LSA Engines: What Do The Letters Stand For & Which Cars Have One?
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GM’s LS engines are known for their brute power, bulletproof reliability, loads of torque, great soundtrack, and accessibility. These attributes make LS motors some of the most popular aftermarket engines. Besides GM vehicles, you can spot LS-swapped Mazda Miatas, RX-7s, and just about every hot rod out there.
One engine that tends to get overlooked in the LS lineup is the LSA. While LSA can also refer to lobe separation angle in camshaft lingo, in this case, it’s simply GM’s internal RPO (Regular Production Option) code for this particular 6.2L supercharged V8, and any connection to the mechanical term is purely coincidental.
Think of the LSA as an LS3 that hit the gym for a long time. While it’s based on the same 6.2-liter aluminium block, the LSA gets forged internals, including a strengthened cylinder block, to handle a more aggressive tune and higher output. More importantly, unlike the naturally aspirated LS3, the LSA features a 1.9-liter roots supercharger with a single charge cooler that produces 9.1 psi of boost in stock form.
Rated at 580 hp in the Camaro ZL1, it’s one of the most powerful engines GM has ever produced. What’s more, the LSA is a tuner’s delight, with just a simple stage 1 tune, the engine can crank out up to 725 horsepower, and with a more comprehensive stage 2 tune, the engine can easily output 824 horsepower. Although the LS9 shares the same engine block as its bigger brother, the LS9 is hand-built and equipped with a larger 2.3-litre supercharger with dual charge cooler capable of making even more power.
What cars have an LSA under the hood?
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The LSA debuted in the second-generation 2009 Cadillac CTS-V, delivering a juicy 556 hp and 551 lb-ft of torque. The CTS-V (Catera Touring Sedan) came in three body styles, a regular sedan, a coupe, and the coolest one of all, the CTS-V wagon. All variants featured the LSA engine, paired with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Upon its launch, the CTS-V sedan became one of the fastest sedans in the world, with a claimed top speed of 191 mph. It also became the first sedan ever to lap the Nürburgring in under eight minutes.
Later, the Chevrolet Camaro got the LSA treatment for the 2012 model year. One of the Camaro ZL1’s most notable features is easily the LSA, tuned further to produce 580 hp and 556 lb-ft of torque. Lastly, the mighty LSA made its way down under with the Holden HSV GTS, which delivered the same output as the ZL1. In 2015, GM replaced the LSA with the LT4 engine, which debuted in the C7 Corvette Z06, and was later seen in the third generation of the Cadillac CTS-V. The LT4 brought even more power and torque to the table, marking the next evolution of GM’s supercharged V8 lineage.
