---
title: "Hear for Yourself: Sounds Like the Cadillac CT5-V Is Getting a Supercharged V8"
description: "Cadillac brought a couple CT5-V prototypes to a Michigan car show, and it sounds like they may could be the upcoming 2022 Blackwing trim."
date: "2020-09-14"
modified: "2020-09-14"
authors:
  - name: "Stef Schrader"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stef-schrader"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/36408/hear-for-yourself-sounds-like-the-cadillac-ct5-v-is-getting-a-supercharged-v8"
categories:
  - "Cadillac News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
  - "Watch This"
tags:
  - "Cadillac"
  - "luxury"
  - "sedan"
  - "sports car"
---

# Hear for Yourself: Sounds Like the Cadillac CT5-V Is Getting a Supercharged V8

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2020/09/cts5blackwing_970x546.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Cadillac's performance-centric V-cars have been a [mixed bag](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/34149/how-many-more-chances-does-cadillac-really-have>) lately, but fortunately, these upcoming CT5-Vs sound excellent. As in, actually sounds. With your ears.

Cadillac took a pair of prototype CT5-Vs to a car show at the High Octane Cafe & Bakery just outside Detroit this weekend, reports [*Jalopnik*](<https://jalopnik.com/cadillac-brought-ct5-v-v8-prototypes-to-a-weekend-meetu-1845050246>). From what we can hear on an [Instagram post](<https://www.instagram.com/p/CFCh4qRn8Xs/>) from the event, it definitely sounds like the cars pack a supercharged V8 under the hood.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFCh4qRn8Xs

Cadillac [toned down its V-cars lately](<https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/32169/2020-cadillac-ct5-v-review-nailing-luxury-performance>) to mixed reviews from enthusiasts, as the marque claimed that buyers were too intimidated by the extra performance of the likes of the old ATS-V and CTS-V. (Some of that inability to sell could've also been the obvious downmarket parts-bin pieces used in the interiors, but hey, who's counting?)

However, Cadillac hasn't abandoned the more hardcore enthusiast market entirely at this point, but is merely repositioning the V label to be a middle point between hardcore performance and its more comfort-oriented base-model cars. That new ultra-high-performance tier of V-cars will be called the "Blackwing" trim even though they won't feature the now-discontinued [Blackwing engine](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32154/cadillac-wont-be-using-the-blackwing-v-8-anymore-and-thats-a-shame>) that was developed only a couple years ago for the CT6. (Caddy's had a wild ride of [expert-mode wiener-stepping](<https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-technology/a32718026/what-happened-to-the-cadillac-blackwing-v-8/>) lately, that's for sure.)

The current CT5-V packs a twin-turbo V6 good for 360 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque, which is fine, but nowhere near as fast as the 640-hp CTS-V it [replaced](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/28313/5-spicy-details-about-cadillacs-all-new-ct4-v-and-ct5-v-performance-sedans>). It's nice and sounds all right, but even Cadillac knows that performance enthusiasts tend to prefer a [good V8](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/33404/ferraris-likely-hybrid-v6-engine-runs-on-gasoline-electricity-and-purist-tears>).

The CT5-V Blackwing is expected to get a supercharged 6.2-liter LT4 V8 and a [manual transmission](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32519/exclusive-photos-show-the-2021-cadillac-ct5-v-will-have-a-manual-transmission>), and Cadillac's own Executive Chief Engineer Brandon Vivian claims that the CT4-V Blackwing and CT5-V Blackwing will be the [fastest cars](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/32965/the-cadillac-ct4-v-and-ct5-v-blackwing-will-be-faster-than-any-previous-cadillac>) Cadillac has ever made. The engine notes of these test cars definitely fit right in line with the Blackwing rumor mill here.

Cadillac also teased its upcoming [2022 CT5-V Blackwing](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/35877/2022-cadillac-ct5-v-blackwing-steering-wheel-photo-reveals-200-mph-mark>) recently with the shot of a speedometer reading 200 mph, so could they have sent a couple test Blackwings to a car show to drum up hype? Clearly, that's one of the most effective ways to do it.

*Got a tip? Send us a note: tips@thedrive.com*

## Author
Stef Schrader is a former senior staff writer for The Drive. She started writing about cars in 2013 after meeting Jalopnik's editor-in-chief at a race track, where Stef can be found at every available opportunity.

### Author social links  
[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefschrader/>)  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/stefthepef>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/stefthepef>)