From the triple-carb Blue Flame six to the 360 hp Ramjet 327, trace how Duntov's fuel injection and the 1955 small-block saved the Corvette. Members get full horsepower, torque, bore, stroke and compression specs for each engine.
CORVETTE RESEARCH
Corvette Engines:
Every Engine Since 1953
Seventy years of Corvette engines in one place: the Blue Flame six, the 265, 283, 327 and 350 small blocks, the fuelies, the 396, 427 and 454 big blocks, the ZR-1’s DOHC LT5, the LS1 through LS9, the Gen V LT1, LT4 and LT5, and the C8’s LT2, flat-plane LT6, twin-turbo LT7, the hybrids and the 2027 LS6. This page explains the families and the eras, lists every engine by generation with its RPO code, output and years, and links the guide to each one.
Quick Nav: Overview · The Families · By Era · The Roundups · C1 · C2 · C3 · C4 · C5 · C6 · C7 · C8 · Features · Engine News · FAQs
The Basics
What This Is: An index of every production Corvette engine, 1953 to 2027, by generation, with the guide to each one and the site’s engine features and news
The Families: The Blue Flame inline six (1953–55); the Chevrolet small-block V-8 in 265, 283, 327 and 350 forms (1955–96); the Mark IV big blocks, 396, 427 and 454 (1965–74); the DOHC LT5 (1990–95); the Gen III/IV LS family (1997–2013); the Gen V LT family (2014 on); the flat-plane LT6, the twin-turbo LT7 and the hybrid E-Ray and ZR1X drivetrains (2023 on); the 6.7-liter LS6 of 2027
Output, Then and Now: 150 hp (1953) to 1,250 hp (2026 ZR1X); the base car from 150 to 535 hp
The Landmarks: 1955 the first V-8; 1957 fuel injection and one horsepower per cubic inch; 1965 the first big block; 1967 the L88; 1969 the aluminum ZL1; 1970 the LT-1; 1990 the LT5; 1997 the LS1; 2006 the 7.0-liter LS7; 2009 the supercharged LS9; 2014 direct injection; 2023 the flat-plane LT6; 2025 the twin-turbo LT7
How to Read a Rating: Gross horsepower through 1971, net from 1972, SAE-certified from 2005; the specs page explains why they cannot be compared across eras
Related Research: The specs and performance index, the RPO codes, the generation hubs’ engine tables, the year pages
The Overview
One family of engines made the Corvette. The Chevrolet small-block V-8 arrived in 1955, a year after the car nearly died with its six-cylinder, and in 265, 283, 327 and 350-cubic-inch forms it powered every base Corvette for the next forty-one years; its descendants, the LS and LT families, have powered every Corvette since. Around it came the big blocks of 1965–74, the ZR-1’s Lotus-designed DOHC LT5 of 1990–95, and in the C8 era the flat-plane LT6, the twin-turbo LT7 and the hybrid drivetrains that took the car from 495 to 1,250 horsepower in six years.
This page is the index to all of it. The reference table gives the eras; each generation’s section lists every engine offered with its RPO code, its output and its years and links the guide to it; the generation roundups (A Guide to Every C1 Corvette Engine, and so on through the C7) cover each generation in one piece; and the features and news grids carry everything else the site has written about Corvette engines, from the LT1-versus-LS1 argument to the cars that borrowed Corvette engines.
Two cautions. Horsepower was measured three different ways across these seventy years (gross to 1971, net from 1972, SAE-certified from 2005), so a 1970 LT-1’s 370 and a 1972 LT-1’s 255 are the same engine; the specs page explains the methods. And an RPO code is not a name: L88 and LS6 and LT1 each belong to two unrelated engines decades apart, which the table below keeps straight.
The Corvette Engine Families
Seven families, in order. Each generation’s own table below lists every engine; this is the map.
The Blue Flame six, 1953–55
The first Corvette had Chevrolet’s 235-cubic-inch Stovebolt inline six, warmed over with three Carter sidedraft carburetors, a higher-lift cam and a 150-horsepower rating (155 from late 1954), and a two-speed Powerglide because no manual would fit the schedule. It was smooth and slow, 11 seconds to 60, and the reason the car nearly died: 3,640 1954s were built and a third went unsold. A handful of 1955s still had it; the rest had the engine that saved the car.
