The future had arrived in the form of lower compression ratios for 1971. Unleaded gasoline and its lower octane rating forced the move and an era was over, not to return. The change caused the hp ratings of the LS5 motor to go from 390 hp (1970) to 365 hp. Most reports indicate the performance loss was negligible and gasoline purchasing was easier.
1971 was the last year for the fiber optic light monitoring system located behind the shifter.
