The 5 Worst Corvette Engines in Terms of Horsepower

Corvette has seen some dark days when it comes to horsepower levels, dipping down to 165 in the 1970s.

The Chevrolet Corvette is arguably the greatest American performance car of all time. Since being introduced back in 1953, Chevy’s legendary performance car has featured some epic engines. More often than not, the Corvette was the most powerful American car from year to year. Even in the years where the early emission laws in the United States led to huge drops in power, Chevrolet found ways to keep the Corvette at the head of the American performance class. However, there have been a few Corvette engines that offered shockingly low output.

The first Corvette to offer more than 200 horsepower hit the market in 1956 (above), three years after the car’s debut. That 4.3-liter V8 offered 210 horsepower and since then, there have been five engines with less power than the 1956 models. Those engines are never discussed, so today, we bring you a look at the seven least powerful Corvettes of all time. We understand that these engines all played a key role in the history of the Corvette, but these are the worst engines in terms of horsepower output.

7. 1982/1984 L83 Cross Fire Injection

We start with the most recent and most powerful engine on the list with the L83 Cross Fire Injection V8. This engine was introduced in the final year of the C3 Corvette in 1982, measuring 350 cubic inches and delivering 200 horsepower. There was no 1983 Corvette, but in 1984, the Cross Fire Injection L83 was back with 205 horsepower.

Fortunately, the L98 V8 with Tuned Port Injection was introduced for the 1985 model year with 230 horsepower and since then, the Corvette’s output has never dropped below that point.

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