Which Cars Have GM's LS4 Engine Under The Hood & How Much HP Does It Have?

Swapping an LS engine into a car is popular among folks inclined to do such things. It's a great way to gain the horsepower potential and reliability that makes the General Motors LS engines so special . However, even in a class as gifted as the LS lineup, one generation lands on the lowest rank .

General Motors introduced the 5.3-liter (325-cubic-inch) LS4 in 2005 to bring V8 power to its sporty front-wheel drive lineup. Like other LS engines, as a member of the fourth-generation small-block, it remained true to its roots with its pushrod valve train and 4.

40-inch-on-center cylinder spacing. The LS4's aluminum engine block featured 3.78-inch cylinders, and its cast iron crankshaft delivered 3.

622 inches of stroke. Flat-top cast aluminum alloy pistons, attached to powdered metal I-beam connecting rods, compressed the air-fuel mixture into the aluminum cylinder heads' 65cc combustion chambers at a ratio of 10:1 to produce 303 horsepower and 323 lb-ft of torque. The LS4 has the distinction of being General Motors' only transverse mounted small-block V8.

Several modifications were made to accommodate the tight space, such as using a smaller intake manifold than other LS engines, mating the four-speed automatic transmission via a 60-degree Chevrolet V6 bellhousing, and mounting the starter on the transmission instead of the typical engine block location. It was also the first to use GM's Active Fuel Management, otherwise known as AFM and Displacement on Demand (DOD). [Featured im.