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General Motors is among the firms aiming to make a complete shift to electric-only models by 2035. Although more than ten years away, in the interim, a state-of-the-art small-block V8 is on the horizon.
The confirmation came from an official release by the carmaker allocating “$854 million to ready [engine] facilities for the fabrication of the manufacturer’s sixth iteration of the Small Block V-8.” This marks the first announcement of an updated version of the engine. The current fifth-gen small-block made its debut in the 2014 Corvette C7, nearly ten years ago, and is currently employed in various models within the automaker’s range.
GM hinted at its future plans in the statement, stating that the sixth-gen small block will “enhance our top-of-the-line series of full-size pickups and SUVs.” This indicates that V8-powered giants will still dominate the roads for the foreseeable future. However, no mention was made regarding the Corvette, Camaro, or other models that currently utilize this engine. Worth noting is that the C8 Corvette Stingray continues to be powered by a fifth-gen small block, the LT2.
The small-block Chevy has seen continued production in various forms since 1954. Contemporary versions of the engine maintain the same bore spacing and a few other characteristics from the original design, albeit with substantial modifications.
The preceding fourth generation of the engine commenced production in 2005. Small block Chevy iterations typically endure between 10 and 15 years, with the exception of the initial generation which had a significantly longer lifecycle.
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