General Motors has discontinued the supercharged 6.2L LT5 V8 crate engine, which was first introduced by Chevrolet Performance at the 2018 SEMA Show in Las Vegas.
The 6.2L LT5 V8 was only ever offered in the 2019 Corvette ZR1 before Chevrolet Performance began offering it as a crate engine in late 2018. The most powerful engine offered in a Chevy production vehicle, the LT5 produces 755 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 715 pound-feet of torque at 3,600 rpm. The heart of the LT5 is the larger Roots-type supercharger, which is based on the same effective design as the LS9 and LT4 engines, but with a larger displacement of 2.65 liters and a higher boost pressure of 14 psi. GM suggested the crate engine be used in pre-1973 vintage car builds, or off-road vehicle applications.
Chevy debuted the 6.2L LT5 V8 crate engine by dropping it in a 1973 Chevelle Laguna show car for the 2018 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Inspired by NASCAR stock cars, the build also featured a racing-inspired front splitter and rear spoiler, 18-inch wheels with red sidewall Goodyear tires and a carbon fiber hood inspired by the 2019 Corvette ZR1’s.
It’s not clear why General Motors has decided to pull the plug on the LT5 after only a couple of years of sales. Sales of the crate engine were likely minimal, though, as it retailed for a steep $19,995. The automaker also sold less than 3,000 examples of the 2019 Corvette ZR1, so with its demise, it seems as though the LT5 V8 crate engine is set to become one of the rarest modern-day GM production engines.
With the 6.2L LT5 V8 engine’s demise, the most powerful Chevrolet Performance crate engine now is the 6.2.L LT4 V8, which produces 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. Customers can purchase the LT4 V8 through a certified Chevrolet Performance dealer, which they can find via the automaker’s website.
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Comments
“GM crate engines gets better mileage with the 572 frankly.”
“Both the LT4 and LT5 were fairly efficient and fuel frugal…”
Which is it, Jake? I cannot fathom the 572 crate motor getting better mileage than any production engine of the last 60 years.
Buy 10 of these engines and store them, see what they will be worth in 20 years.
I would not be surprised if after the the current car guys are gone including myself that in 20 years they might not be worth what you can buy them for now. I hear what your saying. And that would be true if there are any car guys left in 20 years. At 62 it just seems to me the young car guys nowadays are getting fewer and fewer. I keep seeing more and more younger guys including both my son in laws as more interested in computer video games, virtual reality and lounging around all weekend staying in their lounge pants, inside their house playing video and computer games. They couldn’t care less about cars or snowmobiles no matter how hard I try to encourage them to join me. My daughters enjoy cars and snowmobiles more than there homebody husbands. Thankfully my 27 yr old son enjoys the car hobby and snowmobiles. There are fewer and fewer young people attending car shows it seems. The SEMA organization has been concerned about this trend for awhile now.
Not sure what you are following. I dropped an lt5 in my 69 camaro. Take a look at what the most recent builds with LT5’s have gone for at Barrett Jackson. Every single one I have seen over the last 3 years sold for over $300k. Stielows recent 69 is state of the art. The pinnacle of chevy performance engines will always be sought. Discontinuing it just means most builders are afraid to take that step when it’s cheaper and easier to build a classic and sell it with an LS motor. Still plenty of us enthusiast out there that want the best and the fact there will only be a few of them out there makes me feel fortunate to have the greatest engine ever built in the greatest car ever produced!
So and now I (hopefully) solve the riddle why the current LT-5 (2nd time) also runs out or has to run out as a crate motor!
I’ve been a Corvette C4 Cabrio owner for 30 years and a big fan of all Corvette generations. Now I am reading this “LT-5 story” here too, which I find strange if one does not fully understand the history of the LT-5 engines.
The LT-5 engine was and has always been installed in the most powerful Corvette of that generation, although the numbers were always small.
Let’s start with the C4 ZR1 which had built in the LT-5 (Lotus development) with 385HP / 405HP. With the C5, the Z06 already had the same power as 405HP, ZR1 and LT-5 did not exist! In the case of the C6, on the other hand, the production engine was already over 400HP strong, the Z06 427 Ci. had 505HP and the ZR1 then with the LS-9 around 647HP. With the C7 series around 440HP, Z06 with 647HP and then again a real ZR1 with the new LT-5 the great 747HP for convertible and coupe.
Now the LT-5 motor was only available in 2 versions:
The 1st LT-5: Installed on the C4 ZR1 as a 5.7L 4V 4Cam V8 developed by Lotus and built by Mercury Marine.
The 2nd LT-5: Installed on the Corvette C7 ZR1 as a 6.2 2V supercharged power engine and full throttle also on the Nürburgring in Germany.
The next 3rd LT-5: will be announced on October 26, 2021 that it will be the completely new 5.5L V8 646HP Flate Plane engine of the new Corvette Z06, which has been in use in the C8.R GTE Racecar since 2020.
Conclusion: That is why the LT-5 engine from General Motors is being taken out of the official program. Retrofitting with tuners is always possible, but original LT-5 motors are no longer desired by GM with the use of the next generation of the LT-5.
Pay attention to the history, because Corvettes are cult, ever!
If my grammar is wrong, I am sorry. My notebook automatically translates from English to German and then from German to English again. Then it doesn’t always work properly.
Hope the positive statement arrives.
YEAH! Yankeesprings told the truth that most don’t want to acknowledge. Here is another truth, men’s testosterone is going down thru time, and not just older men. all MEN!, they dont know why. these young guys sit on their _ss and watch/, play videos, no wonder. IF men’s T heads on the current trend, men wont be men . Another problem with videos, and games, its not reality. and those type you meet, ….. well, yeah kinda out of touch.