The new Gen V Chevy V8 engine, AKA the LT1, has debuted to rave reviews from autowriters the world over. This all-aluminum 6.2 liter V8 may seem on the surface to share a lot with the outgoing LS-series of engines, but it is a far different beast in many important ways. Direct injection and variable valve timing are just a couple of the many changes that make the LT1 engine a big step up.

It’s so different that GM has given some aftermarket specialists, like Lingenfelter Performance Engineering, early access to the LT1 engine. This helps Lingenfelter test different performance upgrades for the LT1. That way, once the 2014 Corvette hits showrooms, the aftermarket will be ready, and as this video shows, Lingenfelter’s LT1 engine development is already well under way.

With 455 horsepower on tap and capable of delivering up to 29 MPG in the new 2014 Corvette Stingray, the LT1 engine proves you can have V8 kicks with respectable fuel economy. That’s the bonus of the direct injection and variable valve timing, which as it turns out also help improve performance. However, since neither feature was on the LS series of engines, it requires a different type of tuning and that steepens the learning curve.

No worries though, as Lingenfelter is in tight with GM, although details on the upgrade process and power levels remain closely guarded. Instead, this 88-second video is pure engine porn, the sound of an unbridled LT1 waiting for an engine bay of its own to call home. And it won’t be long before this delicious sound echoes up and down the streets of America.