DETROIT — GM Powertrain has confirmed for Inside Line that it has dropped plans to build a new state-of-the-art DOHC V8 for its luxury lineup. Although the new V8 appears to be the first victim at GM of tougher U.S. fuel-economy standards announced last month, GM will only say the move is in response to "decline in demand for the V8."
"We are able to respond quickly to changes in demand, which can be a good thing," said GM Powertrain Spokesman Tom Read. "We never announced any applications. I don't want to speculate what we had in mind. We just said luxury vehicles. The V6 is becoming a much more popular choice."
GM a year ago announced plans for the new DOHC V8, which was due to debut in 2009. It had planned to spend $300 million at its Tonawanda, New York plant to ramp up production for the engine.
Read would not pin the decision to kill the engine on the new fuel-economy rules or rising gas prices. "It's too early to understand the impact of the new standards," he said. "We still need to look at what that means." The stricter regulations will raise corporate average fuel-economy requirements to 35 mpg by 2020.
Read pointed out that the new direct-injection V6 in the 2008 Cadillac CTS develops 304 horsepower — a high-powered choice that he said appears to satisfy many buyers. The current Northstar V8 makes 275 hp in the 2008 Cadillac DTS. "There are a lot of options to cover that premium V8 segment," Read said. "GM has the breadth in its (engine) portfolio to move with the market."
Read emphasized that just because the advanced DOHC V8 program is dead, it "doesn't mean that V8s are going away. We have a huge V8 family in the small block and there is a lot of technology we are adding to that, such as variable valve timing and lightweight materials," he said.
The Tonawanda plant still will get the new 4.5-liter diesel V8 that is scheduled for production in 2010.
What this means to you: Your future Caddy may have a hot V6, not a hot V8. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
"We are able to respond quickly to changes in demand, which can be a good thing," said GM Powertrain Spokesman Tom Read. "We never announced any applications. I don't want to speculate what we had in mind. We just said luxury vehicles. The V6 is becoming a much more popular choice."
GM a year ago announced plans for the new DOHC V8, which was due to debut in 2009. It had planned to spend $300 million at its Tonawanda, New York plant to ramp up production for the engine.
Read would not pin the decision to kill the engine on the new fuel-economy rules or rising gas prices. "It's too early to understand the impact of the new standards," he said. "We still need to look at what that means." The stricter regulations will raise corporate average fuel-economy requirements to 35 mpg by 2020.
Read pointed out that the new direct-injection V6 in the 2008 Cadillac CTS develops 304 horsepower — a high-powered choice that he said appears to satisfy many buyers. The current Northstar V8 makes 275 hp in the 2008 Cadillac DTS. "There are a lot of options to cover that premium V8 segment," Read said. "GM has the breadth in its (engine) portfolio to move with the market."
Read emphasized that just because the advanced DOHC V8 program is dead, it "doesn't mean that V8s are going away. We have a huge V8 family in the small block and there is a lot of technology we are adding to that, such as variable valve timing and lightweight materials," he said.
The Tonawanda plant still will get the new 4.5-liter diesel V8 that is scheduled for production in 2010.
What this means to you: Your future Caddy may have a hot V6, not a hot V8. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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