Chevy’s most expensive, most powerful crate engine gets a gearbox to match
We were excited to hear that Chevrolet Performance will soon be offering a 1000+ horsepower big-block V-8 crate engine that runs on good ol’ pump gasoline. The 632-cubic-inch street engine won’t be available until early next year, but one dealer has already listed an MSRP of $37,758.72. That’s more than the MSRP of an entire 460-hp 2021 LT1 Camaro. Yeah, the whole car. Luckily, that dealer, Gandrud Auto Group, also has it listed at a street price of $29,499.00, which puts the big-block into V-6 Camaro territory.
Yes, that is a huge chunk of change, but we’re talking a 1000-hp street engine with 2.45-inch titanium intake valves and a complete fuel-injection system. Building a car to make use of that kind of power is simply not cheap, and the same goes for the components and craftsmanship that go into the mill. Comparable 632 street engines from the likes of Shafiroff Racing are about $10,000 less but are carbureted and don’t quite make 1000 hp. Across town, Mopar’s Hellephant crate engine—a supercharged 426-cubic-inch Gen III Hemi that also makes 1000 hp—carries a similar price tag to the 632, at $32,260 including its necessary computer. Mopar has had a hard time getting those Hellephants in stock, so let’s hope Chevy can keep its 632 production line up to speed.
Chevrolet also recently announced that it has a new SuperMatic 4L75E-R four-speed automatic that can withstand the 876 lb-ft output of the 632 big-block. The 4L75E-R has a more compact design than the 4L80E you might typically pair with a big-block, making it easier to fit under the transmission tunnels of more vehicles without modification. The 4L75E-R has a 3.06:1 first gear ratio, just as you’d expect from a transmission derived from a 700R4. That’s considerably lower than the 2.48:1 first gear ratio from a 4L80E, which should make for some neck-snapping launches. The 4L75E-R has a .75:1 overdrive to keep the engine humming at cruising speeds.
With any luck, Chevrolet Performance will have both the 632 and its matching transmission ready for purchase early next year, with plenty of time for the impressive powertrain to make it into even more SEMA project cars next year.
