Cadillac News: Cadillac CEO Talks About V8 For CT6, Still Committed to Diesel

[William Maley]

It has been awhile since we have heard anything on Cadillac's powertrain plans. But CEO Johan de Nysschen was in a talkative mood about it and Car and Driver was there to catch it.

 

First is a V8 coming the CT6. The V8 will be a 4.2L and feature twin-turbos. This engine isn't based on GM's small-block architecture. The 4.2L displacement is interesting as competitors - mostly Germans - only go up to 4.0L to avoid Chinese taxes on high-displacement engines. Cadillac doesn't expect to sell many CT6s equipped with V8 in China, focusing more on the Plug-In Hybrid version for the market.

 

Power is expected to be “in the upper 400s,” de Nysschen said. Car and Driver speculates this engine will only be available on the Platinum trim.

 

de Nysschen also talked about the luxury brand's plan for diesel engines. We reported last May that Cadillac was working on a new four and six-cylinder diesel engines that were being built with Europe in mind, but there was a chance of them being offered in the U.S. A few months later, the Volkswagen diesel emission crisis broke out.

 

“We pulled that trigger before the current dilemma,” said de Nysschen about the future of Cadillac's diesel plans.

 

“If you have gone that far in a program, you might as well carry it through.”

 

de Nysschen's comments echo commitments made by other automakers. Audi and BMW have said they will stick with diesel, and Land Rover has just introduced a diesel option for the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport.

 

Source: Car and Driver, 2

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[Robert Hall]

Interesting..I wonder if this V8 will be based off of the V6 or a clean-sheet design..

[Drew Dowdell]

Interesting..I wonder if this V8 will be based off of the V6 or a clean-sheet design..

 

The best balanced V8s are of a 90 degree design.  The best balanced V6es are of a 60 degree or 15 degree design.  Depending on the bore of the engine, it is likely that only shared part might be the piston.  The 3.6 has a displacement of 0.6 liters per cylinder and this 4.2 will have a displacement of 0.525 liters per cylinder.  So at best, it could use the same piston in a shorter stroke. Nothing else internal is likely to be shared.

[oldshurst442]

I think its a clean-sheet design.

 

This new V8 motor is said to be under the hood of the CT8 as well, so that makes me want to believe it a brand new, bespoke V8.

[Suaviloquent]

I think this should be enough engine to satisfy anyone.

 

Maybe if Cadillac started an "E" Series to go with V.... like how BMW has M and i divisions...

 

...my god. JD just doesn't leave any room for Cadillac to do anything worthwhile because of the stupid logic of the comment he made.

 

Now if they make a "CT6-E" it'll be like "oh... so it's like Porsche Mission E or Audi E-tron"

 

See, this is exactly what I would want Cadillac to do, but they continue to set up their market strategy for differentiation in the marketplace as glutton for punishment.

 

Then again... the Germans rip off of each other to compliment each other. But I don't see them saying if your follow you always follow so we won't follow, but the result of our strategy are products that still end up following.

 

Because the brand is still catching up in the world, despite what anyone might say. Where it's ahead it's at the margins, the extremes of what people are salient to.

 

I think it's pretty clear. Cadillac is doing awesome - making immense strides such as having the world's most advanced body structure, industry first through-view mirror... and JD has played no part in that at all...

[regfootball]

I'd imagine with their products being RWD based, that the v8 will be a 90 degree design.

 

My old FWD v8 SHO had a 60 degree v8 and I believe had a balance shaft.  It was smooth but not inherently smooth like a 90 degree.

 

I doubt there would be any benefit to a 60 degree design for Cadillac.

[Stew]

With the excellent first drive reviews the CT6 is getting, the V8 should just make it that much better.  I would bet, like the V6 offerings, it will AWD only, which honestly doesn't bother me one bit.  I love this car more and more.