The small block, 1955–96
Ed Cole’s 265-cubic-inch V-8 of 1955 (195 horsepower) is the ancestor of every Corvette engine since. It became the 283 in 1957, which with Rochester fuel injection made 283 horsepower, one per cubic inch, among the first production engines to do it; the 327 in 1962, which reached 375 fuel-injected horsepower in the 1964–65 L84; and the 350 in 1969, which carried the car through the emissions years in L48, L82, LT-1 (370 horsepower in 1970), L81 and Cross-Fire L83 forms and into the C4 as the L98 (Tuned-Port Injection, 230–250 horsepower), the 300-horsepower reverse-flow-cooled LT1 of 1992 and the 330-horsepower LT4 of 1996. The fuelies of 1957–65 are their own story, told in the C1 and C2 sections.
The big blocks, 1965–74
The Mark IV big block arrived mid-1965 as the 396-cubic-inch L78 (425 horsepower) under the first stinger hood, became the 427 in 1966 (L36 390, L72 425) and in 1967 the Tri-Power L71 (435 horsepower), the aluminum-head L89 and the L88, rated at 430 to discourage buyers and making around 550. The all-aluminum ZL1 of 1969 (two sold) and the 454-cubic-inch LS5 and LS6 of 1970–71 were the peak; the 454 ended as the 270-horsepower LS4 of 1974. Every one has a guide.
The LT5, 1990–95
The ZR-1’s engine was the only non-pushrod Corvette engine until the C8 Z06: a 5.7-liter all-aluminum DOHC 32-valve V-8 designed with Lotus, built by Mercury Marine in Oklahoma, 375 horsepower in 1990 and 405 from 1993, with a valet key that shut off half the intake ports. It gave the ZR-1 180 mph and a 24-hour speed record at Fort Stockton. The name was reused for the C7 ZR1’s supercharged engine, a different design.
The LS family, 1997–2013
The Gen III LS1 of 1997 was all-new (aluminum block, deep-skirt, coil-near-plug, 345 horsepower) and begat the LS6 (385 then 405 horsepower in the C5 Z06), the Gen IV LS2 (400, 2005), the LS3 (430 or 436 with the exhaust, 2008), the 7.0-liter 505-horsepower LS7 of the C6 Z06 (2006) with its titanium rods and dry sump, and the supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 of the C6 ZR1 (638 horsepower, 2009). The LS family is also the engine the aftermarket built itself on, and the one most often found under the hood of a restomod.
The Gen V LT family, 2014 on
Direct injection, variable valve timing and cylinder deactivation came with the C7’s 6.2-liter LT1 (455 or 460 horsepower, 2014), followed by the supercharged LT4 (650, Z06, 2015) and the supercharged LT5 (755, ZR1, 2019). The C8 Stingray’s LT2 (490 or 495, 2020) added a dry sump and a mid-engine intake. The LT family continues in the 2027 Stingray and Grand Sport as the 6.7-liter LS6 (535 horsepower, 721 with the Grand Sport X’s hybrid), reviving the name of the 1971 big block.
The flat-plane, the turbos and the hybrids, 2023 on
The C8 Z06’s 5.5-liter LT6 (670 horsepower, 8,600 rpm, 2023) is a flat-plane-crank DOHC V-8 descended from the C8.R’s race engine and, by Chevrolet’s account, the most powerful naturally aspirated V-8 ever put in a production car. Twin turbochargers made it the LT7 (1,064 horsepower, ZR1, 2025). The E-Ray (2024) put a 160-horsepower electric motor on the front axle of a Stingray for 655 combined horsepower and the first all-wheel-drive Corvette; the ZR1X (2026) did the same to the ZR1 for 1,250. Each has an in-depth guide.
