GM prepares a new generation of V8 power, from workhorse pickups to performance heroes
American carmakers are in a curious phase. Every boardroom presentation seems to promise an electric tomorrow, yet the smell of petrol keeps drifting back into the room. General Motors is now preparing an entirely new generation of V8 engines for 2027, rolled out in two distinct acts. One unit will serve full size pickups, the other is aimed squarely at sports cars. With that on the table, the announced investment of nine hundred million dollars, about 828 million euros, hardly feels extravagant. More like an inevitability.
Several well placed sources outline the plan with surprising precision. The core engine is a 5.7 litre V8 destined for the 2027 Chevrolet Silverado, with an official debut possible as early as the summer of 2026. It replaces the current 5.3 and 6.2 litre families and promises a six percent improvement in fuel economy. By modern American pickup standards that almost counts as national austerity.
The flagship version pushes capacity to 6.6 litres and shifts the focus toward performance. In theory it gives the Corvette a fresh playmate and lets Cadillac entertain the idea that a muscular saloon does not have to remain a fond memory. GM also refuses to rule out the possibility that a particularly ambitious pickup could get it as well. The company is laying the groundwork for hybrid systems, and the new engines slot into that future with suspicious ease.
The wider American industry is moving in an odd double rhythm, one hand sketching battery packs while the other stirs a pot of well seasoned V8 heritage. It feels strangely familiar, which is probably why nobody is especially shocked.
