- Admin
- #1
General Motors has just announced that the motor from the 2009 Corvette ZR1 will be available as a complete crate engine from late next year. The ZR1 is the fastest production car in GM's history thanks to it's LS9 6.2L supercharged V-8 which delivers 638 horsepower (476 kW) and 604 lb.-ft. of torque (819 Nm).
The LS9 crate engine is packaged up for enthusiasts and racers who want the big-boy LS power plant for their project cars, vintage Corvettes, muscle cars and street rods. The supercharger and charge cooler are integrated in the engine's valley for a lower profile, allowing creative builders to fit the engine in a variety of applications with plenty of hood clearance.
The engine's 6.2L displacement is shared with the LS3, but the LS9 is built for high-revving power with a supercharger. It uses stronger cylinder head castings and steel cylinder liners that are honed with a deck plate installed to maximize performance and cylinder sealing.
High-rpm-validated lightweight reciprocating parts, including titanium intake valves, are used, along with high-flow cylinder heads that draw the charge forced on them by a sixth-generation supercharger. A new, four-lobe rotor design delivers greater power at the low end and holds it longer through the rpm band for, on-demand power, whether off-idle or at speed. A dual-brick charge cooler is integrated on a unique manifold system that mounts the "blower" in the engine's valley, with charge cooler on top.
GMPP's LS9 crate engine assembly comes fully dressed, including the ignition system, supercharger assembly, exhaust manifolds and more. It also includes the production dry-sump oil pan and provisions for the charge cooler's liquid cooling system. Builders will need an external oil tank, external coolant tank (for the charge cooler) and an ECU/wire harness.
