THE 550-HP CADILLAC CT6-V SOLD OUT IN A MATTER OF HOURS

Not only is the Cadillac CT6 high-end sedan not dead, but the first CT6-V high-performance variantwith the Blackwing engine also sold out this week within hours of opening the books for preorders.

The hand-built Blackwing V-8 was announced in March 2018: a Cadillac exclusive 4.2-liter twin-turbo V-8 engineered to deliver an estimated 550 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque in the first-ever CT6-V.

In preparation for the launch midyear, Cadillac opened the order books the morning of January 14, and by 2:30 p.m. the 275 sedans allocated to the U.S. were sold out, Cadillac President Steve Carlisle told MotorTrend. Buyers of the $89,785 sedan also get two days at the Cadillac V-Performance Academy at Spring Mountain Resort in Nevada.

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The CT6-V is an expansion of the V-Series subbrand, which will continue to be offered throughout the car lineup but will likely only be offered with select, high-profile crossovers, Carlisle said, stopping short of confirming Escalade would qualify.

Carlisle also confirmed reports of the CT6's demise are greatly exaggerated. The Detroit Hamtramck plant currently makes the car but is slated to close; however, the car, which received a midcycle enhancement for 2019, will live on.

As part of a larger restructuring plan, GM said it had no product to allocate to a handful of plants, including Hamtramck, and the fate of the facilities is subject to negotiations with the UAW. The two sides are working on a new labor agreement to replace the current one that expires in September.

"We're looking at alternatives to maintain availability of CT6 in the market," Carlisle said.

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Negotiations could find a way to keep Hamtramck open, or assembly could shift to another U.S. plant such as Spring Hill, which makes the XT5 and new XT6 crossovers in Tennessee.

The CT6 is also built in China, where sales are roughly the same as in the U.S. But exporting from China to the U.S. is less than ideal. "Tariffs and politics—that one's a bit fraught," Carlisle said. "Not my favorite option."

Read our review of a 2019 Cadillac CT6 powered by a turbo-four right here.