GM Killing the LT5 Is NOT the Unraveling of Chevy Performance

General Motors is now EV focused, but the end of the LT5 engine doesn’t spell the small-block Chevy’s eventual doom. 

As you all know, Chevrolet announced early September that the looney supercharged 6.2-liter LT5 V8 will retire. While this isn’t the type of news we like to hear from the General (it is seems like something every time we turn our heads), it most certainly is not surprising.

I’ve been hearing a lot of talk in my circles about how GM’s decision is an early signal to end to the V8. How the corporation’s new ethos will eventually supplant its desire for competition with “eco-conscious nonsense.”

But that itself is nonsense.

It’s not clear exactly why GM no longer found a business case for the behemoth. However, it’s important to understand that it was likely due to cost and low sales, not some grand conspiracy to take your precious “fossil fuel” toys away.

1. Great Power, Great Sacrifice

First, remember that it was General Motors that essentially invented the “crate engine” concept to begin with.

It has the largest catalogue of crate engines among Detroit’s “Big Three,” and offers plenty of big-block, small-block, circle track, LS, and E-ROD varieties. Notwithstanding the sheer volume of options, we’re specifically talking about the most modern LS family members–the Gen V LT engines.

The LT5 represents the zenith of GM Performance, and was exclusive to the production 2019 C7 Corvette ZR1. It was also available in crate engine form in late 2018 for those with power-hungry projects. With 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque, it left nothing to be desired from the factory.

Alas, that also meant pushing the pushrod to an extreme limit. More on that later.

The ZR1 served as a final exit for the seventh-generation Corvette. And to date, Chevrolet sold only 2,953 units (including 512 convertibles), accounting for approximately 8.5 percent of all Corvette sales in 2019. Pair that with crate engine sales likely also being low, and GM’s decision becomes pretty clear.

Cost to the consumer was also upwards of $20K for a long block. Not very cheap.

2. LT5 Is Dimensionally-Challenging

The LT5 engine may have DNA from the venerated small-block lineage, but it is by no means a small powerplant–both in spirit and quite literally.

By pure visual comparison to the LS9, (which is listed on Chevy Performance’s site, even though the LT5 succeeded it), they look very similar. They both have a deck height of 9.240 inches, and share the same roots-style supercharger design.

The main difference, though, is that the LT5 moves a lot more forced air at 2.65-liters, with a 2.4:1 drive ratio and a crazy 14 psi of peak boost at 6,000 rpm.

It also requires two, rather large intercoolers and a shaker hood to accommodate the design. This alone limits the engine’s application in a number of drop-in projects.  More importantly, it requires a great deal of space. This is likely one of the reasons GM suggests using the crate engine for pre-1973 or off-road vehicles.

All of that performance on a pushrod is amazing. However, no matter how reinforced your internals are, something is going to break.

3.  Chevrolet’s New ‘King’ Will Definitely Be DOHC

Just like the future of the Corvette was always mid-engine glory, so is the inevitable move to DOHC. From a production purview, the LT5 was indeed the pinnacle of excellence for Chevrolet’s tried-and-true devotion to pushrod tech.

Sadly, you can only do so much with OHV; the writing has been on the wall for a long time, and that glorious Sebring sleuthing back in 2018 was absolute proof of it.

We’re not cashing all our chips on this, but the upcoming LT6 slated for the 2023 C8 Z06 sounds like it’d be more than a viable platform for the new “King.” The rumored 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 supposedly makes 600 natural horses, so adding any kind of boost will simply make that car take flight, hands down.

Again, we don’t have any official GM specs, but we strongly believe there will be a ZR1 and/or “Zora” in the works with a modified version of the LT6. Similar to the relationship between the LT4 and LT5.

Rest assured, the V8 isn’t going anywhere for now. And yes, electrification is inevitable (cue also oft-rumored E-Ray), but Chevy isn’t just throwing in the towel on its performance division.

It’s simply evolving.

Photos: Jake Stumph & Chevrolet

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