Automotive Industry
Inside the Assembly Plant Where Corvette ZR1’s Engine Is Made
High-powered engines are assembled by hand.
General Motors’ assembly plant here isn’t just the home of the Chevrolet Corvette. It also produces the engine that equips GM’s most powerful performance vehicles. Photo courtesy General Motors
BOWLING GREEN, KY—General Motors’ assembly plant here isn’t just the home of the Chevrolet Corvette. It also produces the engine that equips GM’s most powerful performance vehicles.
The Performance Build Center (PBC) is a 20,000-square-foot production area dedicated to assembling high-performance, low-volume engines. These engines are destined for select GM models, including the Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing, the Cadillac Escalade-V, and the Chevrolet Corvette Z06.
One of the premier products the PBC manufactures is the LT7 engine, which debuted in the 2025 Corvette ZR1, the fastest and most powerful vehicle ever built by an American auto manufacturer.
Originally located in Michigan, the PBC moved to Bowling Green in 2013. The center has about 70 employees, all master engine builders. The team assembles each performance engine by hand, producing about 90 engines daily.
This specialized area is unlike most traditional assembly lines, which typically feature operators staged along a conveyor with each employee responsible for a certain job in the assembly process. In the PBC, the workstations and parts are stationary, with engine builders manually moving the engine from section to section to complete the build.
Each engine type has a different assembly line, with a team of specialized engine builders and a team leader for each section. When a technician completes each engine, they attach a custom nameplate that shows the builder’s printed name and signature.
Working at the PBC requires a skills assessment and interview process, and accepted applicants must complete six weeks of in-depth training. Todd Browning, a PBC launch team member and a self-described gearhead, says once a new member joins the team, they’re not quick to leave.
“Being in the PBC has given me opportunities to do things I never thought I would. It is an honor to be here,” Browning says. “I’ve built over 1,000 engines at this point and each one of them meant something special to me.”Looking for quick answers on assembly and manufacturing topics? Try Ask ASM, our new smart AI search tool. Ask ASM
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