Cars with LS3 engines (and why they’re so popular)
If there was a car, it probably had an LS engine. And this car doesn’t even need wheels. Even airplanes are not safe from the powerful LS engine. The LS engine is a pushrod V8 engine from General Motors. The engine is made of aluminum, so it’s lightweight. The design of the bumper allows for only one cam, and at the same time makes the engine compact.
Depending on the model, the LS engine produces between 300 and 430 horsepower from the factory. Being a naturally aspirated engine, it is also easy to modify. This means that you can get even more performance later if you find you need more.
The list of vehicles that came with LS engines from the factory is surprisingly long. The most popular version of the LS engine is the LS3. The LS3 engine was used in factory vehicles from the 2008 to 2017 model years.
1) Chevrolet Corvette
The most popular car with a factory LS3 engine is the Chevrolet Corvette. The Corvette is GM’s flagship sports car and offers an amazing balance of performance, reliability, and low cost.
The Corvette is extremely popular and you probably see one every time you leave the house, and for good reason. Not only is it fast in a straight line, it also handles curves extremely well.
The 2008-2015 sixth-generation (C6) Corvette is the model with the LS3 engine (there is no Z06 model). This car comes from the factory with 430 horsepower, which is more than enough to handle anything you might encounter on the road. If you really want to take the Corvette out and see what it can do, you should probably take it to a track.
2) Chevrolet Camaro SS
The Camaro is GM’s answer to the Ford Mustang. Dubbed a pony car, it’s compact, powerful, and affordable. Unlike the Corvette, the Camaro seats four (although it only has two doors). From 2010 to 2015, the manual transmission Camaro SS also came with the LS3 engine.
3) Pontiac G8 GXP
The Pontiac G8 is a powerful four-door sedan. The G8 was offered with three engines. The GXP trim has the LS3 engine and was produced for the 2009 model year. The Pontiac G8 is sold in Australia as the Holden Commodore.
4) Chevrolet SS
The lesser known Chevrolet SS is a total sleeper. It looks like something your grandma would drive, but it’s essentially a four-door Corvette. The Chevrolet SS has a lot in common with the Pontiac G8. This car is also known as the Holden Commodore VF in Australia.
5) Vauxhall VXR8
This car is not available in the US. The LS engine is available as a crate engine. When you buy a new engine from General Motors, it is delivered on a pallet. The ability to buy an engine from the factory makes the LS a very popular engine for enthusiasts and kit cars.
In a turnkey engine swap, a garage builds a car with a completely swapped engine. Give them a stock car and they get back a well-engineered structure that can handle the increased power of a larger engine.
Flyin’ Miata is an aftermarket performance company that makes parts for all generations of the Mazda MX-5 Miata. At one time, Flyin’ Miata offered turnkey engine swaps, providing a car and about $50,000 to build the spaceship of your dreams.
Not only did you get the power of a Corvette in a car barely bigger than a go-kart, but YouTubers who tested it said the car drove well. Unfortunately, due to emissions regulations, we will be suspending swaps for the time being. Hennessey Performance takes a basic Corvette or Camaro and really pushes the pedal. In addition to big performance gains, Hennessey offers a three-year or 36,000-mile operating warranty. Upgrades are available on many other vehicles, too.
