There’s been a lot of talk regarding what the top-dog Cadillac CT5-V will hide under the hood, with the likely candidate being Caddy’s new Blackwing 4.2-liter twin-turbo V-8 engine. A recent report, however, suggests that the CT5-V range-topper will indeed get a V-8 engine, but it won’t be Blackwing-badged. It’s safe to say we didn’t expect that, but for now, we’re also taking this with a pinch of salt until official word comes from Cadillac to confirm or deny the rumors.

Will the Cadillac CT5-V HAve a 6.2-Liter V-8?

According to Car and Driver, the highest-performance version of the 2020 Cadillac CT5-V will pack a V-8 engine, but it won’t be the 4.2-liter Blackwing twin-turbocharged V-8. Instead, Cadillac is reportedly going to use the supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 powerplant found inside the CTS-V, as per “a source familiar with the project.”

More precisely, the Blackwing V-8’s double-overhead cam design makes the unit taller and wider compared to the pushrod 6.2-liter, and thus incompatible with the GM Alpha platform that underpins the CT5.

If that’s the case, then rest assured that the 6.2-liter won’t make the high-performance CT5-V a slouch. In the CTS-V, the supercharged V-8 pumped out 640 horsepower and 630 pound-feet of torque, which is more than the new BMW M5's 600 horsepower. The only drive configuration available involved an eight-speed auto transmission and rear-wheel drive, which is something we’re expecting to see in the souped-up CT5-V as well, along with massive Brembo brakes.

The Blackwing V-8 (currently found in the CT6-V), on the other hand, relies on hot-vee twin-turbocharging to extract 550 horsepower and 627 pound-feet of torque, although reports have surfaced online claiming torque is actually higher than advertised, at 640 pound-feet.

Your regular 2020 Cadillac CT5-V comes with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 with dual overhead camshafts and four valves per cylinder. Power is 355 horsepower at 5,600 rpm while torque comes in at 400 pound-feet between 2,400 and 4,400 rpm. These get sent to either the rear axle or both of them through a Hydra-Matic 10L80 ten-speed automatic transmission.

Other than what engine will sit inside the amped CT5-V, the car’s naming remains a mystery. Cadillac has been using the V letter on medium-performance versions, so it’s only logical that the top-performance models get another badge for better differentiation.