GM invests $1.4 billion in new V8 following mass recall 

General Motors (GM) has confirmed a second North American factory will begin making its new sixth-generation small-block V8, at the Tonawanda Propulsion plant in Buffalo, New York, from 2027.

In stark contrast to a broader global automotive industry that’s investing heavily in electric powertrains, GM is investing US$888 million (A$1.377 billion) to build the new V8 in Buffalo. It says this represents “the largest single investment the company has ever made in an engine plant”.

It means the new engine will be produced in two locations, with the 87-year-old Flint Engine plant in Michigan also tooling up to build the new ‘Gen VI’ V8, which is set to power “full-size trucks and SUVs”.

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“This new generation of engines is expected to deliver stronger performance than today’s engines while benefiting fuel economy and reducing emissions,” said the US automaker in a statement this week.

“New combustion and thermal management innovations are a key factor driving these improvements.”

No further details – such as displacement, power, torque or fuel consumption – were announced. 

The new V8 was announced by GM in 2023 as a replacement for the current ‘Gen V’ engine introduced in 2013. 

Following its confirmation, GM dumped plans for a more powerful six-cylinder engine set to offer V8-rivalling power and capability.

GM rival Stellantis – which owns rival brands including Dodge, Ram and Chrysler, among others – has since dropped its famed Hemi V8 in place of a 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder twin-turbo ‘Hurricane’ engine.

The Hurricane was introduced in Australia with the 2025 Ram 1500 pickup, which competes with the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado. 

Comments by Ram’s returning global CEO Tim Kuniskis and US President Donald Trump’s moves to wind back the country’s emissions laws – effectively including a ban on the sale of new vehicles with internal combustion engines – have sparked rumours that Stellantis will restart Hemi V8 production. 

GM didn’t say which of its models will get the new V8, but it’s set to replace the current engine under the bonnet of the Silverado and the GMC Yukon Denali large SUV recently released in Australia. 

The long-wheelbase Yukon XL, the GMC Sierra pickup, and the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban full-size SUVs are also set to be powered by the new V8 in the US. 

In the Australian-spec Silverado 1500 and Yukon, the current V8 produces 313kW/624Nm across all grades including the performance focussed Silverado ZR2 flagship.

L87 6.2-litre V8-powered Silverados sold in Australia between 2021 and 2024 are part of a global recall announced earlier this month, impacting 9451 vehicles here and 721,000 worldwide. 

The recall doesn’t include the MY25 Silverado nor the Yukon Denali in Australia. 

The announcement also comes after President Trump introduced wide-ranging tariffs – including automotive-specific tariffs – on imports into the US.

The controversial tariffs – which came in April 2025 despite calls from GM, Ford and Stellantis to postpone their introduction – were designed to foster manufacturing in the US. 

GM has since said the tariffs will cost it US$5 billion (A$7.8bn) – with Ford saying the tariffs will cost it at least US$2.5 billion (A$3.89bn) – as it reorganises its manufacturing supply chain in response. 

“Our significant investments in GM’s Tonawanda Propulsion plant show our commitment to strengthening American manufacturing and supporting jobs in the US,” said GM Chair and CEO Mary Barra in a statement this week.

“GM’s Buffalo plant has been in operation for 87 years and is continuing to innovate the engines we build there to make them more fuel efficient and higher performing, which will help us deliver world-class trucks and SUVs to our customers for years to come.”

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