The 5 Fastest LS-Powered Cars in the World
The LS engine family is a proven platform capable of high horsepower numbers at a relatively affordable price. Here are a few of the fastest LS cars in their respective disciplines.
1. Kelly Bise Racing C6 Z06
The C6 Z06 Corvette of Kelly Bise Racing is a monster of a car that set a 2015 Texas Mile top speed of 240.9 MPH using an LS-based engine. The engine is built upon an RHS 427 block with forged internals, but stacks on a KP Racing twin 88mm turbocharger setup accompanied by air to water intercoolers with ice boxes and direct nitrous injection. The engine is mated with a fully custom T56 transmission by KP racing and a Quaife rear end. As a result, this car put down a whopping 2000 horsepower to the wheels at KP Racing's dyno night, but Bise feels the car may have more in it when they max out the boost levels at 52 psi!
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2. Keith Berry's BMF C5 Corvette
Keith Berry and his C5 Corvette are well-known in the LS drag racing community. What once started out as his daily driver, Berry's C5 Z06 saw rapid development over the course of his 7-year stint racing the car. Berry would eventually end up with a Pro-Line 454 cubic-inch LSX motor using a set of Precision 88mm turbos and a Fueltech FT500 EFI setup. After properly setting up the chassis, Keith was able to take his BMF Motorsports Corvette down the 1/8 mile in 3.973 seconds at 189.99 MPH for the quickest pass ever recorded on drag radials. Unfortunately, Berry has decided to step away from the LS scene as his engine was recently put up for sale. When asked what would replace it, Berry commented that a new alcohol-powered CFE 4.5" bore spec engine with 98mm turbochargers was in the works.
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3. Dustin Lee's LS3 Dragster
Dustin Lee's LS3-powered dragster is a good example of how you don't always need tons of horsepower to go fast. Lee's dragster is fitted with a 368 cubic-inch engine that uses a 6.0L block with Lunati H-beam rods and Lunati forged crankshaft. Lee upped the compression ratio to 13.5:1 by way of Wiseco pistons and coupled them with Scoggin-Dickey CNC-ported LS heads and a Victor Jr. Edelbrock intake manifold. Fueling is handled by a four-barrel 850cfm Edelbrock carburetor. All said and done, the engine build cost roughly $6500 in parts and makes nearly 700 horsepower which is good for low 7 second 1/4 miles passes.
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4. Hennessey Venom GT
The Hennessey Venom GT supercar, built by the legendary John Hennsessey and Hennessey Performance, shook the supercar world in 2014 when they bested the Bugatti Veyron's top speed record of 258 MPH with a run of 270.5 MPH. The Venom GT is as exotic as they come with an asking price of one million dollars, but at the heart of this fire-breathing rocket is a heavily modified 7.0L LSX V8. With the help of forced-induction via twin-turbos, the Venom GT makes 1,244 horsepower and 1,155 lb-ft of torque. In a lightweight chassis that tips the scales at just over 2,700 lbs, the Venom GT can accelerate from 0-200 MPH in a mere 14.5 seconds. With a long enough stretch of road, Hennessey estimates the car should reach 280 MPH. The Final Edition Venom GT has just been completed in 2017 to end its seven year production run, but Hennessey has already stated they are working on a new F5 project expected to make over 1400 horsepower out of its LSX-based engine.
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5. Dave Kixmiller's GMC Sonoma
Many engines are capable of making big horsepower, but running them at sustained high rpm's is a whole different ball game. The Bonneville Salt Flats are notoriously difficult on any type of engine that embarks on a high speed run, so considering Dave Kixmiller's land speed GMC Sonoma powered by a 358 cubic-inch LSX operates at a sustained 9,000+ rpm, it is a testament to the durability of the platform. Kixmiller was able to achieve an impressive 222 MPH by using West Coast Racing CNC-ported cylinder heads, a Jesel valvetrain, billet rods & crank, custom Wiseco pistons, a custom grind from Comp Cams, and a twin Holley Dominator carburetor setup. When asked why he uses an LS engine, Kixmiller said its because of the great cylinder head flow numbers that help achieve the high RPM power.
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