If you were hoping to stuff a Chevrolet LS9 in your Honda Fit or custom rat rod, I hope you already placed an order for one. According to several reports, the famous supercharged engine originally developed for the mighty Corvette C6 ZR1 has been discontinued from the Chevy Performance catalog, closing an important chapter in the book of Bowtie V8s.
The 6.2-liter long block LS9 delivered 638 horsepower and 486 pound-feet of torque straight out of the box. Its reliability, relative simplicity, and its ability to rev near 7,000 rpm made it a prime choice among tuners and custom-car builders.
The internals of this engine were just as impressive as its performance. Per Corvette Blogger, it featured a forged steel crankshaft, titanium rods, forged aluminum pistons, titanium intake valves, sodium-filled exhaust valves, and other specs that let it go toe-to-toe with high-dollar European supercars.
As the report highlights, Chevy has not announced an immediate replacement for the LS9 crate engine. However, the Chevy Performance Instagram recently teased fans with a photo of what appears to be a supercharged V8 in a truck engine bay, along with the caption, “Something BIG is coming.” Whether it’s just another supercharged V8 or not, we’ll have to wait to find out.
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