GM invests £36m to safeguard V8 production

GM invests £36m to safeguard V8 production

Friday 17th January 2020

GM invests £36m to safeguard V8 production

General Motors invests in the future of its biggest engines as Europe downsizes



General Motors has invested $46.7 (£36m) into two production sites for its V8 motors, increasing the maximum possible output for its 5.3- and 6.2-litre engines and making those of us across the pond evermore jealous. GM’s Spring Hill facility in Tennessee takes the lion’s share of investment with $40m headed its way, with the remaining cash going to its Tonawanda site in New York state. The latter is already home to production of the small-block 6.2 LT2 that provides Chevrolet’s C8 Corvette with 495hp, but is expected to produce higher-powered variants later on as well.

While the vast majority of this latest investment will benefit GM’s higher volume 5.3, which goes into pick-ups and SUVs such as the Chevy Silverado, Tahoe and Suburban, the future of GM’s line-up of 6.2s looks equally safe. Tonawanda has received ongoing injections of cash to fund its expansion, suggesting V8s of both capacities will remain on the engine line up of GM’s brands for years to come. Suffice it to say, it provides a stark contrast to the situation in Europe.


Only last week, BMW’s R&D boss revealed that the brand’s V8 and V12 engines were likely to be replaced by inline sixes due to tightening emissions limits in China. While AMG is set to swap V8 for hybrid four-cylinder hardware in its next 63 generation for similar reasons. Porsche has gone further with the development of pure electric versions of its future Cayman and Boxster models, while the Macan is to be EV only. It leaves GM’s approach looking comparably antiquated, but that won’t stop us feeling a pang of envy.

Arguably, those to benefit most from GM’s investments are the workforce. Michael Youngs, Spring Hill plant director, said: “This investment further solidifies GM’s commitment to our team and jobs for our community,” before adding that “when [GM’s] products are in high demand by customers, this team is ready” to step up to the plate. Here’s to hoping that some of the additional V8 supply finds itself aboard ships on their way to Blighty – even if only in crate form for a few plucky shed projects.


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Author
Discussion

V8 FOU

Original Poster:

2,970 posts

146 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all
Yee-Ha Europe!! Take that!

Best news for some while. Not that I am biased or anything...... Only 5 V8's at the moment.

irocfan

40,153 posts

189 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all
well that's made me smile for the end of the week

defonsecca

113 posts

84 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all
Brilliant news. Absolute respect for GM. Hope sales for the Corvette now rocket.

Arsecati

2,284 posts

116 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all
There's hope yet for the world!! Good on ya GM!

unsprung

5,467 posts

123 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all


. . . "Chevy managed to mount it 25 mm lower than in the C7"

. . . "reducing tailpipe emissions by a whopping 25 percent."

. . . "the dry sump system is capable of maintaining oil pressure at sustained lateral acceleration on track up to 1.25 g"

. . . "the small-block team is the same group that developed the new naturally aspirated 5.5-liter DOHC flat-plane V-8 powering the C8.R race car."

A:
https://www.autoblog.com/2019/11/11/2020-chevy-cor...

B:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/...





ZX10R NIN

27,494 posts

124 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all
That's a very smart move.

BogBeast

1,136 posts

262 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all
"Arguably, those to benefit most from GM’s investments are the workforce...."

And those of us that will want to carry on buying crate engines ....

Well played GM, well played....

Amanitin

419 posts

136 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all
these numbers sound more like rounding errors not 'investments in the future'.
7 million for an engine factory, what is that? are they refreshing the lawn?

AC43

11,435 posts

207 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all
Well I think its great. I'm on my 4th V8. Love them.

Captain Smerc

3,015 posts

115 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all
Yes!

Fire99

9,844 posts

228 months

Friday 17th January 2020
quotequote all
I have to say since 1995, the LS range of engines have been nothing short of a master-stroke for General Motors. Tough, powerful and highly adaptable. One of the best things to come out of a US factory.

C.MW

472 posts

68 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
quotequote all
GM's LS engines are one of the best V8's out there in terms of reliability, weight and efficiency. Yes, they are as common as milk and bread across the pond, but that doesn't do any harm to its reputation as the default choice for V8 engine swaps.

Edward Robbins

230 posts

59 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
quotequote all
Great news, This makes me feel better!

Guybrush

4,330 posts

205 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
quotequote all
Well done them! Things aren't so gloomy in the car world after all.

Penrhyn

658 posts

97 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
quotequote all
Best news l’ve heard for ages.

V8s rule.

Captain_Chaos

102 posts

90 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
quotequote all
Good, and common sense as well. In the real world the 6.2 V8 is no less economical than the downsized 6 cylinder engines with similar power outputs being used by the Germans. The engine is quite happy to switch to v4 doing 1500 rpm at 70 mph.

fortfive

125 posts

58 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
quotequote all
As others point out the latest engine technology can give these engines 25 mpg average in normal driving and they sell big time. AMG are going to catch a cold running only 4 cylinder engines, as Porsche discovered, Americans won't pay big bucks for 4 cylinders hence the revised GTS model versions with a flat six rushed into production.

powerstroke

10,283 posts

159 months

Saturday 18th January 2020
quotequote all
Amanitin said:
these numbers sound more like rounding errors not 'investments in the future'.
7 million for an engine factory, what is that? are they refreshing the lawn?

Well ford have just launched a new V8 for the bigger work truck type pickups its a low revving 7.3 high torque push rod engine
I would guess Ferrari would waste more money working out how about 10 feet of timing belt is going operate 50% more valves than is really necessary than was spent on the whole ford engine .. not daft these Yanks are they !! keep it simple and add extra cubes or a supercharger, and while the Fast fiat is in the shop for days racking up a horrendous service bill after about 5000 miles the Vette or Hellcat owner stops at Quik lube for a oil change and is back on the road ... God bless America ...

anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 19th January 2020
quotequote all
Fire99 said:
I have to say since 1995, the LS range of engines have been nothing short of a master-stroke for General Motors. Tough, powerful and highly adaptable. One of the best things to come out of a US factory.
and entirely possible only due to one simple fact, that "gas" is cheap in the USA!


anonymous-user

53 months

Sunday 19th January 2020
quotequote all
fortfive said:
As others point out the latest engine technology can give these engines 25 mpg average in normal driving
wow, 25 mpg hey, where do i sign up?? Party like it's 1999 eh!

( i drive a car today, that averages 180mpg on a year round basis. That, my friend is the problem)