Take all this with a very large grain of salt possibly yellowed.
We are only halfway through the week, but rumors about the C8 Chevy Corvette have multiplied. It all started with an 800 horsepower Z06 equipped with a flatbed V8 and high revving crank. Then we learned from another source that it was actually a leak of information for the next Corvette ZR1. Now, a Corvette Forum member with the user name Steven Starke claims to have the minimum on future Corvette engines, from designations to power.
Before going further, we must express serious skepticism about this alleged leak. To begin, Steven Starke This even implies doubt in stating that he "will not even try to speak for validity …" and says that the information comes from "… a guy who knows a guy". The photos show a range of statistics that seem to come from an unformatted Microsoft. The Excel Spreadsheet, a program you'll find on just about every PC-type computer in the world. Several power ratings are listed for a variety of engine movements and designations, although the one we know in reality – the LT2 V8 490 horsepower – is listed with 469 hp. The timing of the leak is also extremely convenient, as rumors about the C8 Z06 and ZR1 models are spreading over the Internet. So yes, take what you are about to read with a grain of salt.
Nevertheless, it is a possible leak on the next evolution of Corvette's future. So we present the information here. The photos appear to show a range of engines used in the current C7, as well as factories featuring a rear-drive mid-engine configuration. Some remarkable elements, including a 5.5-liter, 32-valve V8 with three configurations – naturally aspirated, turbocharged and hybrid – and a 6.2-liter hybrid V8, are mixed in the statistics soup. Yes, this sheet suggests that the C8 will get more than one hybrid powertrain, which is another strike in our book for this to be legitimate.
Among the 5.5-liter DOHC engines, the naturally aspirated version carries the LT6 designation, producing 600 hp and 620 lb-ft of torque, with a maximum power of 5,000 rpm. If it sounds bland, you are not wrong. The current LT2 V8 pusher reaches maximum power at 6,450 rpm, so 5,000 rpm is strangely low for our taste, not to mention the high torque. It gets crazy from there, because the turbocharged version (nicknamed LT7, which we'll assume is actually a dual-turbo configuration) would produce 850 hp at the even 5,000 rpm. The craziest of all is the 5.5-liter hybrid, which retains the same power and speed, but pushes the torque to 922 lb-ft. Regarding the so-called 6.2-liter hybrid V8, this leak publishes exactly the same statistics as the standard 6.2-liter.
Now, it is possible that this leak is one of the first elements of GM's reference data for engines. This could explain why the LT2 numbers do not match what we already know. In addition, hybrid statistics could simply refer to what the gasoline engine produces as opposed to a combined production. But if that's the case, why is the couple different on the hybrid LT7? And again, these rpm ratings for a double overhead cam engine are ridiculously low.
At least now, you have the whole word on this so-called C8 engine leak. Do the numbers make sense to you? Let's do some maths in the comments.
