LTX trademark may point to new GM V-8 block for aftermarket

General Motors has moved to protect the name “LTX” for use on engines designed for automobiles.

A search of the database of the United States Patent and Trademark Office reveals GM filed for trademark protection for LTX on Jan. 10, specifically for use on engines for "automobiles, sport utility vehicles, trucks and vans."

That's a little more than a week prior to its Jan. 20 announcement of an $854 million investment in production for a next-generation small-block V-8.

However, the LTX name is more likely to be for a new aftermarket engine block for the current LT small-block V-8, as opposed to the next-generation small-block V-8.

GM sells engine blocks for its various LS small-block V-8s with the LSX designation. They are popular in the aftermarket, and GM has used them for its Chevrolet COPO Camaro drag specials.

Should GM get around to offering an aftermarket engine block for for the LT V-8, it will likely be made from aluminum, just like the production LT V-8s such as the LT2, LT4, and LT5.

Of course, protecting a trademark doesn't necessarily mean it will be used. It could simply be to save the trademarked term for a potential future use or to block a competitor from using it. GM has actually previously filed trademark protection for LTX on more than one occasion. Previous occasions were in 2016 and 2013.