I must admit I was a little disturbed when the Z06 engine was given the code of LS6. How could Chevy do this and insult he powerhouse big block of 1970. This is total blasphemy lol. Now the new rumor is that the next version of the Z06 for the c6 platform will have an Ls7 engine. Once again copying the big block that never went into production. I am a proud owner of a big block car and I think its kind of strange that a small block has the same code as a big block. Can anyone shed some light on this. Thanks
Cory

 

It is Chevy's way of tying into their muscle car heritage. Just like the LT1 Gen II, and the original LT-1 of the 70's. Yes, they are both small blocks, but they don't have much in common, other than bore spacing.
What is sad is that the new LS6 is probably making the same, if not more, crank HP than the original LS-6 big block did. They measure them a little different nowadays!

 

The LS1 engine code is originally from the 1970 R/A IV Trans Am of which only 88 were built.

 

Not a rumor, but true. The RPO designation has already been asigned.

They also recently reintroduced an aluminum block 454 dubbed ZL-1.