MONTEREY, California: "Engineers love working on cars that look like this," said Dr. Fritz Indra, "and stylists love having engines like this in their cars."
GM Powertain's executive-director of advanced engineering was referring to the Cadillac Cien concept car and the concept Northstar V12 that was inside it during their reveal to some automotive writers here recently, and his observation seems stunningly insightful when you look at the former snugged inside the latter.
Before proceeding with a look at this engine, however, it's worth noting the considerable difference between the use of the word "concept" with regard to the Northstar XV12 engine and the Cadillac supercar it sat in.
As it applies to the car, the word "concept" is roughly analogous to the notion that we might get rain next week. As it applies to the engine, the word "concept" is totally analagous to the notion that the sun might come up in the east next week.
GM is acutely aware of which products (existing and imminent) will hold this engine and we can expect to see it in as many vehicles as feasible.
The way Indra described it with a playful gleam in his eye, "The Northstar XV12 provides a realistic look at what could power an assault on the high-end, premium automotive segment."
For those of you who want to do the math, the Northstar XV12 is the same length as GM's Vortec 8100 V8, and it has the approximate width and height as the Northstar 4.6-liter and Vortec 6000 V8s.