GM Investing $296 Million in Tonawanda for Future V8 Engine Line

Here’s a tidbit we caught in the news that could be related to future Corvette products including the C8.

GM is investing $296 million in the Tonawanda Powertrain facility in upstate New York for a new engine line that is expected to come online at the end of 2018.

Plant Manager Steve Finch told The Buffalo News the engine line would be the new version of the ‘Generation V’ engine family.

That family includes the LT1 460 hp V8 engine found in Corvette Stingrays and Grand Sports, as well as the V8s in many of GM’s full-size trucks and SUVs including Silverado, Yukon, Suburban and the Escalade.

“They’re making the announcement today because we have to do a lot of work to get ready for it, in terms of building the equipment and getting on with the project, but they haven’t released any details of the project,” Finch said.

The Tonawanda investment is one of three projects announced by General Motors on December 14th that total $333.66 million. Tonawanda receives $295.9 million and that investment will create 67 new jobs while retaining 857. The other two plants, Lockport and Rochester will receive $31.86 and $5.9 million for component production.

On hand at the Tonawanda Plant for the announcement was New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is also the owner of a 1975 Corvette.

“Let’s be honest, GM is going to spend that much money, they could pick up this plant, they could go anywhere,” Cuomo said. “And they’re betting on Buffalo, and they’re betting on Western New York, and they’re making that investment here, because they believe in Buffalo’s future. They believe in the partnership they have with the state of New York.”

GM now uses the Gen 5 V8 across the board in so many vehicles so any news on “future versions” of this engine is important to watch as it could have ramifications for the Corvette. With the speculation that a mid-engine Corvette is under development, this investment by GM for a new engine line does fit the expected time frame with production of the C8 beginning in the later half of 2018.

Source:
buffalonews.com

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