MORE: SPECS & PERFORMANCE, EVERY YEAR / RPO CODES, EVERY YEAR / NOT-CORVETTES WITH CORVETTE ENGINES
Corvette Engines by Generation
One family of engines for seventy years. The Chevrolet small-block V-8 arrived in the 1955 Corvette at 265 cubic inches and 195 horsepower and, through four redesigns, is still what a Stingray runs: the 283 and 327 of the C1 and C2, the 350 of the C3 and C4, the LS family of the C5 to C7, the LT family of the C7 and C8 and, for 2027, the 6.7-liter LS6. Around it came the big blocks of 1965–74, the overhead-cam LT5 of the C4 ZR-1 and the flat-plane LT6 and LT7 of the C8, and the hybrids. The table runs through them by era, each linked to its engine guide.
Every generation hub carries an engine table by RPO code with the guides; the site-wide engines page covers the families.
| YEARS | ENGINES | OUTPUT | GENERATION |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953–55 | Blue Flame 235 six | 150–155 hp | C1 Corvette |
| 1955–62 | 265 V-8 / 283 V-8 and Rochester fuel injection / 327 V-8 | 195–360 hp | C1 / C2 |
| 1963–67 | 327 small blocks / 396 big block / 427 big block / L88 | 250–435 hp (430 rated for the L88) | C2 Corvette |
| 1968–74 | 350 small block / LT-1 / LS5 454 / LS6 454 / 427 and ZL1 | 270–435 hp gross; 165–275 hp net from 1972 | C3 Corvette |
| 1975–84 | L48 and L82 350 / L81 / L83 Cross-Fire Injection | 165–230 hp | C3 / C4 |
| 1985–96 | L98 Tuned-Port 350 / LT5 32-valve (ZR-1) / LT1 Gen II / LT4 | 230–405 hp | C4 Corvette |
| 1997–2004 | LS1 / LS6 (Z06) | 345–405 hp | C5 Corvette |
| 2005–13 | LS2 / LS3 / LS7 7.0 L (Z06) / LS9 supercharged (ZR1) | 400–638 hp | C6 Corvette |
| 2014–19 | LT1 Gen V / LT4 supercharged (Z06) / LT5 supercharged (ZR1) | 455–755 hp | C7 Corvette |
| 2020– | LT2 / LT6 flat-plane (Z06) / LT7 twin-turbo (ZR1) / E-Ray and ZR1X hybrids / LS6 6.7 L (2027) | 495–1,250 hp | C8 Corvette |
A Guide to Every Engine, by Generation
One roundup per generation covering every engine offered, from the Blue Flame to the LT5; the C8’s engines each have an in-depth guide, linked in its section below.
A Guide to Every C1 Corvette Engine — the Blue Flame six, the 265, 283 and 327, the fuelies
A Guide to Every C2 Corvette Engine — the 327s and the first big blocks, 1963–67
A Guide to Every C3 Corvette Engine — fifteen years from the L88 and ZL1 to the Cross-Fire 350
A Guide to Every C4 Corvette Engine — L83, L98, LT1, LT4 and the ZR-1’s LT5
A Guide to Every C5 Corvette Engine — the LS1 and the Z06’s LS6
A Guide to Every C6 Corvette Engine — LS2, LS3, LS7 and the supercharged LS9
A Guide to Every C7 Corvette Engine — LT1, LT4 and LT5
Not-Corvettes Powered by Corvette Engines — the cars that borrowed the small block and the LS
C1 Corvette Engines, 1953–1962
Seven engines in ten years: the Blue Flame six, the 265 that saved the car in 1955, the 283 of 1957–61 (with fuel injection from 1957, 283 horsepower from 283 cubic inches) and the 327 of 1962, which ran from 250 to 360 horsepower. Every row links its guide; the roundup covers them together.
