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CHEVROLET PERFORMANCE ALREADY DISCONTINUING 755 HP LT5 CRATE ENGINE: REPORT

The LT5 Is The Most Powerful V8 GM Has Ever Put In A Production Car

2019 SEMA Show Chevrolet Performance LT5 V8 Crate Engine
Image copyright Manoli Katakis, Muscle Cars & Trucks

As Chevrolet Performance continues to introduce new crate engines, such as the LS427/570 V8 and the new 572 cubic-inch Big Block V8 found in the COPO Camaro, it’s still quietly thinning others out of the lineup. A new report indicates that the 755 horsepower LT5 V8 crate engine is no longer available to order, which stood as the most powerful motor Chevrolet has ever put in the performance parts catalog.

The Chevrolet Performance website still lists the LT5, and we’ve reached out to the proper channels to get official comment on the matter. The LT5 only just began to be available as a crate engine as of 2019.

LT5 V8: The Big Brother To The LT4

The Gen V LT5 is a 6.2L supercharged small block V8 engine that was only ever put in one vehicle for one model year: the 2019 C7 Corvette ZR1. To this day it’s the most powerful V8 engine General Motors has ever put in a production car, showing the world that the automaker can answer the call from Dodge and its Hellcat engines. When it wants to, anyway.

According to Motor Trend, you can still find LT5 crate engines, which typically run about $19,000 USD before any markups. Compared to the more abundant LT4, the supercharger rotors of the LT5 are larger in diameter, and have a tighter 170-degree helical twist compared to the LT4’s 160-degree rotors. As a result, the boost of the LT5 was more significant than the LT4’s at 14 pounds per square inch, with the LT4 producing 9.4 psi. In addition, the pully ratio of the LT5 is 2.4 to 1 as opposed to the LT4’s 3.1 to 1. Altogether, the changes gave the LT5 104 horsepower and 65 lb-ft of torque more than the LT4.

C7 Corvette ZR1 LT5 V8
The C7 Corvette ZR1. Photo via Chevrolet.

 

The Upcoming End Of The GM Pushrod V8 Era?

Chevrolet Performance has long had a borderline monopoly on the crate engine market, but its rivals have been stepping it up. For example, Ford Performance now offers the Predator supercharged V8 found in the S550 Mustang Shelby GT500 as a crate engine. This howling engine produces 760 horsepower and 625 lb-ft of torque, just five ponies more than the LT5, but is significantly more expensive as a crate engine than the Chevy supercharged V8. Then there’s the Mopar Hellcrate supercharged V8, which produces 707 ponies and 650 lb-ft of torque. And the 1,000 horsepower Hellephant crate motor above that, which stands as the most powerful crate engine available from any OEM.

Truly, this is a sign of the times. As General Motors insists on going all-electric, even experimenting with electrical crate motor offerings, an extensive catalog of powerful, high octane engines does seem to be at-odds with the company’s current philosophy. We don’t think Chevrolet is about to completely abandon the performance aftermarket cold turkey, but the winds of change are certainly in the air.

Written by Zac Quinn

Zac's love for cars started at a young age, after seeing the popular Eleanor from Gone In 60 Seconds. From there, fascination and enthusiasm blossomed and to this day the Ford Mustang remains a favorite. His first job started out detailing cars, but also provided the opportunity to work on restoration including an 1968 Ford Mustang, Pontiac Firebird, and a C3 Corvette, though he left that job before further work and experience could be had. From there, he was a detailer at a car dealership before quitting that job to try and finish college.

Much of his free time while studying was spent watching YouTube videos regarding new cars, or off-roading. 4WD247 is a personal favorite channel which rekindled a dying flame in car enthusiasm, now tailored towards trucks and SUVs and the fun that can be had building up an overlanding rig, and going on adventures, though, that chapter remains unwritten for the time being.

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