What Are the Most Popular Chevy Engines?

Chevy, perhaps more so than most other automakers, has a long history of producing powerful engines. The Chevy small block is legendary in the automotive industry for some very good reasons. Of course, the company has far more to offer than the small block and there are some very popular Chevy engines out there. Here’s a look at some of the most popular options Chevrolet has put out. To keep this discussion within reason, we’ll limit these to those produced since the 1980s through today.

The LT5

The LT5 might not be your first thought for most popular Chevy engines, thanks to the fact that it actually had less overall power than the model preceding it, but it still rates. Actually, the fact that it varied from the traditional Chevy small block footprint at the time but still produced 375 HP is a mark in its favor, and it defined the 1989 Corvette.

The LT1

The LT1 debuted in 1994 and offered a minimum of 300 HP (with a max of 350 HP during its lifespan). That means it provided 75 HP less than the LT5 before it. However, what really made this such a popular engine was the power for price – it was affordable, which put 300+ HP capabilities within reach for more people.

The LS7

With more than 500 HP, the LS7 is a world-class performer and one of the most recognizably popular Chevy engines on the market. Of course, the fact that it was basically the same engine as the Chevy racing team used in Le Mans didn’t hurt its popularity either.

The LS9

When it comes to powerhouses, few consumer engines can compare with the LS9 and its 556-638 HP. The engine debuted in 2009 and remains the most expensive production engine for Chevy’s Corvette. That price point didn’t hamper its popularity (if you could actually afford to pay for it, of course), and it remains one of the most popular engines the manufacturer has produced to date.

The success of Chevy engines is based largely on the quality of its small block design. However, the automaker has deviated from that design from time to time and still managed to produce big results. The automaker remains the most recognizable American automaker producing high performance engines, even more so than Ford with its range of V8 engines used in the Mustang.