#ChevroletPerformance

On Wednesday, Chevrolet Performance announced the ZZ632/1000 — a naturally aspirated 632-cubic-inch (10,348 cc) V8 producing 1,004 horsepower and 876 lb-ft of torque on pump gasoline.

While 100 hp per liter may not be an engineering marvel today, delivering a crate motor that’s sized to embarrass every other powertrain installed into a production vehicle is an achievement in itself. This 10.3-liter behemoth makes the 8.4-liter V10 installed in Dodge’s Viper (rest in peace) look like it’s supposed to be fitted to a riding lawnmower. Of course, it’s also huge in comparison to literally every powertrain we’ve seen on a project car that didn’t source its parts from vintage aircraft.

Chevrolet is responding to Dodge’s introduction of a Hellcat-based crate engine intended for project cars that absolutely have to produce an obscene amount of horsepower. The “Hellcrate” was introduced last year, making 707 hp, for the low price of $19,530 — which actually sounds kind of expensive when you say it out loud.

Not to be outdone, General Motors is offering a trio of new engines to complement its already full stable. There’s the supercharged 6.2-liter LT5 from the Corvette ZR1, which should trump Dodge’s mill at 755 hp, and two naturally aspirated alternatives that should be sufficient for most applications. The company is also taking them to SEMA, affixed to some vintage Chevy models to stoke consumer interest. Hence the sinister-looking, LT5-equipped 1973 Chevelle Laguna pictured above.

Forget about your tame, hand-me-down Celebrity Eurosport or Lumina Euro of yesteryear, Chevrolet wants you, yes you, to go further in gussying up what could be a very mild vehicle.

The automaker has launched its 2017 Chevrolet Performance catalog, which now boasts added heat for almost every model in the lineup. For some vehicles, the new offerings could be the makings of a performance monster. For others (such as the Malibu), you’ll want to give those factory-backed add-ons some sober second thought.