This all should be eaten with a large, possibly yellowed, grain of salt.
Although we’re only half way through the week, there have been plenty of C8 Chevy corvette rumors. Talk started about an 800-horsepower Z06running high-revving flat-plane crank V8. Another source informed us that this was leaked information about the next Corvette ZR1. A Corvette forum member named StevenStarke claimed to have all the details on the next Corvette ZR1_, including designations and horsepower.
We must first express serious doubt about this alleged leak before we move on. For starters, StevenStarke Even implying doubt by posting that he “won’t even try to speak to the validity and claims the info comes from “…a man who knows a guy” The photos show stats which appear to have been taken from an unformatted Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. This program is used on almost every PC-based computer worldwide. There are several horsepower ratings for a variety engine displacements and designations. However, the only one that we know of – the 490-horsepower LT2V8 – is listed at 469 hp. It is also very convenient that the leak occurred at the same time as rumors of ZR1 and C8 Z06 models racing around the internet. Take what you are about to read with a grain.
It’s possible that there’s some information leakage about Corvette’s next evolution. We present the information here. These photos show the range of engines that were used in the current C7. There are also mills listed as having a mid engine rear-drive (MR). There are some standouts in this mix of stats, including a 5.5-liter 32 valve V8 that shows three configurations: turbocharged, naturally aspirated and hybrid, and a hybrid 6.2-liter V8. This sheet indicates that the C8 will receive more hybrid powertrain. We consider this another strike.
The naturally aspirated version of the 5.5-liter DOHC engines is listed with the LT6 designation. It produces 600 hp, 620 pound-feet, and power at just 5,000 rpm. You won’t be surprised if this seems odd. The current LT2 pushrod V8 produces its peak power at 6,450 rpm. That’s a lot, considering the high torque and low revs. The turbocharged version, dubbed LT7 and which we assume is a twin-turbo setup, allegedly makes 850 hp at the 5,000 rpm. However, the 5.5-liter hybrid retains the same hp/RPM figures but produces 922 pound-feet of torque. The 6.2-liter hybrid V8 is leaking the exact same statistics as the 6.2.
It is possible that this clip is early GM benchmark data. This could explain why the LT2 figures are not consistent with what we know. The hybrid stats could simply refer to the combined output of the gasoline engine and not the gasoline engine. If that is the case, then why does the torque figure on the hybrid LT7 differ? These RPM ratings are absurd for a double overhead camshaft motor.
You now have all the facts about this alleged C8 engine-leakage. Are the numbers clear? Let’s get mathematical in the comments.