New Chevy Crate Engines To Be Displayed In Vintage Vehicles At SEMA

We are eleven days away from the industry’s largest trade show. For those of you that don’t attend, certain companies are known for their elaborate booth setups, and large auto manufacturers are typically some of those companies.

Chevrolet always seems to have an awesome display, and this year The automotive powerhouse is bringing a slew of high-performance examples, including the latest in crate engine upgrades. The best way to do that, is to house them inside a trio of vintage hot rods in the hopes of displaying the plethora of possibilities they could be thrown into.

The ’73 Chevelle Laguna is being called a “technology powerhouse” with the LT5 under the hood.

The lineup includes a ’73 Chevelle Laguna with a 6.2-liter supercharged LT5, a ’67 C10 with an EFI ZZ6, and a ’78 K10 Silverado with a L96 under the hood.

Jim Campbell, GM U.S. Vice President of Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, explains, “Chevrolet Performance’s expanding crate-engine lineup offers something for every enthusiast and his or her dream project. That choice is matched with the peace of mind that comes only from factory-engineered systems, tested to the same standards as production vehicles, for performance you can count on.”

Stylistically, the Chevelle Laguna build was inspired by its racing heritage. It brought a new benchmark of sporty styling to the Chevy lineup back in ’73, as well as making its mark on the NASCAR world back in the day. Designers incorporated elements of the ZR1’s carbon fiber hood, along with a front a rear spoiler that pay homage to vintage NASCAR vehicles. The SEMA build will be housing the 755-horsepower and 715 lb.-ft. of torque motor, taken from the heart of the new Corvette ZR1.

The classic C/10, on the other hand, is being called the “best of both worlds” – fitted with the new ZZ6 EFI crate engine that combines the drivability of electronically controlled fuel injection with classic style and installation versatility of the 350 small-block engine, that we all know and love.

Chevy’s 1978 K10 Silverado concept car is brought to life with a version of the most popular engine swap platform – the LS. Its L96 crate engine is rated at 360 horsepower and 380 lb.-ft. of torque, offering more power than the big-block engine of the car’s era, in a light, convenient, and compact package.

Per the press release, these three new crate engines add to a portfolio of already nearly 50 small block, big block, LSX, LT, Circle Track and COPO crate engines, giving enthusiasts more choices for powering their projects. They come at a great price and with plenty of easy “Connect and Cruise” options, you can’t go wrong.

We can’t wait to check out these builds at SEMA later this month. For more information on Chevy’s lineup of crate engines, check out their website HERE.

About the author

Jenna Schiebe

Jenna’s addiction to all things automotive began soon after she was introduced to the car scene at age 16. She has a special interest in imports but, at the end of the day, is a enthusiast that loves anything that goes fast.
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