Here’s Why The C8 Corvette Z06 Is Naturally Aspirated
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The C8 Corvette Z06 will be naturally aspirated, but some commenters have voiced concerns that the upcoming go-faster Chevrolet Corvette C8 won’t have the peak output and power delivery needed to best the supercharged C7 Z06. GM Authority is the leading source of breaking news concerning the C8 Corvette Z06, including our recent exclusive that the Z06 will feature a massive rear wing. Now, we’re breaking down the reasoning behind the new Z06’s move to a naturally aspirated powerplant.
The first reason is this – the Z06 is going back to its roots.
Chevrolet Corvette C7 Z06
The Z06 nameplate isn’t about boost – it’s about street-legal performance that can be used on the track. And while the C7 Z06 did have forced induction with the supercharged 6.2L LT4 V8, it also experienced widely publicized overheating issues on the track. What’s more, the Z7 Z06 was the only forced induction model in the history of the Z06 nameplate.
Indeed, one could consider the “true” Z06 formula to come from the C6 generation its the monstrous 7.0L LS7 V8. Then of course there’s the naturally aspirated 5.7L LS6 in the C5 Z06. As such, the C8 generation will course correct with a new naturally aspirated V8 derived from the atmospheric, flat-plane-crank 5.5L DOHC V8 found in the race-spec Chevrolet Corvette C8.R.
The second reason the C8 Corvette Z06 is going naturally aspirated is the FIA. FIA homologation rules call for 300 units of an engine found in a race competitor to be produced for road-going purposes. Earlier this week, we published a video of a prototype C8 Corvette Z06 attacking some twisting canyon roads, and the engine definitely didn’t sound like a push-rod Small Block. Rather, it sounded much closer to the glorious C8.R.
The race-spec C8 headed to competition in IMSA series will rock a naturally aspirated 5.5L V8 making 500 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. The road-going model will make quite a bit more – roughly 670 horsepower, according to our sources. Compare that to the C7 Z06, which produced 650 horsepower, and the C8 generation will have more peak output. What’s more, the C8’s mid-engine platform will actually put all those ponies to the pavement, unlike the tire-shredding C7.
Of course, for those who still demand forced induction, the C8 generation will have it… eventually. Just not with the Z06.
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So is this for model year 2022?
Late 2021(3rd or 4th quarter) as a 2022. Launch should be NAIAS in Detroit in 2021……..
What the hell is the thumb down for, I’m simply telling you what I was told and answer your question ……..
John,
I didn’t give the thumbs down.
It will be interesting to see how GM will deal with the vibration, mechanical fatigue, longevity and the host of other engineering matters as it relates to a flat plane crank engine. If in fact GM does utilize an FPC power plant how will these engineering issues affect factory warranty, track utilization and customer satisfaction with mechanical issues. Will this be a “track ready” street performance car with the R&D engineering issues being thoroughly wrung out? I am no expert but do own a C6 LS7 and a C7 LT4 with both vehicles having their own appeal to a performance driver. Based on what I understand about the FPC I would probably not consider being a buyer for the aforementioned reasons and GM’s uninspiring response to prior LS7 & LT4 mechanical issues in previous generation Z06 models.
They are working on the FPC in the C8 as you read this. There are two C8’s running around Daytona with FPC’s in the new C8 R’s right now, and they will be doing it for 24 hours.
GM/Chevrolet will be working on this set up all year long in the Corvette Racing program. I imagine by the time the ZO6 is ready for production they will have most, if not all problems solved relating to the FPC.
I also have owned several Corvettes, currently own a 2011 ZR1 and a 2017 ZO6. Was damn near killed in the second Corvette I wrecked at VIR . I also have a C8 on order, and will be getting a C8 ZO6.
I’m a stockholder so they don’t fuck with me. Been to Bowling Green and Warren more times than I can count…….
I think they will iron out the kinks with vibration and deliver a fantastic engine.If Lingenfelter gets involved this will go much smoother.We miss you John! Anyways I am enjoying the C8 debuts but where are the commercials? It’s a joke to me that GM is expecting buyers without real advertising, TV ads flat out sell when you do them right,for example doing burnouts around a Fraud GT or a BMW.That generates excitement in the fan base.Come on Mary Barra!
They don’t need any advertising for the C8. In case you haven’t heard the entire 2020 production has been pre sold. In fact they are cutting dealer allotments by 10% because they don’t think they can build enough by Sept. 1st (when they start 2021 production) to fill all the orders……
Speaking of bathtubs, what about the Ford Fusion, it’s right up there with the Camaro.
I don’t see the resemblance. The Camaro has a much higher beltline that cause that bathtub effect. Regardless, the Fusion will not be replaced as Ford is out of the car business… Except for the Mustang.
The only people that miss me are the IRS.
