GM Selling the Heart and Soul of an Untamed Beast...

[Lazerous]

...but you're going to have to provide the body to put it in.....and twenty-one thousand clams.



General Motors did power junkies a solid when it announced at this past year's SEMA show that the famed LS9 engine will be offered as a crate motor. Because the LS9 was designed to live within the tight confines of the Corvette ZR1 engine bay, this engine should fit nicely into all manner of undeserving machinery, a fact that has made our minds reel with endless possibilities.

All that was before we heard the price. As much fun as it would be to drop a ready-made 630-hp supercharged whale-of-a-motor into, say, a Volvo 240 wagon, the $21,000 price tag is a bit of a buzzkill. To put it another way, the LS9 crate motor costs about the same as a base 2010 Ford Mustang. The high price isn't all that shocking, especially considering that Ford charges $17,699 for the 500-horsepower, supercharged 5.4L crate engine that's offered through its Ford Racing Catalog.

As our friends at Autofiends point out, though, anyone with a modicum of experience would be able to eke out even more ponies from a less exotic, standard LS-series engine, which can be had for a song if you're willing to look hard enough. Oh well, like many of the finer things in life, this crate motor is something to be enjoyed by only a limited few with deep pockets.

Source: http://www.autoblog.com/2009/02/19/ls9-crate-motor-costs-more-than-most-cars/

[Secret Chimp]

posting in a thread whored up in the chat thread, woo

[SVT_Power]

posting in a thread whored up in the chat thread, woo

+1

[Lazerous]

posting in a thread whored up in the chat thread, woo

Shell out $21k, build a 90 degree ramp, and you could take your Miata to the moon.

[Eye of the Tiger]

I don't like the styling - I mean, the unpainted black plastic trim just makes it look cheap, and the ribbing on the sides and roof is more Grand Am than Vette.

[Lazerous]

+1

Aren't you looking for a new engine?
Total sleeper my good man; that 911 GT3 won't see what hit it.

[Rupert]

Modern engines ain't pretty. Looks like we're just supposed the think, "ah, it's magic!"

[Soup DeVille]

It could use a nice set of long primary equal length headers, if only for aesthetics purposes.

Still, that's a lot of grunt, and sure to be found in a hig-end hotrod near you this summer, and the price isn't bas as far as top crate motors go.

[Lazerous]

It could use a nice set of long primary equal length headers, if only for aesthetics purposes.

Still, that's a lot of grunt, and sure to be found in a hig-end hotrod near you this summer, and the price isn't bas as far as top crate motors go.

No! I want to see this thing dropped into a Smart.
Granted its body panels will have to be reinforced with a lot of duct tape to keep them from flying off.

[sandertheshark]

I'd still rather play with an LS7 crate.

And a big fat pair of turbos.

And a gutted '69 Stingray...

[AutobahnSHO]

Ariel Atom.


:-)

[NomisR]

Ariel Atom.


:-)

LS9 in an Ariel Atom?   

That's almost a death wish... I want!!!

[ChrisV]

Ariel Atom.


:-)

That would essentially be the Deronda G on steroids:



1900 lbs and a 500 hp LS7.

[the Teuton]

Hook it up to a Porsche G50 transmission, and you'd be set.  Of course, you wouldn't have any tires by the time you get moving, but that's just a semantics issue.

[Eye of the Tiger]

That would essentially be the Deronda G on steroids:



1900 lbs and a 500 hp LS7.

1900 lbs? What a fat pig. Swift only weighs 1814.

[Raza]

They're also going to be selling the desks, chairs, other furniture, Xerox machines, fax machines, computers, engineers' pocket protectors, coffeemakers, lighting fixtures, shelving units...

[CALL_911]

1900 lbs? What a fat pig. Swift only weighs 1814.

Swift's engine.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Swift's engine.

My hamster has been bored, decked, and ported.

[S204STi]

I don't like the styling - I mean, the unpainted black plastic trim just makes it look cheap, and the ribbing on the sides and roof is more Grand Am than Vette.

LOL


Seriously though, cool motor.  I find myself enamored of the exhaust manifolds.  For a factory piece those look like they would flow quite well.

[Rupert]

Those are the only part that looks like an engine, so, me too.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

I thought pushrods engines were cheap.

[Soup DeVille]

I thought pushrods engines were cheap.

Find a new 630 HP OHC engine that will pass emissions any cheaper.

[GoCougs]

I thought pushrods engines were cheap.

Not necessarily - fewer parts, but we mustn't forget labor.

For example, OHC engines are more conducive to batch processing; the valvetrain can be dressed and prepped separate from the block.

[CJ]

"All that was before we heard the price. As much fun as it would be to drop a ready-made 630-hp supercharged whale-of-a-motor into, say, a Volvo 240 wagon, the $21,000 price tag is a bit of a buzzkill."

[Rupert]

Yeah, I would do that.

[CJ]

Let's combine our money and do that.

[Rupert]

OK. I have $5.

[sportyaccordy]

Man that is sick...

But I wonder what could be done with even just $10K to cover for the $4K or so for an LS1 motor + tranny, and goodies

I really want an LS1 in an E36 body. That is my "thing" now....

[hotrodalex]

I'll take a 572 that makes more power, doesn't use forced induction, and is about $8k cheaper according to a quick google search.

[the Teuton]

I'll take a 572 that makes more power, doesn't use forced induction, and is about $8k cheaper according to a quick google search.

Wouldn't the 572 be a bit bigger and heavier?