Three's Company: LS1 Cam Comparo

摘要

It could well be argued that the current LS1 is the best iteration of the small-block ever to grace the engine bay of your favorite GM performance machine. A pretty bold statement to be sure, especially given the number of performance small-blocks produced over the last 50 years or so, but the LS1 has a lot going for it. Even if we skip over the all-aluminum construction (a fact that greatly improves performance by improving the all-important power-to-weight ratio), the LS1 motor has serious performance potential. We know for a fact that the stock short-block can be taken well beyond 525 hp in normally-aspirated trim with nothing more elaborate that an intake, cam and a set of ported stock heads. Try doing that with a single-cam 4.6L Ford mod motor and see how far you get. Heck, doing it with the 4-valve Cobra motor would be a real accomplishment, but the LS1 manages big power (and torque) without resorting to overhead cams and the associated complications.