MORE: THE C1 HUB / EVERY C1 ENGINE / C1 ENGINE POSTS
| RPO | ENGINE | OUTPUT | YEARS | GUIDE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Flame | 235 ci OHV inline six, three Carter YH sidedraft carburetors, solid lifters, 8.0:1; Powerglide only | 150 hp / 223 lb-ft (155 hp from late 1954) | 1953–55 | Guide |
| 265 | 265 ci small-block V-8, Carter four-barrel, 8.0:1; the first Corvette V-8 | 195 hp / 260 lb-ft | 1955 | Guide |
| 265 | 265 ci V-8; single four-barrel 210 hp, dual four-barrels 225 hp, dual quads with the Duntov cam 240 hp | 210 / 225 / 240 hp | 1956 | Guide |
| 283 | 283 ci V-8; single four-barrel 220 hp, dual quads 245 or 270 hp, Ramjet fuel injection 250 hp, FI with the Duntov cam 283 hp (one per cubic inch) | 220 to 283 hp | 1957 | Guide |
| 283 | 283 ci V-8; 230 hp single four-barrel, 245 / 270 hp dual quads, 250 / 290 hp fuel injection | 230 to 290 hp | 1958–59 | Guide |
| 283 | 283 ci V-8; 230 hp, 245 / 270 hp dual quads, 275 / 315 hp fuel injection; the last year for the 283 and the dual quads was 1961 | 230 to 315 hp | 1960–61 | Guide |
| 327 | 327 ci V-8 (4.00 x 3.25 in): 250 hp, 300 hp, 340 hp with the Duntov cam, 360 hp with fuel injection; carried over to the 1963 Sting Ray | 250 to 360 hp | 1962 | Guide |
C1 Corvette Engine Guides & Posts
Every post tagged C1 Corvette Engine: the guides, the features and the news.
C2 Corvette Engines, 1963–1967
The 327 in base, L75, L76, L79 and fuel-injected L84 forms (250 to 375 horsepower), then the big blocks: the 396 L78 of 1965, the 427 L36 and L72 of 1966, and the 1967 L68, L71, L89 and L88. The Sting Ray’s engines are the ones that made the mid-years the most valuable Corvettes.
MORE: THE C2 HUB / EVERY C2 ENGINE / C2 ENGINE POSTS
| RPO | ENGINE | OUTPUT | YEARS | GUIDE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Base | 327 ci small block, Carter WCFB/AFB four-barrel, hydraulic lifters, 10.5:1 | 250 hp / 350 lb-ft | 1963–65 | Guide |
| L75 | 327 ci small block, Carter AFB four-barrel, hydraulic lifters, 10.5:1; the base engine from 1966 | 300 hp / 360 lb-ft | 1963–67 | |
| L76 | 327 ci, Duntov camshaft, solid lifters, 11.25:1 (1963) then 11.0:1 with a Holley (1964–65) | 340 hp (1963); 365 hp / 350 lb-ft (1964–65) | 1963–65 | Guide |
| L84 | 327 ci, Rochester mechanical fuel injection, Duntov camshaft, solid lifters; the last fuel-injected Corvette until 1982 | 360 hp (1963); 375 hp / 350 lb-ft (1964–65) | 1963–65 | Guide |
| L79 | 327 ci, Holley four-barrel, hydraulic lifters, 11.0:1; the best-driving small block of the generation | 350 hp / 360 lb-ft | 1965–67 | |
| L78 | 396 ci Mark IV big block, Holley four-barrel, solid lifters, 11.0:1; from mid-1965, bulged hood | 425 hp / 415 lb-ft | 1965 | Guide |
| L36 | 427 ci Mark IV, Holley four-barrel on cast-iron intake, hydraulic lifters, 10.25:1, two-bolt mains (badged 400 hp early in 1966) | 390 hp / 460 lb-ft | 1966–67 | Guide |
| L72 | 427 ci, 780-cfm Holley on aluminum intake, solid lifters, 11.0:1, four-bolt mains, K66 ignition required (badged 450 hp early in 1966) | 425 hp / 460 lb-ft | 1966 | Guide |
| L68 | 427 ci, three Holley two-barrels (Tri-Power) on aluminum intake, hydraulic lifters, 10.25:1 | 400 hp / 460 lb-ft | 1967 | Guide |
| L71 | 427 ci Tri-Power, solid lifters, 11.0:1, four-bolt mains; Positraction and the four-speed mandatory | 435 hp / 460 lb-ft | 1967 | Guide |
| L89 | L71 with aluminum cylinder heads, about 75 lb lighter; 16 built | 435 hp / 460 lb-ft | 1967 | Guide |
| L88 | 427 ci, aluminum heads, 12.5:1, forged crank and pistons, 850-cfm Holley, cowl-induction hood; radio, heater and choke deleted; 20 built | 430 hp rated (about 550 actual) | 1967 | Guide |
C2 Corvette Engine Guides & Posts
Every post tagged C2 Corvette Engine: the guides, the features and the news.