They don’t need Lingenfelter, in case you haven’t heard, they own Pratt & Miller, and Corvette Racing. They can solve any problems related to the Corvette……
Josh,
Burnouts excite knuckle draggers and turns away everybody else. You obviously have no concept of Marketing…
I did read that but that is irrelevant.Advertising is key to survival in the game of car sales.Sure the C8 is sold out for the coming year but what after that? Nothing is guaranteed.GM is severely lacking in quality ads,the current Chevy spokesman is way too soft.Corvette usually does fine but the rest of the line needs more exposure.Do you seriously not want to see a C8 flaunting itself in a commercial?I would like to see that all day.
I totally agree with you about the lack of advertising. That’s probably why the ATS, and CTS, and CT6, didn’t sell. When is the last time you ever saw a Corvette ad ? Not since the ’60’s
For that matter, when is the last time you ever saw an ad for the Buick LaCrosse, Cadillac XTS, Chevy Impala, Chevy Camaro, Chevy Cruze, etc.,.,
John E,
Tesla doesn’t advertise at all and the company is worth more than Ford and GM combined. So much for advertising…
Billy Bob, spreading misinformation to bolster your opinion doesn’t change the facts. As of 2019 year end Tesla’s corporate valuation is $26B and GM’s is $49B. Just GM’s $49B is almost double the value of Tesla at $26B. Throw in Ford Motor Company’s net worth of over $35B as of 01/24/2020 you can see how wrong your claim is. You need to fact check before promoting more fake facts for whatever reason.
ROBWILKER
Tesla’s net worth was at $79.3B on 12/30/2019.
As of 1/27/2020:
Tesla is valued at $101.10B
Ford is valued at $35.73B
GM is valued at $47.98B
Total= $83.71B
Unless my calculator is broken…..That appears to be more than GM and Ford combined.
ROBWILKER,
BEFORE YOU ACCUSE OTHERS OF LIES AND FALSE INFORMATION, YOU NEED TO BECOME FINANCIALLY LITERATE.
SINCE I POSTED THIS, GM AND FORD VALUES HAVE GONE DOWN AND TESLA HAS NOW JUMPED TO 116 B WHICH IS NOW TRIPLE THE VALUE OF FORD AND DOUBLE THAT OF GM OR 42% MORE THAN BOTH COMPANIES COMBINED.
TESLA IS NOW WORTH MORE THAN VW AG AND ONLY SECOND TO TOYOTA.
SO WHO’S THE LIAR AND DISSEMINATOR OF FALSE INFORMATION NOW?
Ferrari ad? Lamborghini ad? McLaren ad? Porsche ad? People who buy this kind of car already know about it.
Lingenfelter was a genius with anything Corvette so I don’t know what your problem is.Whenever GM needed to respond to the Viper or whatever European supercar who did they call?John Lingenfelter, that’s who.
I have no problem…… Why go outside and pay all that money to someone to solve your problems when you have all those genius engineers on the payroll.
What Lingenfelter does they do for Lingenfelter. They are in the business of making Corvettes go faster., which is great…….
Sorry Biff about drag racing,it was the tech guy.
That’s my point,we should be seeing those ads.Maybe if GM ran those ads I would see more Camaro SS’s on the road than Slowstangs and Challengers.I love my SS and drive it as fast as she’ll go,which is 200+.GM is losing sales due to almost non existent exposure.Just my opinion.
Extremely limited advertising on Mustangs and Challengers. The main reason the Camaro isn’t selling is because it feels like being in a bathtub with a low roof and slits for windows. It’s just a stupid design and the market has spoken. The competition are real cars in contrast.
What’s the matter…you don’t like chopped tops? 🙂 When I sat in an Acura SC several years ago…it did feel like a bathtub…I figured that it is DOT trying to keep you safe with all that mass of metal around you.
RT Basey,
That’s an illusion. A car doesn’t have to look like a tank to be safe.
Thumbs down for wanting it sooner, lol.No disrespect.
How is a NA 5.5 liter flatplane chevrolet V8 going to make 670 hp ? that must be a misprint. I have seen 600 horse as a # for the NA 5.5 dohc flatplane which should be doable for Corvette and be emission friendly for the Z06.
Well Holmes , it looks like you missed another one . The z06 makes 670 na horsepower .
I have seen a Chevy small block 400(406 after a .030 bore) with 600+HP with a big cam and high flow heads so with a DOHC design it will have to be about the cam profile and super high flow heads and intake manifold.Direct injection and VVT increases HP as well so it can be done.The 5.5 L will have to have a short stroke for higher rpm and I would bet that the TQ number will probably be around 590 ft. lbs. as compared to 670HP.The LT1 pushrod engine made 460/460 but don’t expect a DOHC design to have matching HP and TQ numbers.We should also see around a 8500-9500 rpm band also.
