Photo: Mercury Racing
If the Hellcrate is too low on suck-squeeze-bang-blow for your project car, Mercury Marine’s performance division has something nice for you. Enter the LS7 SB4 7.0, a modified General Motors LS7 big-block V8 that packs 750 ponies at 8,000 rpm!
In addition to the Challenger SRT Hellcat-rivaling output, torque is rated at 570 pound-feet (773 Nm). How did Mercury Racing extract 245 more horsepower from the LS7? The secret lies in the number of valves. There are 32 in total, coming courtesy of two aluminum cylinder heads that number four valves per cylinder.
Compatible with both manual and automatic transmissions, the SB4 7.0 needs 91-octane gasoline and 6.5 liters of 15W-50 oil to deliver the goodies mentioned beforehand. Retailing at $32,995 in turn-key form, the engine is supplied with a dedicated ECU, alternator, AC pump, and all the belts and pulleys. Options are also available, including a carbon fiber intake manifold painted in any color you want.
General Motors, on the other hand, offers the LS7 crate engine for $14,837 without the ECU and wiring harness. Upgrading to Mercury’s specifications could easily get you into the $33,000s, so think twice before spending your hard-earned cash.
Tipping the scales at 498 pounds (226 kilograms) and covered by a 12-month limited warranty, the SB4 7.0 features a compression ratio of 11.7:1. The 505-horsepower LS7 offered by Chevrolet Performance, for reference, runs at 11.0:1.
“But do I need a taller hood if I were to get the SB4 instead of the LS7?” Well, it depends on your build. 3 inches longer and 2 inches higher than the General Motors-sourced crate engine, the Mercury-tuned powerplant measures 17.1 inches in height. So yeah, it's compact enough despite the generous displacement.
On that note, what sort of car would need the SB4 7.0 under the hood? A Ford Model T-based rat rod fits the bill nicely, and so does the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro. An even madder proposition would be the Toyota Prius. On that note, did you know there's a Prius running Hellcat V8 power?
Compatible with both manual and automatic transmissions, the SB4 7.0 needs 91-octane gasoline and 6.5 liters of 15W-50 oil to deliver the goodies mentioned beforehand. Retailing at $32,995 in turn-key form, the engine is supplied with a dedicated ECU, alternator, AC pump, and all the belts and pulleys. Options are also available, including a carbon fiber intake manifold painted in any color you want.
General Motors, on the other hand, offers the LS7 crate engine for $14,837 without the ECU and wiring harness. Upgrading to Mercury’s specifications could easily get you into the $33,000s, so think twice before spending your hard-earned cash.
Tipping the scales at 498 pounds (226 kilograms) and covered by a 12-month limited warranty, the SB4 7.0 features a compression ratio of 11.7:1. The 505-horsepower LS7 offered by Chevrolet Performance, for reference, runs at 11.0:1.
“But do I need a taller hood if I were to get the SB4 instead of the LS7?” Well, it depends on your build. 3 inches longer and 2 inches higher than the General Motors-sourced crate engine, the Mercury-tuned powerplant measures 17.1 inches in height. So yeah, it's compact enough despite the generous displacement.
On that note, what sort of car would need the SB4 7.0 under the hood? A Ford Model T-based rat rod fits the bill nicely, and so does the first-generation Chevrolet Camaro. An even madder proposition would be the Toyota Prius. On that note, did you know there's a Prius running Hellcat V8 power?
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