- The LS9 supercharged V8 delivered 638 hp and 604 lb-ft in the C6 ZR1.
- With a forged crank, titanium rods, and forged pistons, the LS9 is an icon.
- While the LS9 is gone, Chevy continues to sell the 650 hp LT4 V8 crate engine.
Chevrolet pulled the wraps off the supercar-slaying C6 Corvette ZR1 more than 18 years ago. Production of the car itself ended in 2013, but the engine that defined it, the supercharged 6.2-liter LS9, kept going. It powered the limited-run HSV GTSR W1 in Australia and then settled into a long second life as a crate motor. That second life is now over. Sadly, Chevy Performance has quietly discontinued the LS9 for good.
Up until recently, the LS9, available directly from Chevrolet Performance, was ideal for anyone looking to do a wild engine swap or a project. Chevy left no stone unturned in developing the C6 ZR1’s engine, allowing it to churn out 638 hp at 6,500 rpm and 604 lb-ft (819 Nm) of torque at 3,800 rpm, figures which were frankly ridiculous at the time of its launch.
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Indeed, the C6 ZR1 had more power than a Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640. In addition to the large supercharger, Chevy fitted the LS9 with a forged-steel crankshaft, titanium rods, forged aluminum pistons, titanium intake valves, and sodium-filled exhaust valves.
An Engine To Conquer
Chevrolet first started selling the ZR1’s LS9 as a crate engine in early 2009, initially priced from a cool $21,000. If you look hard enough, you may be able to find a retailer or performance shop that still has an LS9 in stock, but with production ending, any remaining stock will quickly dry up.
Fortunately, there’s no end in sight for high-performance crate engines from Chevy. As noted by Corvette Blogger, the company has teased what could be its latest crate offering through an Instagram post showing an intake manifold with the caption “Something BIG is coming.” The smart money is on a unit based on the 6.7-liter naturally aspirated LS6 V8 introduced with the 2027 Corvette.
Several other crate engines are currently available from Chevy. These include the 6.2-liter supercharged LT4 V8 from the C7 Z06, delivering 650 hp and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm), as well as the LT1 6.2-liter naturally-aspirated V8, rated at 450 hp and 455 lb-ft (617 Nm).
