The twin-turbocharged 4.2L V8 Cadillac Blackwing engine (production code LTA) was used exclusively in the Cadillac CT6 Platinum and CT6-V. With production of the high-performance engine now concluded for several years, Cadillac Society has obtained the final tally of how many of these unique eight-cylinder engines were produced, and we break it all down in the latest (and long-promised) episode of the Cadillac Society podcast.
All told, there were exactly 1,200 examples of the CT6 produced with the Cadillac Blackwing engine. 915 of these went into the CT6-V, while the remaining 285 went into the 4.2L Platinum model.
| Model Year | 2019 | 2020 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| CT6-V | 504 | 411 | 915 |
| 4.2L Platinum | 168 | 117 | 285 |
| Total Units With Blackwing LTA Engine | 672 | 528 | 1,200 |
| Total CT6 Units | 6,783 | 3,816 | 10,599 |
| CT6 Blackwing Engine Ratio | 9.9% | 13.8% | 11.3% |
In terms of model year, 672 units were 2019 models, representing nearly 10 percent of all 2019 CT6 models produced. Meanwhile, 528 examples were produced for the 2020 model year, making up 13.8 percent of all 2020 Cadillac CT6 production.
The 1,200 total is slightly lower than the luxury marque’s initial production plans. Back in 2020, Cadillac Society reported that Cadillac planned to produce 1,500 units of the CT6 with the Blackwing engine, but it seems that the marque ultimately fell short of that projection.
As a reminder, the Cadillac Blackwing engine was standard on the 2019 and 2020 model year CT6-V performance sedan and optional on the CT6 4.2L Platinum. It is rated at 550 horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque in the Cadillac CT6-V, and 500 horsepower and 574 pound-feet of torque in the CT6 4.2L Platinum. The engine features a dual overhead camshaft (DOHC) configuration, a lightweight aluminum cylinder block, a forged steel crankshaft, forged steel connecting rods, and aluminum pistons, along with twin turbos in a hot-v configuration. The Blackwing engine was also the very first Cadillac V8 with a DOHC layout since the Northstar, making it that much more special.
It’s worth noting that the engine was available for purchase via Cadillac’s parts catalogs as a “replacement part” as late as 2022. In other words, it was for sale as a replacement for units of the CT6 that may have suffered premature engine failure and was not offered as a standalone crate engine for project cars. However, it has since been delisted from the options catalog.
JEverettL
Great episode but a bit short. I cant wait to see the exact “why” for such a limited production run but the hosts did kind of hint around at that during the episode. Even if I could get my paws on one, i’d be hyper paranoid about engine replacement parts in the future.
Alex Luft
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. We’ll be back with an episode about why the engine was dropped (so quickly) in the near future.
– Alex
clemsgn
I’m really surprised that Cadillac designed & engineered this engine, but only used it in the CT6 and then dropped it, unless I’m mistaken? Eager to learn more about it.
James Catlow
Nice to get the final number for the Blackwing enigine in the CT6V. I have a 2019 CT6V. Tintcoat Red. My Texas license plate is BLK WNG. Thanks for your pod casts
Jim Catlow
Prosper Tx
Tim+Jackson
I wish I would have known about the CT6 Platinum with Blackwing. I wanted the power of the V-Series engine, but didn’t want to give up my massaging seats and SuperCruise. That model was legit the best of both worlds. I had no idea… I thought there was only the CT6 Platinum and the CT6-V. Will be holding on to my 2018 CT6 Platinum for as long as I can for now.
Mark B
There was a mention about the breakdown in colors. When will that be available?
Alex Luft
Mark – here is the breakdown for the CT6-V:
https://cadillacsociety.com/2024/10/15/check-out-the-most-popular-cadillac-ct6-v-paint-colors/
We’ll be back with a breakdown for the CT6 Platinum 4.2 later on in the week.
Alex
Mark B
Thank you for your research on this. Happy to have one of the 12 shadow metallic CT6 platwings!