Cadillac ATS-V ‘Plus’ Trim To Feature 7.0-Liter LS7 V-8?

Back in the Cadillac ATS-V’s early development days, there was talk there might be two versions of the car: a standard version equipped with a V-6 and a more extreme ‘Plus’ offering packing a V-8. The ATS-V has since made its debut in both sedan and coupe form, and so far it comes exclusively with a twin-turbocharged V-6 tuned to spit out 464 horsepower and 445 pound-feet of torque—but Cadillac officials have hinted that there could be something even more aggressive down the road.

WATCH: 2016 Cadillac ATS-V First Drive Video

According to Motor Trend, that something more aggressive will be an ATS-V Plus equipped with a V-8 engine, namely the race-bred 7.0-liter LS7 V-8 last used in the 2015 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28. It turns out General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] is keen to keep the engine in production, and developing it for use in the Alpha platform of the ATS-V could also pave the way for the engine’s application in a hardcore version of the sixth-generation Camaro, as the two cars share a platform.

The LS7 is currently rated at 505 hp and 481 lb-ft of torque, making it more powerful than the ATS-V’s existing V-6. The engine is also said to be lighter than the V-6, which should further enhance the ATS-V Plus model’s track prowess.

ALSO SEE: 2016 Chevrolet Camaro Preview And Prototype First Drive

But the story doesn’t end there. Motor Trend is also reporting that engineers are working on getting the seven-speed manual transmission from the Corvette into the ATS-V Plus. It will allegedly be offered as an alternative to the eight-speed automatic currently found in the ATS-V. Further down the track, a new dual-clutch transmission is said to be added, most likely as a replacement for the automatic.

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