C3 Corvette Engines, 1968–1982
Fifteen years and the widest spread in the car’s history: the 427s and the L88 and ZL1 of 1968–69, the 370-horsepower LT-1 and the 454 LS5 and LS6 of 1970–71, then the net-rated years, the 165-horsepower L48 of 1975, the L82, the California LG4, the L81 and the Cross-Fire L83 of 1982.
MORE: THE C3 HUB / EVERY C3 ENGINE / C3 ENGINE POSTS
| RPO | ENGINE | OUTPUT | YEARS | GUIDE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L79 / base | 327 ci small block, 300 hp base and 350 hp L79 (1968); replaced by the 350 for 1969 | 300 / 350 hp | 1968 | |
| Base / L46 | 350 ci small block, 300 hp base and 350 hp L46 with the Duntov cam (1969–70); 270 hp in 1971, 200 hp net in 1972 | 300 / 350 hp (1969–70) | 1969–72 | Guide |
| L36 / L68 / L71 / L89 | 427 ci big block: single four-barrel 390 hp, Tri-Power 400 hp (L68) and 435 hp (L71), L89 aluminum heads on the L71 | 390 to 435 hp | 1968–69 | Guide |
| L88 | 427 ci, aluminum heads, 12.5:1, 850-cfm Holley, cowl-induction hood; 80 built in 1968, 116 in 1969 | 430 hp rated (about 550 actual) | 1968–69 | Guide |
| ZL1 | 427 ci all-aluminum L88, 100 lb lighter; two cars built at $4,718.35 for the engine alone | 430 hp rated | 1969 | |
| LT-1 | 350 ci, solid lifters, 11.0:1, 780-cfm Holley on an aluminum intake; 370 hp (1970), 330 hp (1971), 255 hp net (1972); the ZR1 engine | 370 / 330 / 255 hp | 1970–72 | Guide |
| LS5 | 454 ci big block, hydraulic lifters, 390 hp (1970), 365 hp (1971), 270 hp net (1972) | 390 / 365 / 270 hp | 1970–72 | Guide |
| LS6 | 454 ci with aluminum heads, 9.0:1, solid lifters; 188 built, the last Corvette engine over 400 hp until 1990 | 425 hp | 1971 | |
| LS4 | 454 ci big block, hydraulic lifters; the last Corvette big block, not sold in California | 275 hp (1973) / 270 hp (1974) | 1973–74 | Guide |
| L48 | 350 ci base engine: 190, 195, 165, 180, 180, 185, 195, 190 hp by year; the volume engine of the smog years | 165 to 195 hp | 1973–80 | |
| L82 | 350 ci with LT-1 heads and intake, hydraulic cam: 250, 250, 205, 210, 210, 220, 225, 230 hp by year; automatic only in 1980 | 205 to 250 hp | 1973–80 | Guide |
| LG4 | 305 ci small block with Computer Command Control, California only with the automatic; 3,221 cars | 180 hp | 1980 | Guide |
| L81 | 350 ci with Computer Command Control, magnesium valve covers, stainless exhaust manifolds; one engine for every state | 190 hp | 1981 | Guide |
| L83 | 350 ci with Cross-Fire Injection (twin throttle bodies), 700-R4 automatic only; the first fuel-injected Corvette since 1965 and the 1984 C4’s engine | 200 hp | 1982 | Guide |
C3 Corvette Engine Guides & Posts
Every post tagged C3 Corvette Engine: the guides, the features and the news.
C4 Corvette Engines, 1984–1996
The Cross-Fire L83 of 1984, the Tuned-Port L98 of 1985–91, the ZR-1’s DOHC LT5 of 1990–95 (375 then 405 horsepower), the reverse-flow LT1 of 1992 and the LT4 of 1996, plus the Callaway B2K twin-turbo and SuperNatural engines sold through Chevrolet dealers.
