General Motors Co. said Wednesday it has started production on the fifth generation of small-block engines — including the 6.2-liter V-8 LT1 that powers the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray — at its Tonawanda Engine Plant in Buffalo, N.Y. The new work has more than doubled employment at the factory since 2009.
GM announced in April 2010 it would invest $400 million in the plant to build the new engines. The funding brought advanced manufacturing tools to the plant to build four small-block variants on the same assembly line. The Detroit-based automaker said the plant by 2015 will produce small-block engines for nine GM models.
The plant also is building small blocks for GM’s new 2014 full-size Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups. Those engines are the EcoTec3 4.3-liter V-6, 5.3-liter V-8 and 6.2-liter V-8. The same engines are expected to power GM’s new full-size SUVs coming next year.