Anyone with major issues with the LT4 in their CT5V Blackwing?

[JbdoingJBstuff]

Hi everyone. Just put in an order for a 2026 CT5V Blackwing. I have a 2016 Porsche GT4 that I have had since new with about 26000 miles that I will be trading in. Great car, just pretty raw, and want some more room and creature comforts. Other than consumables, she has been trouble free. Even has the factory battery still!


I keep hearing issues the the L87 6.2L, even in the 2026 SUVS and trucks. A lot of big differences between the two engines, but want to know if anyone has any major issues with their LT4, particularly any catastrophic issues like the L87 is now notorious for. Trying not to get spooked, but trying not to trade in a reliable car for one with problems down the road.

 

[vfv]

Thread 'CT5BW Blown Motor Registry'

Oct 17, 2024

I started a list of the reported blown motors on this forum. It's far from scientific because not all people who have had this issue are on the forum, and not all on the forum who have had an issue will post about it, but I'm hopeful it will shed some light on the failure modes if nothing else.

At a glance it seems to be an issue with every model year, the bottom-end tends to give out at fairly low miles, and the lifters can fail at pretty much any mileage. I didn't include transmission but it seems like it's happened for both manuals and autos.

If I've tagged you here and you have a...

• NorCal Blackwing
• Replies: 67
• Forum: Blackwing General Discussion

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[BlackwingSwanny23]

Blackwing does not have the L87, enjoy it and when I say that - I mean enjoy the absolute hell out of it!

 

[Champale]

OP - you have great taste in cars! I also have a 2020 GT350R (and a 5BW and BRaptor). I wouldn't overthink the issues with the LT4. It's been around for many years in other cars and the failure rate seems very low overall (especially compared to our Voodoo-engined cars). The L87 and LT4 share some similarities but are not the same engines and the epidemic of L87 engine failures doesn't seem to correlate with the LT4s.

The main thing is how freaking wonderful the Blackwings are to drive. Slow, fast, everything in between. Compared to your super rowdy 350R, it will seem a little 'filtered' at first but once you get used to driving it hard, you will realize the feedback is still there but just feels a little different than the 350R. Even my Euro-loving BMW and Porschephile friends (who were Cadillac skeptics) have driven my 5BW 6sp and been blown away by how great it is to drive. You won't regret getting it.

 

[NorCal Blackwing]

I was the guy who started the above linked blown motor thread. As you can see there, it happens, but the frequency of the engine failures seems about on par with the 981 GT4 Strut Tower failures documented on Rennlist (I had a 981 GT4 once too). So in other words not that frequent and it most likely will never happen to you. It's also interesting to note that the failures have so far stopped after '24 which oddly coincides with when the L87 failures stopped too.

 

[Weather Man]

I was the guy who started the above linked blown motor thread. As you can see there, it happens, but the frequency of the engine failures seems about on par with the 981 GT4 Strut Tower failures documented on Rennlist (I had a 981 GT4 once too). So in other words not that frequent and it most likely will never happen to you. It's also interesting to note that the failures have so far stopped after '24 which oddly coincides with when the L87 failures stopped too.

L87 failures did not stop after 2024. They are ongoing and severe to include 2026 models.

 

[hawk02]

OP, I wouldn’t get too worked up over the issues affecting the L87 and assume they’ll automatically translate to the LT4. While both are GM 6.2L V8s, they’re different engines with different components and operating parameters.

The LT4 has been around since 2015 and has powered thousands of Corvettes, Camaros, CTS-Vs, and CT5-V Blackwings. It’s also one of the most heavily modified GM performance engines out there, with many examples reliably making 800-1,000+ horsepower on upgraded fuel systems and tuning.

Can an LT4 fail? Of course. Any engine can. That’s why warranties and extended warranties exist if they help you sleep better at night. But after more than a decade in production, the LT4 has earned a reputation as a very robust and reliable performance engine.

I’ve owned two LT4-powered cars since 2017—a ZL1 and now a CT5-V Blackwing. The only mechanical issue I’ve experienced was a bearing failure in a supercharger pulley, which was replaced under warranty. Other than normal maintenance and consumables, both cars have been trouble-free.

Coming from a GT4, you’re trading some rawness and track focus for a car that’s brutally fast, comfortable on long trips, practical enough for everyday use, and still offers one of the best manual transmissions on the market. I don’t think reliability concerns with the L87 should stop you from enjoying the Blackwing.

Shame you can’t keep both the GT4 and the Blackwing. I have a 2024 Boxster GTS 4.0 with PDK and a CT5-V Blackwing. Owning two cars at opposite ends of the driving spectrum makes for a lot of fun.

 

[quikag]

I had a '16 GT4 too, awesome car! I still have my OG '22 5BW six-speed and it's amazing. Yes, the LT4 can fail, but it's very rare statistically speaking. Overall, the LT4 is a robust engine as others have said.

I have no fear driving my BW coast to coast. You will love how sublime it is to drive slow, fast, or anywhere in between. Amazing car and I'm never getting rid of mine unless the next BW is six-speed too and much more hp.