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Engines Gen

Close-up of C1 Corvette Engine
Josh Boyd·
Engines

A Guide to Every C1 Corvette Engine

Each Corvette engine is meticulously refined to the point of near-perfection before being greenlit for production. This tradition dates back as far as the Corvette itself—taking root in pre-production efforts of 1952-1953, with the development of the "Blue Flame" inline-six. Amazingly, less than a decade later, consumers could choose to have their Corvette equipped with a 327CI fuel-injected V8.
1967 L68 427CI engine in open hood of white C2 Corvette
Josh Boyd·
Engines

A Guide to Every C2 Corvette Engine

By the 1960s the Corvette was beginning to hit its stride, especially in terms of performance. While the GM small-block reigned supreme initially, the 1960s would see the rise of the high-displacement big-block, complete with 400-plus horsepower. This was on par with the times, as the horsepower wars of the muscle car era were in full swing. This resulted in several extremely memorable power plants.
1984 L83 350CI V8 Engine
Josh Boyd·
Engines

A Guide to Every C4 Corvette Engine

The C4 Corvette debuted to a frenzy of publicity and would ultimately enjoy a lengthy run, spanning 13 years of production. During this period, GM installed a number of memorable powerplants. Many of these engines proved to be quite innovative in design, even when saddled with newly-mandated emissions equipment of the era. The following is a comprehensive guide to powerplants of the C4 era.
1969 Corvette L88 Engine
Josh Boyd·
Engines

A Guide to Every C3 Corvette Engine

The Vette’s performance dropped significantly during the early to mid-1970s, at the hands of newly implemented federal emissions standards, yet it remained relevant. At a point in which many iconic American performance cars fell by the wayside, the Corvette soldiered on. This served as a true testament to many of the memorable Corvette powerplants that were developed during the C3 era.
1998 Corvette Pace Car LS1 Engine
Josh Boyd·
C5 Corvette

A Guide to Every C5 Corvette 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.
C6 Corvette LS7 7.0L Engine
Josh Boyd·
C6 Corvette

A Guide to Every C6 Corvette Engine

GM’s was on mission to engineer a Corvette that built upon the line’s performance legacy. By all indications, this is a mission that was fulfilled. The Corvette’s engine bay was host to several outstanding powerplants during the C6’s run. From the base 6.0-liter LS2 to the ZR1’s beastly 6.2-liter LS9, the C6-era was never short on performance. Corvette finally caught up to European brands.
2015 C7 Z06 LT4 Engine
Josh Boyd·
Engines

A Guide to Every C7 Corvette Engine

Many consider the Corvette’s seventh generation to be when GM’s iconic car finally came of age. It was during this time that the Corvette made some of its most extensive performance gains on the road and in racing. These performance gains can be attributed to the development in engine technology during the C7’s production run. The Corvette was offered with several available powerplants, all of which were potent.