We’ve already seen the CT6->ke4935 make an appearance in a commercial during the Oscars, but there is still much left unknown about Caddy’s upcoming flagship sedan. One mystery is what engines will it have available to it. Well, Cadillac->ke18 boss, Johan de Nysschen, took some time out to talk to the readers at Jalopnik, and they were wise enough to ask the typically candid executive about what it’ll have under its hood.

De Nysschen was first asked about the potential competitors for the CT6, and he was quoted “The lightweight body construction allows us to push the envelope when it comes to powertrain in a way we know that the rest of the industry will follow. This includes a very wide mix of engines, starting with a 2-liter turbo, up to, eventually, a high-performance advanced V-8 turbo. You tell me who this car competes with?”

As if that wasn’t enough, he followed that up with this response in regards to the type of performer the CT6 will be: “The lightweight body structure allows us to achieve formidable performance even with a twin-turbo V-6. Imagine how this car would perform with a twin-turbo V-8.”

Those quotes both point to the virtual certainty that Cadillac has intentions to compete with the upper echelon of Mercedes’ and BMW’s->ke178 lineups. Specifically the S63 AMG and the Alpina B7. But the real test is whether or not premium car buyers will really look at Cadillac in the same way they do Mercedes->ke187 or BMW.

Continue reading to learn more about the Cadillac CT6.

Why it matters

Sure, we all know that Cadillac can compete with Mercedes and BMW in terms of power, as we’ve already seen that with the CTS-V and ATS-V. What concerns me is brand perception. Will buyers who are looking at the S63 AMG and Alpina B7 really look at the CT6 as a true alternative? At this point in the game I simply don’t think that is likely. However, in 5 to 10 years we may be looking at a whole new industry where Cadillac is once again a leader in the luxury car segment. For now, it’s just a waiting, and hoping, game.

Having said that, buyers who are simply looking for a luxury rig with outlandish amounts of power, but are on a budget, may look to the CT6-V and what I expect to be a near-600-horsepower V-8 to quench their need for speed. But I don’t think this will be a large enough market to warrant building a CT6-V just yet.

Cadillac CT6