The brand sticking with V8s in the EV era

Latest reports out of the US are suggesting General Motors is close to confirming the capacities of its new Gen 6 ‘small block’ V8 engine family.

Earlier this year, the US giant reiterated its ongoing commitment to V8 power with a US$918 million upgrade across four facilities involved in the new engine’s production - Flint, Michigan (assembly), Bay City, Michigan (camshafts, connecting rods), Defiance, Ohio (block castings) and Rochester, New York (intake manifolds, fuel rails). An additional $US888 million is going to the Tonawanda Propulsion plant in Buffalo, New York.

And now, according to GM Authority, the Gen 6’s form is close to final. Seventy years after the first 4.3-litre (256ci) small block engine debuted in the 1955 Bel Air and Corvette (with the same 4.4-inch bore spacing as today), “sources familiar with the matter” say the new Gen 6 unit is set to arrive in 5.7- and 6.6-litre form.

These initial versions would replace existing 5.3-litre (L84), 6.2-litre (L87/LT2/LT4) and 6.6-litre (L8T) GM V8s. 

The smaller capacity 5.7L Gen 6 (optimised for efficiency) will likely line up for the new Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500 in early 2027 with the 6.6-litre (performance tuned) a candidate for a C8 Corvette Stingray and E-Ray upgrade soon after. Not to mention a potential seventh-generation Camaro.

While GM is yet to confirm product details, GM President (and former Holden Managing Director) Mark Reuss is on the record with a claim the Gen 6 V8s will be up to six per cent more fuel efficient than the outgoing fifth-generation engines.

While rumours of the V8 engine’s demise have been circulating since the 1970s it appears GM’s US$1.8B investment will see the iconic design through another 10 years at least, despite emissions regulations clamping down on big engines in much of the world. 

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