# GM Spending $890 Million on New Engines, Including Direct-Injection Aluminum V8s



## Administrator (Mar 14, 2008)

General Motors has announced it will invest $890 million in its powertrain facilities, part of which will go towards development of a new generation of powerful and efficient small-block V8 engines. The new engines will be E85 compatible, will use aluminum blocks and will get direct-injection technology. They will also get a new type of combustion system design. All of these updates will result in "unprecedented" improvements in fuel economy.

Updates to powertrain facilities will be made at five locations: Tonawanda, NY; St. Catherines, Ontario; Defiance, Ohio; Bedford, Indiana and Bay City, Michigan. GM says more than 1,600 jobs will be added or retained due to the investment.

There's no word on exactly what vehicles will get the new engines, but its likely they will arrive in GM's trucks, as well as a new generation of spots cars and luxury cars, ranging from the Corvette, to the Camaro, to the Cadillac CTS-V.

More: *GM Spending $890 Million on New Engines, Including Direct-Injection Aluminum V8s* on AutoGuide.com


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

I was hoping the LS platform was going to be around for a while.


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## jetstang (Nov 5, 2008)

When Ford turned to the Modular Motor, 4.6, everyone thought GM was going to follow suit. Instead Chevy used 50 year old pushrod technology and came up and suceeded with the LS motors. Now, they are going to new technology to make a better V-8, this could be real good stuff. LS motors have been around since 97, it's time for an unpgrade. Chevy maximized the LS with the current ZR-1 motor.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

GM also worked with the SBC for over 40 years until the LS platform came about. There is no need to change the block castings again (except for engineering busywork), just the heads & intake manifolds.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

This is good news. I can't wait to see this, this has been a rumor for awhile. The "old" pushrod small block proved to be better in some ways than the DOHC motor from Ford. It's compact and more fuel efficant.


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## Poncho Dan (Jun 30, 2009)

And old pushrod style motor has less mechanical loss from the valvetrain from less moving parts than a DOHC (or SOHC). There's something to be said for "less is more." Going from 1 cam to 4, multiply the springs, lifters, and valves by that much, plus throw in an extra timing chain. Lots more rotating mass and friction, and complexity.


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## GM4life (Mar 18, 2007)

Yeah, tell me something I don't know I just like when people say the pushrod motor is old and antiquated when the OHC motor is just about as old. I guess GM thought if it aint broke don't fix it idea with the LSx/Lxx motors. An engine with more CI and more power get better mileage than a smaller motor and less hp, out the box says something.

If GM comes out with a DI V8, I'll bet we see the DI verson of the Ford 5.0 enabled. Ford had allready said that the new 5.0 has provisions for DI.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Poncho Dan said:


> And old pushrod style motor has less mechanical loss from the valvetrain from less moving parts than a DOHC (or SOHC). There's something to be said for "less is more." Going from 1 cam to 4, multiply the springs, lifters, and valves by that much, plus throw in an extra timing chain. Lots more rotating mass and friction, and complexity.


Maybe we should go back to the flat head motors.


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