MORE: THE C4 HUB / EVERY C4 ENGINE / C4 ENGINE POSTS
| RPO | ENGINE | OUTPUT | YEARS | GUIDE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| L83 | 350 ci small block with Cross-Fire Injection (twin throttle bodies), carried over from the 1982; the only 1984 engine | 205 hp / 290 lb-ft | 1984 | Guide |
| L98 | 350 ci with Tuned-Port Injection: cast-iron heads (1985–86), aluminum heads (1986–91), roller lifters (1987), Multec injectors (1989), speed-density (1990); 245 hp only with the 3.07 axle from 1988, 250 hp from 1990 | 230 / 235 / 240 / 245 / 250 hp | 1985–91 | Guide |
| B2K | Callaway Twin Turbo conversion of the L98, ordered through Chevrolet as RPO B2K: 345 hp (1987), 382 hp (1988–89), 390 hp (1990), 403 hp (1991); 507 built | 345 to 403 hp | 1987–91 | Guide |
| LT5 | 5.7 L all-aluminum DOHC 32-valve V-8 designed by Lotus and built by Mercury Marine; three-stage induction, valet key; 375 hp (1990–92), 405 hp with new heads, cams and four-bolt mains (1993–95); 6,939 built | 375 / 405 hp | 1990–95 | Guide |
| LT1 | 350 ci Gen II small block: reverse-flow cooling, 10.5:1, Optispark, Mobil 1 factory fill; sequential injection from 1994, OBD-II in 1996 | 300 hp / 330–340 lb-ft | 1992–96 | Guide |
| LT4 | LT1 with aluminum heads of a new design, hotter cam, roller rockers, 10.8:1; six-speed only, standard in the Grand Sport; $1,450 | 330 hp / 340 lb-ft | 1996 | Guide |
| SuperNatural | Callaway’s naturally aspirated 383 ci stroker LT1 with CNC-ported heads, sold through Callaway rather than Chevrolet; the basis of the 1994–95 Le Mans cars | 400 / 435 hp | 1992–96 | Guide |
C4 Corvette Engine Guides & Posts
Every post tagged C4 Corvette Engine: the guides, the features and the news.
C5 Corvette Engines, 1997–2004
Two engines: the all-new Gen III LS1 (345, then 350 horsepower) in every Stingray from 1997 and the LS6 (385, then 405) in the Z06 from 2001; the Callaway C12 and the C5-R’s race engine round out the table.
MORE: THE C5 HUB / EVERY C5 ENGINE / C5 ENGINE POSTS
| RPO | ENGINE | OUTPUT | YEARS | GUIDE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS1 | 5.7 L (346 ci) all-aluminum Gen III small block, pushrod 16-valve, composite intake, coil-near-plug; 853 heads from 1999, revised intake and cam for 2001 | 345 hp / 350 lb-ft (1997–2000); 350 hp / 360–375 lb-ft (2001–04) | 1997–2004 | Guide |
| LS6 | Z06 engine: LS1 architecture with higher compression, improved heads, bigger cam, high-flow intake and titanium exhaust; higher-lift cam and hollow-stem valves from 2002 | 385 hp / 385 lb-ft (2001); 405 hp / 400 lb-ft (2002–04) | 2001–04 | Guide |
| C12 | Callaway SuperNatural LS1 in the C12 coupe and convertible, 5.7 L with ported heads and Callaway intake; about 20 cars | 440 hp | 1997–2001 | Guide |
| C5-R | Katech racing engines for Corvette Racing: 6.0 L at the 1999 debut, 7.0 L (427 ci) from mid-1999, restricted to ACO/ALMS GTS rules | About 600 hp | 1999–2004 | Guide |
C5 Corvette Engine Guides & Posts
Every post tagged C5 Corvette Engine: the guides, the features and the news.
C6 Corvette Engines, 2005–2013
Four engines: the LS2 (400 horsepower, 2005–07), the LS3 (430/436, 2008–13), the Z06’s 7.0-liter LS7 (505, 2006–13) and the ZR1’s supercharged LS9 (638, 2009–13), with the C6.R’s engines for the record.
