This is a healthy number.
We are now starting to see the 2020 Corvette’s naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8. This orange model, acquired by Hennessey Performance is the latest to be tested on a chassis dyno. The baseline run is very impressive. Hennessey states that the ‘Vette was factory stock and registered 466 horsepower (347 Kilowatts) as well as 451 pound-feet (611 Newton meters) of torque at the wheels on the Dynojet. This is the main point. This is higher than we would expect from an engine that Chevrolet produces at 495 crankshaft horsepower. This is not the same level of madness we experienced last year with Motor Trend ‘s fatal 558-hp run. However, if we add an 11-percent driveline reduction – which is a percentage thought to be more accurate for modern dual clutch transaxles – to this figure, it gives us 524 horsepower. Interesting.
This should be taken with a grain salt. There are Numerous There are many variables that could affect the power figure. Not least the type of dyno used as well as the accuracy of the calculated loss. It’s not a manual or automatic gearbox that uses a driveshaft. Therefore, the driveline loss due to the eight-speed dual clutch transaxle may be less than 11. It is also important to consider the gear that was used in the dyno pull. You want to obtain an accurate measurement of the crankshaft’s power. Hennessey pulled this pull in fourth gear. However, we don’t know how close that cog is to the golden ratio.
Another C8 dyno pulled by Carlyle Racing in March must be considered. The car was also reported as stock and had 440 horsepower at the wheels. Add the 11% driveline loss to get 495 horsepower, which is the official Chevrolet figure for Z51 cars.
What is the lesson? When it comes to determining engine power, chassis dyno numbers aren’t necessarily the best. With enough data and two reliable dyno sessions, we can get general estimates. The data suggests that the C8’s old pushrod engine V8 is making at least its advertised ponies.