General Motors’ powertrain engineers have undoubtedly demonstrated with the LS family of V8 engines that pushrods still have a place in the 21st century. As successful and popular as the LS has been, I don’t think it’s much of stretch to assume that the new LT1 V8 in the all new seventh generation Corvette will eventually replace the LS engine in its various permutations and applications. The LT1, still a cam in block engine, and still with Ed Cole’s 4.40 inch bore centers, adds direct injection to the Small Block Chevy heritage. The LS family has also been popular as crate motors, used by customizers and high performance enthusiasts as well as with a small industry of companies that specialize in high performance GM products. While you can buy a LS from General Motors with up to 638 horsepower, if that just doesn’t satisfy your need for speed, companies like Callaway, Lingenfelter and Hennessey have shown that the LS engine’s basic architecture is capable of putting out almost twice that power. After talking with Ken Lingenfelter about the new Corvette, I wonder, though, just how tuner-friendly the new LT1 will be. (Read More…)
Tagged as 2013 chicago auto show, C7 Corvette, chicago auto show, Classic Car Club of America, Corvette, Ed Cole, general motors, GM LS Engine, Karls Kustom Corvette, Ken Lingenfelter, Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, ls9, LSX, LT1, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Ronnie Schreiber, small block chevy
Recent Comments
NoGoYo - They don’t seem to be tuning it well PERIOD, if the 0-60 numbers and fuel economy reports are anything to go by.
ajla - The EB 3.5L is the high-power option, and it’s still cheaper than getting the 6.2L in the 1/2 ton. It’s a totally...
Type57SC - He seems to be worth a couple billion on paper. Doing something right as that can’t be all luck.
Type57SC - Ecoboost F150 sales would seem to suggest otherwise.
wmba - Interesting article. This is a subject I think of a lot, because I’m not at all convinced that small turbocharged engines are the way to go, even though...
Type57SC - Ahh, but how do you know that the guy you tell about it isn’t the person who ended up inventing it?
threeer - Yeah…the base V-6 Mustang (assuming you can lay off of the options/extras) makes one heck of an argument when it comes to...
Acd - Looks like a great car for the sub-prime finance crowd. If a car makes a statement this one says “My owner has a really low credit score”.
Higheriq - The world may have progressed far beyond the stick, but some of still like to do it “old school” (me included, and...
andyinatl - GTI is not offered with automatic, but with the VW’s dual clutch transmission. Same idea as Ford’s PowerShift,...