MORE: THE C6 HUB / EVERY C6 ENGINE / C6 ENGINE POSTS
| RPO | ENGINE | OUTPUT | YEARS | GUIDE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LS2 | 6.0 L (364 ci) Gen IV all-aluminum small block, 10.9:1, drive-by-wire; the base engine of 2005–07 | 400 hp / 400 lb-ft | 2005–07 | Guide |
| LS3 | 6.2 L (376 ci) with L92-type rectangular-port heads, higher-lift cam; dry-sump version in manual Grand Sport coupes; NPP dual-mode exhaust adds 6 hp | 430 hp / 424 lb-ft; 436 / 428 with NPP | 2008–13 | Guide |
| LS7 | 7.0 L (427 ci) hand-built at Wixom: forged crank, titanium rods and intake valves, CNC-ported heads, dry sump, 7,000-rpm redline; Z06 and 2013 427 Convertible | 505 hp / 470 lb-ft | 2006–13 | Guide |
| LS9 | 6.2 L supercharged (Eaton TVS R2300) with intercoolers, forged crank and pistons, titanium rods, dry sump; hand-built at Wixom; ZR1 only | 638 hp / 604 lb-ft | 2009–13 | Guide |
| LS7.R / LS5.5R | Katech racing engines for the C6.R: 7.0 L in the GT1 car (2005–09), 6.0 L and then 5.5 L in the GT2 car (2009–13) | About 590 hp (GT1) / 485 hp (GT2) | 2005–13 | Guide |
C7 Corvette Engines, 2014–2019
The Gen V family: the direct-injected LT1 (455/460 horsepower), the supercharged LT4 (650, Z06) and the supercharged LT5 (755, ZR1), the most powerful engine ever put in a front-engine Corvette.
MORE: THE C7 HUB / EVERY C7 ENGINE / C7 ENGINE POSTS
| RPO | ENGINE | OUTPUT | YEARS | GUIDE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LT1 | 6.2 L (376 ci) Gen V aluminum small block with direct injection, variable valve timing and Active Fuel Management; dry sump with Z51 and on the Grand Sport; NPP exhaust adds 5 hp | 455 hp / 460 lb-ft; 460 / 465 with NPP | 2014–19 | Guide |
| LT4 | Supercharged LT1 with a 1.7 L Eaton TVS blower and intercooler, forged pistons, titanium intake valves, dry sump; hand-built at Bowling Green; Z06 | 650 hp / 650 lb-ft | 2015–19 | Guide |
| LT5 | Supercharged 6.2 L with a 2.65 L Eaton blower, port and direct injection, crank-driven dry-sump oiling; hand-built; ZR1 only, 2,953 cars | 755 hp / 715 lb-ft | 2019 | Guide |
| LT5.5R | Pratt & Miller / ECR 5.5 L naturally aspirated racing V-8 for the C7.R under GTLM / GTE rules | About 490 hp | 2014–19 | Guide |
C7 Corvette Engine Guides & Posts
Every post tagged C7 Corvette Engine: the guides, the features and the news.
C8 Corvette Engines, 2020–present
The mid-engine car’s engines: the LT2 (495 horsepower), the flat-plane LT6 (670, Z06), the E-Ray hybrid (655), the twin-turbo LT7 (1,064, ZR1), the ZR1X hybrid (1,250) and the 6.7-liter LS6 of 2027 (535; 721 in the Grand Sport X). Each has an in-depth guide; there is no C8 roundup yet.
MORE: THE C8 HUB / C8 ENGINE POSTS
| RPO | ENGINE | OUTPUT | YEARS | GUIDE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LT2 | 6.2 L (376 ci) Gen V pushrod V-8 with direct injection, dry sump, revised intake and cam; Stingray 2020–26 and E-Ray | 490 hp / 465 lb-ft; 495 / 470 with NPP | 2020–26 | Guide |
| LT6 | 5.5 L (335 ci) all-aluminum flat-plane-crank DOHC 32-valve V-8, twelve throttle bodies, dry sump, 8,600-rpm redline; hand-built; Z06 | 670 hp / 460 lb-ft | 2023– | Guide |
| E-Ray hybrid | LT2 plus a 160-hp, 125-lb-ft front electric motor and a 1.9-kWh battery; all-wheel drive, Stealth mode | 655 hp combined | 2024–26 | Guide |
| LT7 | Twin-turbocharged LT6 with port and direct injection, strengthened internals; the first turbocharged Corvette engine; hand-built; ZR1 | 1,064 hp / 828 lb-ft | 2025– | Guide |
| ZR1X hybrid | LT7 plus a 186-hp, 145-lb-ft front motor on the 1.9-kWh battery; the most powerful GM car ever built | 1,250 hp / 973 lb-ft | 2026– | Guide |
| LS6 | 6.7 L (409 ci) sixth-generation pushrod V-8, 13.0:1, 6,600 rpm, built in Flint; Stingray and Grand Sport; +186-hp motor in the Grand Sport X | 535 hp / 520 lb-ft; 721 hp (GS X) | 2027– | Guide |
| LT6.R | Pratt & Miller / ECR 5.5 L flat-plane racing V-8 of the C8.R, which previewed the Z06’s engine; a restricted LT6 in the Z06 GT3.R | About 500 hp (GTLM) | 2020– | Guide |
C8 Corvette Engine Guides & Posts
Every post tagged C8 Corvette Engine: the guides, the features and the news.
