Because they've pretty much run out of single-digit numbers to designate the engines:

LS1 - Gen III
LS2 - Gen IV
LS3 - Gen IV
LS4 - Gen IV
LS6 - Gen III
LS7 - Gen IV
LS8 - Gen IV supercharged
LS9 - Gen IV supercharged

The only thing that's missing is an LS5.

It makes sense to now go to letters instead of numbers - LSA, LSB, LSC, etc.

 

To my memory, there used to be four alleged S/C'd 6.2s: LS9 - 'Vette; LSA - CTSV; LS8 - Z06 and possible Camaro; and another one, of which I can't remember the last digit, that was thought to go into trucks, that has possibly been discontinued.

I'm not sure why there are such big differences in design between the LS9 and LSA. I can see the Ti rods and valves, but why not keep the same forged pistons and larger supercharger? I think there was a recent article somewhere where the CTSV was rated at more than the 550 that has been quoted as the lowest output.

 

I figure that a "non-ZR1 LS9" would be one without the dry-sump system, and maybe a couple other things.

 

Smaller supercharger = less power consumption from the blower. Also, if you don't have the Ti components, then you can't use the full potential of the bigger blower.

The other factor is cost.

 

There are the LMF & LMG 5.3s in the trucks and vans. There is also the 6.0 LFA in the fullsize hybrid SUVs.

The 6.6 Duramax is called LMM.

There are also several V8s with a 1 letter & 2 number designation like the L92 & L76.

Some manufacturers have enough information in there (longer) engine designations that you can tell a lot about a new mill just from its name, or infer the name for the engine you're expecting or hoping they will build. I don't think GM is such a company.

 

What is tying them to "LS"? Is that just for marketing since the LS motors have a history of being strong motors and they want to keep building off of that, or is there something more to it? Why not go to something other than LS when they run out of single digit numbers?

 

Let not forget the 3rd gens L98 and L03

Thats like my g/fs Honda. Its motor is a F23A4... 2.3L I4 (Vtec) with a 4 speed auto...

 

The A4 doesn't mean 4-speed auto.

I had a Civic with a D16Z6... it still had a 4-speed auto. My friend had a similar Civic with the same engine, and his had a 5-speed stick.

The first letter tells you the engine series. D is their old SOHC 4-banger series. It was replaced with B, the DOHC series. There's also an H series. Still DOHC, not sure what the differences are. I think the F-series is their latest one.

The next two digits tell you the displacement. 16 = 1.6 liters.

The letter and number that follow are basically a revision number for the particular series+displacement combination you're looking at, but the letter and number themselves don't tell you anything specific about the engine.

 

Edmunds is saying 525+hp and MotorTrend is saying 500+. Here's hoping that Edmunds is right.

 

That makes sense, cuz hers is the ULEV and it is the F23A4, and the LEV (standard one) is a F23A3

And the F series is a SOHC (her's is a SOHC with VTEC)

 

the f20c in the s2k is dohc and rear wheel drive.

the h series are 2.2liter or 2.3 liter engine, with a completely different design than b series.

the k series is what has turned many civic hatchbacks into ls1 killer.

 

Did I stumble into a Honda forum?

 

Yeah can we get back to talking about real motors.

 

All this talk about a friggin RPO number? Common....