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1998 Corvette Pace Car LS1 Engine
When the C5 Corvette was finally unveiled critics were quick to notice a thundering new powerplant. It carried the LS1 designation, serving as the C5 Corvette’s base engine for the duration of the production run. Ironically, the C5 Corvette would only ever leave the factory with one of two individual engines. This included the aforementioned 5.7L LS1, as well as the all-powerful 5.7L LS6, which powered the C5 Z06.
The Corvette C5-R was part of a plan by General Motors and their Chevrolet brand to create a factory team to participate in grand touring races not only in North America, but also elsewhere in the world, most notably at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. GM had previously been against approving factory support for Corvette racing programs, although the IMSA GT Championship's Corvette GTPs had seen some support until they ended competition in 1989.
Corvette LS6 engine closeup
The LS6, which served as the motivating force behind the 2001-2004 Corvette Z06, bested the prior LS1 in virtually every facet of performance and proved formidable, both on the track and street. Perhaps more importantly, this engine provided a glimpse into the LS platform’s future, and its ability to constantly evolve.
For 50 years, Chevrolet Corvette has represented American performance. In 2002, Corvette also led the pack at two important racing venues: the Indy Racing League (IRL) and the 86th running of the Indianapolis 500. In its IRL pace duties, Corvette wore a two-tone white and Millennium Yellow paint scheme with checkered-flags graphics forming a V for victory.
LS1 Crate Engine
The LS1 is the spiritual successor to the “small block V8” that GM uses in rear-wheel-drive cars, trucks, and vans. It was introduced in 1995 as the “GEN III” engine and it only shared rod bearings, lifters, and bore spacing with its predecessors (which was in production 1955 until 2003). Little did GM expect for the LS1 has become a legend.