Chevrolet’s small-block V-8 engine family is a popular swap candidate for virtually any shadetree performance car build because of its ubiquity and compact, lightweight nature. Wanna shoehorn a V-8 into, say, a Mazda MX-5 Miata? A small-block Chevy V-8 fits, and doesn’t add much weight—so, by all means, what are you waiting for?! Should you want to offset the Chevy V-8’s practical aspects with, say, a little more crazy, aim for the new LS427/570 V-8 crate engine. It’s the most powerful naturally aspirated small-block LS engine available in Chevrolet’s performance parts catalog.
The LS427/570, as its name implies, is a 7.0-liter, 427-cubic-inch monster. That “570” is a reference to its claimed horsepower peak, 570 ponies, at 6,200 rpm. (Torque is claimed to be 540 lb-ft, peaking at 4,800 rpm.) This new crate motor is based on the crate version of the mighty LS7 that powered the (now defunct) production fifth-generation Camaro Z/28 track car, but has been thoroughly upgraded to add 65 more horsepower and 70 additional lb-ft of torque.
The parts that distinguish the old LS7 from the new crate LS427 include a high-lift camshaft new valve springs the fifth-gen Camaro Z/28’s exhaust manifolds. and a wet-sump oiling system. The latter eliminates the need for installers to set up an external oil tank, lines, and other ancillaries required by the stock LS7’s dry sump. The Z/28 contributes its flywheel, intake manifold, and throttle body to the LS427 crate engine, as well. Not included? The LS427 engine controller. Also, Chevrolet describes this engine as being for competition use, although we’re sure if you live in a state with lenient inspections (or none at all), this may not be entirely true—check your local laws before doing anything boneheaded.
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You can find more power than the LS427/570 provides elsewhere in Chevrolet’s performance parts catalog—but to get it, you’ll need to step up to either a big-block format or something with forced induction. (For example, the current Camaro ZL1 1LE, the closest analogue to the discontinued Z/28, makes 650 horsepower from a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8.) Those two attributes likely mean bulkier engine packaging—meaning a swap into a tight engine bay may be a nonstarter. In any event, the LS427 is now available to order; we’ve reached out to Chevrolet for pricing details and will update this space when we hear back.
