GM's 7.0-Liter LS7 V8 Delivered 505 HP, Redefining the Small-Block

4 articles · Updated · Jalopnik · May 17

GM’s LS7 pushed small-block architecture to 7.0 liters and 505 hp, becoming the standard engine for the 2006-2013 C6 Corvette Z06 and later the fifth-generation Camaro Z/28.
A 4.125-inch bore, steel liners, six-bolt main caps and an 11.0:1 compression ratio let the naturally aspirated V8 stretch compact Chevy small-block dimensions without switching to big-block architecture.
Titanium rods, a forged steel crank, CNC-machined heads and a dry-sump system supported a 7,000-rpm redline, while each engine was hand-built by one technician at GM’s Performance Build Center in Wixom, Michigan.
The LS7’s main blemish was valve-guide wear linked to cylinder-head machining, though GM covered affected vehicles under warranty; its bottom end is still prized by tuners, with crate engines fetching about $18,000 to $20,000.

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