’s short application: when the CT6 program ended, its production home ended with it. The available official sources do not establish why Cadillac did not carry the 4.2L into another model, so claims that a particular cost, demand level, or canceled vehicle caused its end go beyond what those sources confirm.
How many 4.2L Blackwing CT6s were built?
Cadillac’s cited official pages and brochure do not provide a confirmed total or a model-year production tally for 4.2L Blackwing-equipped CT6s. Without an original production record, a precise number should not be treated as established.
Rank #3
- Starter Motor
- OEM number: 12652772
- Energy Output (kw): 1.6KW
- DOT & SAE Compliant
- Brand New - Sealed in a Box
What makes the engine notable?
The 4.2L Blackwing gave Cadillac’s flagship CT6 a hand-built twin-turbo V8 option, with the CT6-V rated at 550 hp and 640 lb-ft. The brochure’s reference to titanium-aluminum turbocharger turbine wheels adds a specific documented feature to its story. Its distinction is also its rarity of application: Cadillac used it in the CT6 range, rather than making it the engine behind every subsequent Blackwing model.
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- Starter Motor
- OEM number: 12652772
- Energy Output (kw): 1.6KW
- DOT & SAE Compliant
- Brand New - Sealed in a Box
Rank #4
- Starter Motor
- OEM number: 12652772
- Energy Output (kw): 1.6KW
- DOT & SAE Compliant
- Brand New - Sealed in a Box
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