Corvette Engine Features
The longer reads: the arguments, the comparisons and the engines that mattered most.
Corvette Engine News
Everything the site has written about Corvette engines, newest first: new engines, awards, crate motors, swaps and the people who build them.
FAQs
What engine is in a Corvette?
A Chevrolet V-8, since 1955. The current Stingray has the 6.2-liter LT2 (495 hp; the 6.7-liter LS6 with 535 hp from 2027), the Z06 the 5.5-liter flat-plane LT6 (670 hp), the E-Ray the LT2 plus a front electric motor (655 hp), the ZR1 the twin-turbo LT7 (1,064 hp) and the ZR1X the LT7 plus the motor (1,250 hp). Every earlier year is in the tables above.
What was the first Corvette engine?
The Blue Flame six: Chevrolet’s 235-cubic-inch inline six with three sidedraft carburetors, 150 horsepower (155 from late 1954), with a two-speed Powerglide, in the 1953, 1954 and a few 1955 Corvettes. The 265 V-8 of 1955 replaced it and saved the car.
What is the most powerful Corvette engine?
The ZR1X’s drivetrain: the 1,064-horsepower twin-turbo LT7 with a 186-horsepower front motor, 1,250 horsepower combined (2026). Among engines alone it is the LT7; among naturally aspirated engines the 670-horsepower LT6; among the classics the 1967–69 L88, rated 430 and making around 550, and the 1969 ZL1.
What is a fuelie?
A 1957–65 Corvette with Rochester mechanical fuel injection on the 283 or 327 small block: 250 to 283 horsepower in 1957, up to 375 (the L84) by 1964–65. About 1,040 were built in 1957; the fuelies are the most valuable C1 and C2 small-block cars. The C1 and C2 engine roundups cover each version.
Which Corvettes had big blocks?
1965 (the 396 L78), 1966–69 (the 427s: L36, L68, L71, L72, L88, L89, ZL1) and 1970–74 (the 454s: LS5, LS6, LS4). Every one has a guide, linked from the C2 and C3 tables.
What is the difference between the LT1 engines, or the LS6s, or the L88s?
Chevrolet reused the codes. The LT-1 of 1970–72 is a solid-lifter 350 small block; the LT1 of 1992–96 a reverse-flow-cooled 350; the LT1 of 2014–19 a direct-injected 6.2 Gen V. The LS6 of 1971 is a 454 big block; the LS6 of 2001–04 the C5 Z06’s 5.7; the LS6 of 2027 a 6.7-liter Gen V. L88 is the 1967–69 427 (the code also went on a run of 1969 Camaros). The tables give each by generation.
Are Corvette engines reliable?
The small blocks and the LS family are among the most durable American engines made, which is why they are swapped into everything; the known issues are specific: the C6 Z06’s LS7 valve guides, the early LT1’s Opti-Spark distributor, the Cross-Fire injection of 1982–84, the LT5’s cost of service. The buyer’s guides cover each generation’s engines in detail.
Where do the horsepower figures come from?
Chevrolet’s ratings for each year, as published in the brochures and order guides: SAE gross through 1971, SAE net from 1972 and SAE-certified from 2005. The specs page explains the methods and why a 1970 engine and a 1972 engine with the same code show different numbers.
