First of all, it should be understood that it is not nearly as fun or as exciting to craft an article about the disappearance of an automotive feature as it is when one is introduced. There’s more anticipation when new features, an upgraded engine or concept car is introduced than when one is discontinued. So when the Chevrolet High Performance page on their website indicates the supercharged, 6.2 liter, LT5 crate engine was “Discontinued”, it is read with a degree of sadness and even puzzlement.
It also spurs some speculation and discussion about what is behind such a significant decision. There, after all, has to be SOME drama, right?
Just to step back a foot or two, the powerful 6.2 liter, 755 horsepower engine that generates 715 lb.ft. of torque gained attention as the anticipated power plant of the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1. It was also expected to serve as Chevy’s most powerful crate engine for the near future.
Oh, there may be a few around for those looking for a 700 plus hp power plant for their next hot rod, but at about $19,000 they are not cheap. That price will likely not decrease either, as their rarity increases.
Keep in mind, the LT5 was only installed in 3,000 new 2019 ZR1’s and then made available as a crate engine for a season or two. Now it is discontinued.
Perhaps the LT5’s MOPAR competitor proved too much of a rival or even Chevy’s own LS and LT engines were already thousands cheaper than the LT5. No matter what the real reasons, GM is not apparently over-eager to discuss it. Not unusual for the Big Three, mind you, but it would certainly only lead observers to believe it was considered less than successful. Perhaps something else is brewing in the 700 horsepower plus crate engine world.
What remains are headlines in automotive magazines declaring “One and Done” and “Chevy Stops Making its Most Power V8 Combustion Engine Ever” and “The LT5 Is Going, Going…Gone.” What is also left is Chevy’s 572 cubic inch big block LT4 and supercharged LT4 as crate engine heir apparent to the LT5. That is unless you decide to go the MOPAR Hellcrate route.
There is no question GM’s decision has and will continue to generate intrigue as the battle for horsepower continues to ramp up. It is just a bit of a mystery why one of the combatants would have dropped one of its most powerful weapons in the midst of the battle.