GM Boosts Small-Block V8 Engines with $150 Million Investment
General Motors is moving to expand production of its next-generation V8 engines. The company is investing $150 million at its Saginaw, Michigan casting facility to prepare new block and head castings for future small-block V8s.
Saginaw expansion and casting plan
The Saginaw plant will produce metal castings for sixth-generation small-block engines. Those castings will ship to GM’s Flint engine plant for final assembly.
GM boosts small-block V8 engines with a $150 million investment at Saginaw. The move targets higher-volume engine builds for pickups and SUVs.
Where the engines will go
The new castings are intended for the next-generation Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500. Those trucks are due to debut as 2027 models later this year.
Some engines will travel about 37 miles to Lake Orion, Michigan. GM is readying that underused plant for Silverado and Sierra assembly in 2027.
Technical highlights and benchmarks
The first of the sixth-gen engines arrived in the 2027 Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport. That low-volume LS6 is a 6.7-liter V8.
The Corvette’s LS6 produces 535 horsepower and 520 pound-feet of torque. It will act as the performance showcase for the family of engines.
What to expect for trucks
Mainstream truck versions will use detuned variants of the new V8. Estimates point to roughly 450 horsepower and more than 500 pound-feet of torque for truck duty.
That would exceed the 420-hp Hurricane inline-six in some rivals. It would also match or challenge 450-hp EcoBoost F-150 variants, without turbo lag.
Existing production and investments
Flint already received major tooling investment for small-block production. GM invested about $500 million there to prepare for the new engines.
Saginaw will continue making fifth-generation V8 blocks for now. The company did not say how long that older casting work will continue.
Local impact and workforce
Saginaw is one of GM’s oldest U.S. facilities. The site employs roughly 300 people across three shifts.
Plant director John Lancaster said the work will secure jobs and support the local economy. Filmogaz.com confirmed the company presentation highlighted the plant’s future role.
Legacy and scale
The small-block lineage dates back to 1955. GM passed a milestone of about 100 million small-block engines roughly 15 years ago.
The new investments signal a renewed commitment to internal-combustion powertrains. GM aims to offer modern V8 options alongside its electrified lineup.
