One year after revealing their remarkable cast iron LS Next engine block, Dart Machinery is now making an aluminum version.

Weighing in at just 107lbs, Dart says the LS Next is the first aftermarket block to comprehensively address high-performance troubles in the original equipment LS power unit. Laden with innovations, the list of performance upgrades incorporated in the Next block is long.

One of the biggest changes was to correct the internal oil leaks. And itt was also the first to introduce a stepped bore to maintain oil pressure in the main galley. But the LS Next’s most obvious innovation is to remove the crankcase skirts, which not only improve windage troubles (eradicating severe turbulence within the crankcase at high revs) but also it allows the cylinders to be extended. “What could be more appealing,” asks its creator Richard Maskin, “Tackling the challenge of windage while at the same time improving ring seal.”

Race engine builders will appreciate extended cylinder bores that allow a 6.125in con rod and a four-inch stroke to operate while the piston remains squarely in its bore. They will also be comforted by the introduction of Dart’s proven priority-mains oiling system, which ensures lubrication reaches the crank and rods first.

More encouragingly, standard LS components are compatible with the Next block. Featuring a standard deck and head bolt pattern, the LS cam and stock oil pump and all other components are accommodated. Steel main caps are featured with 7/16in bolts properly splayed to take anchor in the safety of the block’s more reinforced areas.

Other key innovations that define the characteristics of this new aluminum engine are the installation of Darton’s finest nodular-iron cylinder sleeves. And to facilitate a full kick-out oil pan the block is equipped with dual starter mounts, allowing the starter to be mounted either side. Dart’s aluminum Next engine block is available in deck heights of 9.240 to 9.500 inches, and we’re told they already have the new aluminum blocks in stock.

For more information, check out Dart’s website here.