1990 — LT5 engine with dual-overhead cams
5.7 liters (350 cu. in.)
375 hp, 370 lb-ft
Some people don’t consider it a “true” small-block, but the LT5 engine in the 1990-1995 Chevrolet Corvette ZR-1 had the same 90-degree V-angle and 4.4-inch bore spacing as any other small-block V-8. The LT5 engine was a notable effort to modernize the Corvette’s engine and bring it toward the power output levels of exotic cars — a feat accomplished again with the likes of the modern-day Z06 and ZR1. Whereas even modern Corvette engines use a two-valve pushrod layout, the LT5 had a four-valve dual-overhead-cam setup that yielded much more power. The LT5 was an all-aluminum engine designed in partnership with Lotus, and built by Mercury Marine. So powerful was the resultant Corvette ZR-1 that it came with a special valet key that limited horsepower output for occasions when the car had to be loaned to less-skilled drivers. Output was 375 hp(compared to just 250 hp from the pushrod engines in regular 1990 Corvettes) and in later years the ZR-1 saw its ratings climb to 405 hp.
