Ford vs Chevy vs Mopar: Who’s Got the Baddest-Ass Crate Engines?
As a subculture, hot rodding is in danger, but it's not from what you may think. Over the last 15 years — starting with the 505-hp LS7 small-block found in the Corvette Z06 — the general public has been exposed to more than a few over-500-hp factory engines that are clean, high-tech, and well mannered. The alphabet soup of factory-offered domestics that broke the glass ceiling of supercar-level performance is astounding and includes the Z06 and ZR1 Corvette (C6, C7, and upcoming C8), Chevy Camaro ZL1, Ford Mustang GT350 and GT500 Shelby Cobra, and Dodge Hellcat, Demon, Super Stock, and Redeye — and we haven't even touched on trucks and SUVs. With so many powerful cars available, a 500-plus-hp crate engine for an older car may sound like a smallish choice. More on that in a second, but first let's look at the alternatives.
(photo credit: Hot Rod)
