Which Corvette Had The LS2 V8?

Released in the 2005 model year, the LS2 V8 is part of the fourth generation of GM's small-block architecture, building on a lineage started in 1955. While the LS2 retained a few main characteristics of the LS1, such as the pushrod design (overhead valves with camshafts in the engine block) and the 4.4-inch distance between the centers of each cylinder (the bore distance), it also brought part refinements and significant performance improvements.

The LS2 V8 engine was a naturally aspirated 6.0-liter that pumped out 400 hp and 400 lb-ft, respectively 50 hp and up to 40 lb-ft more than what the Corvette C5's LS1 offered. In this second generation, GM took the opportunity to revise parts such as cylinder block, cam profile, exhaust manifold, ignition system, pistons, and oil pan. It also installed an electronic throttle control and, in some versions, a cylinder-deactivation system to save fuel when power demand is low. 

The Chevrolet Corvette used the LS2 V8 as the first engine offering for the C6 generation. After the Corvette, GM would also use this engine on other performance-oriented vehicles, such as the Chevrolet SSR pickup (which still yields mixed opinions), the Australian-built Pontiac GTO (it's understandable if you don't remember it), and the Cadillac CTS-V. It also equipped the full-size SUVs Chevrolet Trailblazer SS and Saab 9-7X Aero.

The Chevrolet Corvette C6 can be considered an evolutionary redesign. The exterior is mostly a more striking version of the previous design. The body, however, became shorter and more aerodynamic than the C5's (at the expense of losing the signature pop-up headlights), the aluminum structure around the doors became more rigid, and the trunk is formed by a fiberglass tub that is connected to the frame rails while staying separate from the cabin to help isolate vibration and noise.

When the car was updated for 2008, that engine was upgraded to displace 6.2 liters and make 430 hp, and was renamed LS3. The Z06 version, released for the 2006 model year, had another version with further improvements that reached 7.0 liters, 505 hp and 470 lb-ft. Lastly, the ZR1 version came in 2009 with 6.2 liters and a supercharged to produce 638 hp and 604 lb-ft. All those engines belong to the same Gen IV small-block family but use different names.

With that in mind, the Corvette C6 only used the LS2 engine for three years; the small update applied in 2007, for the 2008 model year, replaced it with the LS3. When it comes to the other cars that used LS2, the Chevrolet SSR and the Pontiac GTO used it from 2005 to 2006, the Cadillac CTS-V from 2006 to 2007, the Chevrolet Trailblazer SS from 2006 to 2009, and the Saab 9-7X Aero from 2008 to 2009. Since then, GM only sells the LS2 V8 as a crate engine.