BMW Manufacturing celebrated a historic milestone this past April as the seven millionth BMW rolled off the assembly line in Spartanburg, SC. To commemorate this event, associates assembled a BMW ALPINA XB7 painted ALPINA Green Metallic and powered by a 4.4-liter BMW ALPINA Bi-Turbo V8, 32-valve engine, rated at 631 horsepower. This ALPINA XB7 will remain at the factory and become part of the BMW historic collection.*
“This beautiful BMW ALPINA XB7 is a testament to the great products we have, the quality of our supplier network, and the unwavering commitment and dedication of our valued associates,” said Dr. Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing. “For over 30 years, BMW has proudly invested in South Carolina and its people, creating a remarkable legacy. We are excited about our future as we prepare to assemble fully electric vehicles at this plant.” Continue reading










GM Recalls 1.14 Million V8 Engines for Failures and Fires
General Motors is recalling more than a million V8 engines used in 2021 – 2024 model year Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, Chevrolet Silverado 1500, Suburban, and Tahoe, and GMC Sierra 1500, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles equipped with the 6.2L V8 gas engine (RPO L87). The connecting rod and/or crankshaft engine components in these vehicles may have manufacturing defects that can lead to engine damage and engine failure. This safety defect recall follows years of GM investigating the problem and concluding that no problem existed. However, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) continued its investigation based on persistent complaints from users, NHTSA had an active engineering analysis open when GM made the recall decision.
In the required safety defect recall filing – only some of it was made public by NHTSA, GM said “Engine teardown analysis identified two primary root causes, both of which are attributable to supplier manufacturing and quality issues: (1) rod-bearing damage from sediment on connecting rods and crankshaft-oil galleries; and (2) out of specification crankshaft dimensions and surface finish.” The supplier will remain publicly unknown until all the documents are made public, which is likely next Monday in AutoInformed’s experience. Continue reading →