Rarest of the Best: Cadillac’s 915 Limited-Production CT6-Vs with Blackwing V8 POWER

The Cadillac Blackwing: A Rare Breed of V8 Power

In the world of high-performance vehicles, the Cadillac Blackwing is a name that evokes excitement and intrigue. But, sadly, the twin-turbo 4.2-liter V8 that once powered this performance behemoth is no more. Gone, but not forgotten. The Cadillac CT6, which bore the Blackwing’s name, was discontinued for the US market in 2020. But, like a skeleton in the closet, the production numbers for this limited-running engine are finally coming to light.

A Rare Breed of V8 Power

According to GM Authority, a whopping 1,200 Blackwing-equipped CT6 vehicles were produced for model years 2019 and 2020. That’s a mere 11.3% of the total 10,599 CT6 units produced during that time. As Alex Luft, founder and executive editor of GM enthusiast blog Cadillac Society, breaks it down in Episode 14 of their podcast, the numbers add up to 915 CT6-Vs and 285 CT6 Platinums. But, it seems these numbers fall short of GM’s original production plan, which was 1,500 units.

A Tale of Poor Planning

So, what went wrong? Luft likens it to "poor life choices." While that’s a tongue-in-cheek remark, there’s some truth to the statement. It seems GM’s plans were hamstrung by poor execution. "What it boils down to is poor life choices," Luft quips. "I kid, of course, but it actually kind of sort of is true. I can do an entire episode as to why the Blackwing engine went away." Alas, that episode hasn’t happened… yet.

The Legacy of the Blackwing

The Blackwing engine was the first clean-sheet designed V8 for Cadillac since the Northstar V8, which was discontinued in 2011. It produced 500 horsepower and 574 pound-feet of torque in the CT6 Platinum, and 550 hp and 640 lb-ft in the CT6-V, paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission. This was the engine that was meant to revolutionize the luxury segment for Cadillac. But, as we know, it didn’t quite pan out.

The Blackwing’s demise was ultimately sealed by GM’s shift in focus towards electrification. As Luft notes, "What the automaker wanted to do was no longer what it could do." And so, the Blackwing’s grand ambitions were relegated to the history books, a rare breed of V8 power that left us wanting more.