[JeepSnake]

427SnakeSC - I believe you are correct on the L88 rating. It was not the top horsepower rating in the big-block lineup so as to be more "discrete." In other words, they only wanted to sell the real firebreather to knowledgeable drivers (racers) who knew how to handle the power. That's what I've read several times, anyway. The 550 hp is what the L88 was rumored to actually produce. I don't believe that Chevrolet ever actually rated a production engine higher than the 450 hp LS-6 454.

Having been into Chevrolets for a long time before discovering Cobras, my take on reading the article is really: "So what?" There are plenty of aftermarket aluminum Rats, and the GM Performance Parts catalog is full of aluminum big blocks. The 2005 catalog even touted a "ZL-1" package with fuel injection for around $21k, if I remember right. So why get excited about a block that's going to be cast on what they basically tell you is worn out & repaired tooling?