GM LSs are clearly at the top of the heap when it comes to engine swaps. In either other newer or older GM cars, or other makes and models, car people all over the world swap more LS motors than any other engine family into a seemingly endless variety of cars and trucks.
One of the main reasons for this is packaging. Even in 7.0-liter (427) LS7 guise, the LS architecture is compact and easy to place into just about anything. If it’ll fit into a Mazda Miata (and we’ve seen one), then you know it will go into any car bigger than a Miata—and most cars are bigger than a Miata.
Especially an LX platform Dodge Challenger. These things are absolute tanks in the grand scheme of it all. Way bigger than an S197 (2005-14) or S550 (2015-16) Mustang and a 5th- (2010-15) or 6th- gen (2016) Camaro, the Challenger and its four-door stablemate the Charger are also considerably heavier as well.
And this is about the first late model Challenger we’ve seen with an LS conversion. Legions of Fox-body Mustangs have been converted to LS power and, of course, there are serious detractors all around on that.
We’re sure there will be whiners all around on this deal, too. We say, get over it. It’s no big thing. This is only one car. It’s not like every Hellcat owner is going to swap an LSX crate engine into their cars. Plenty of Mustangs will always have pushrod or Coyote 5.0 power. A good smattering of LS-powered anything is okay by us because it demonstrates the amazing versatility of the engine platform. After all, people have been swapping small-block Chevys into ’32 Fords for probably at least the last half-century or more.
Someone in Northern Illinois took a salvaged 2010 Dodge Challenger that was a theft-recovery and has given it new life at the dragstrip. Under the hood sits a GM LSX V8 with a ginormous 106mm Precision turbocharger. No exact word on power, but considering it went 8.96 seconds at 154.3 mph it’s likely the engine is producing at least 1,000 horsepower. We’ll drink to that.
And whether you like this car or not, all we can say is it’s hard to argue with an 8-second time slip. Take a look at the video. And if you have a beef with it, then you’d probably better have something that goes quicker than 8.90s to back up your boast. We don’t a have a problem with it, because we don’t have an 8-second car, either. And even if we did, we would still be impressed by a two-plus-ton car that runs in the 8s! You should be, too.