Though not directly related to either the Camaro or LSX engines, GM’s progress on the upcoming Cadillac ATS has grabbed our attention, and we just can’t shake it. It could be because the ATS is slated to share a new rear-drive platform with the next-gen Camaro. Or it could be because we have a thing for sporty luxury sedans. What is for sure though is that much of the technology we see in today’s Cadillacs has a way of filtering down through the rest of the GM lineup.So when GM announced last week that the soon-to-be-unveiled Cadillac ATS would have a 270 horsepower, 4-cylinder engine, we just had to share the news.As some of you may already know, GM has several four-cylinder turbo engines in its fleet right now, including those found in the Chevy Cruze and Buick Regal GS. This latest engine, to debut in the 2013 Cadillac ATS, will displace 2.0 liters and will feature a very-high 20 PSI of boost. This high boost and horsepower necessitated the use of a forged steel crankshaft.
To keep intake air temperatures under control, an air-to-air intercooler is used, and variable valve timing improves fuel economy by 16% over the previous turbo four-banger. All told, these improvements will deliver up to 270 horsepower and probably in the area of 250 ft-lbs of torque. And if the rumors are true, and the ATS will share platforms with the next Camaro, then one must ask… will we see a turbocharged, four-cylinder Camaro in the future?