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Remember back in the early 1990’s when the 454SS Trucks were all the rage? For their time they were some tough pickups, but today their 230 horsepower and 385 pound feet of torque just don’t seem all that impressive any more. That’s probably because we live in a whole new era of GM performance – the era of the LSX [2].
The folks at LaFontaine Performance Center [3] (LPC) in Highland, Michigan, have taken the idea of the “muscle truck” from those first examples, and refined it with the best of what the aftermarket offers today; namely the 600 plus horsepower GM Performance Parts LSX454 crate engine. LPC calls their creation the “GT454” GMC Sierra. Kelley Longwish, Project Manager at LPC tells us, “Being one of the largest GMC dealers in the country, we wanted to build a truck that would out-perform many of the newer muscle cars on the market. The LPC designed GMC offers insane power, excellent handling and eye catching style that any performance enthusiast would love.”
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You can clearly see where the GT454 gets its name...
Ultimately, the GT454 is a visual and performance upgrade package available on new GMC Sierras purchased from LaFontaine [3] that’s offered in two different versions. The appearance/exhaust package gives you all of the visual upgrades of the GT454 and an upgraded exhaust (but no LSX454) for a total cost of $14,999 in addition to the purchase price of your new Sierra. If you want the full-boat GT454, complete with the bad-boy GMPP LSX454 [2] and all of the performance upgrades to go with it, look at tacking on an extra $36,999 to the price of your new truck.
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The Full GT454 Package Includes:
Powertrain:
- Chevrolet Performance LSX454 Crate Engine [2]
- Dyno Tested 626 hp @ 5800 RPM / 628 ft lbs of Torque @ 4500 RPM
- GM 6.2L Intake Manifold with Factory Injectors and Throttle Body
- Injen Cold Air Intake System
- American Racing [8] 1 7/8” Stainless Headers and Y-pipe with Catalytic Converters
- Magnaflow [9] 3” Stainless Exhaust System
- Factory 6 Speed Automatic Transmission (Custom Tuned)
- Yank 3200 rpm Torque Converter
- Factory locking differential with 3.42 gears
Suspension / Wheels and Tires:
- Lowering System – 4” Front Drop / 6” Rear Drop
- Hi Performance Front Struts and Rear Shocks
- Six Piston Front Brake System – Drilled and Slotted 15” Rotors
- Forgeline [10] VR3P Wheels – 22” X 9.5” Matte Black Finish – Machined Lip
- Yokohama Tires – 305/35/22 Front and Rear
Appearance:
- LPC GT Functional Ram Air Hood
- LPC GT Front Fascia w/ Fog Lights
- LPC Rear Roll Pan
- LPC Side Mirror Covers
- LPC GT Matte Black Graphics Package
- Custom Tinted Windows
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In the end, the GT454 seems to capture the original spirit of the 454SS trucks, and brings GM muscle trucks into the future with something that every GM Performance enthusiast can appreciate; a heaping-helping of LSX power. Be sure to check out LaFontaine Performance Center’s website [3] for more info on the GT454 “new-era muscle truck.”