Look at fords 5.2 fpc dohc motor, it only produces 526 horse and I believe that motor is close to 12.1 to 1 compression. To build a NA 600 horse 5.5 , emission compliant and be made to last 100k miles will be a difficult thing to do. Yes, to build a motor for race purposes only is a lot easier.
You are correct however Fraud’s 5.2 and 5.0 engines don’t make any TQ beyond 420 ft. lbs.The Voodoo 5.2 makes 526/429 HP/TQ.The 5.0 makes 460/420 so you can see not much in torque gain.Chevy and Dodge have always been better in small block power, particular to torque.I don’t think they are the best example for comparison.The Germans and Italians use even smaller engines and gain big power,I think they are a better comparison.Fraud seems to have given up on making real engines,they slap on the cheepo-boost to just about all their stuff now.
Biff,drag racing happens every day so that is garbage.I see Dodge’s Challenger ads frequently,never on a Camaro which I own and love as well as Car&Driver,Road and Track,etc.The Camaro SS is faster than the Challenger and Slowstangs,I know because I have beaten them.It’s also evident from the testing done by the car guru magazines and the Camaro is generally considered the better car,only citing that they can’t see so well.I have never had a vision issue in my 2017 Camaro SS.I am now at 500 crank HP and it still has gotten as muy as 33.2mpg.It is a fantastic car so your assessment is garbage.Ads sell so your opinion is also garbage.
Josh,
Bottom line, the car doesn’t sell and the Camaro program at these puny volumes is losing money for GM. Currently, there are no replacements in sight. Yet a new Mustang and Challenger will have new generations. The market is never wrong.
Keep it. The volume is so low, it might be worth something one day…😁
Biff my point is that if you don’t advertise a product most people won’t be exposed to it.GM is severely lacking in this area.I am a lifelong GM fan and I am very annoyed by them losing to a garage company like Ford who makes weak trucks and Mustangs that I keep in the rearview mirror.I work in an AZ copper mine where all they use for the most part is the Ford F-250.They fall apart literally,even after a few days.The bed is so weak that we have had to go to a custom flat bed.Their “high strength aluminium” is garbage.We have a huge yard that has F-250 beds stacked up as far as you can see.It’s ridiculous but when Dennis Leary is lying through his teeth on all those “Built Fraud Weak” ads are on every 30 seconds during an NFL game people are buying them.GM can do better with ads.By the way there are some early 2000’s GM and Dodge trucks still here and guess what?There beds are still intact.
Hi guys, joining this conversation late.
Unless I missed it in any of the above comments, Mercury Marine produces, for the marine racing and automotive after market, an LS7 based, DOHC, normally aspirated engine producing 750HP with an 8,000 rpm red line.
It has been on the market for years.
https://www.mercuryracing.com/mercury-racing-reveals-sb4-7-0-automotive-crate-engine/
I don’t think GM/Chev will have any issue hand assembling or even mass producing a similar flat plane crank power plant.
Advertising: all the reveals were the advertising and marketing for the C8, and the convert & C8.R.
Every media outlet covered it, wrote about it, spoke about it on radio; and televised it. It’s water cooler fodder.
Mike 8TY4PSD & MNL13GS
Mike,
I was at the reveal for the SB4 engine at Sema. That engine is fabulous for a high end projects but it isn’t FPC and doesn’t have to much to worry about emissions, fuel economy and even cost. (that’s a very expensive engine) When you factor all this with extensive reliability and operation in all weather conditions, it’s a real challenge.
Yeah they advertised the reveals but that’s it? Unacceptable.GM needs to do more.Products become stale to the buyers market if they don’t see new options and upgrades.Corvette can own the supercar market if they do more ads.It’s not like they don’t have the money.To the tech guy:Tesla sucks.AI cars are garbage.Tesla has already killed around 6 people with their AI cars,I guess programming tractor trailers into the system wasn’t necessary as they just ran into them.Tech is always oversold and underperforms.Tesla being worth more is a temporary thing,I will never let a car drive me around let alone buy an electric vehicle.Not even remotely interested in AI job killing tech.
Fraud Fusion is a POS and it seemed to influence the Slowstangs as evidenced by someone who thought that taking a sawsall to the nose of a car is attractive.Wow.
Supercar manufacturers do advertising,I see Porsche,Audi,BMW and Mercedes ads all the time.Plus in other countries I would imagine that they advertise over there.The point is that Corvette has the audience captured at the moment and can dominate the market but to do so GM has to want to.I would think they do since they are throwing around the idea of a stand alone Corvette brand.It’s an opportunity to expand the Corvette brand and advertising is a necessary step to show off the product and to also showcase the key differences in power,speed and styling.GM can obviously do whatever they want,but this rollout seems to not be enough.
Regardless of however much Tesla is worth it is being led by a child.Musk is a smart guy but he acts like an unchecked frat boy who lobbies the rich and congressional people who are suckers for big tech that promises alot but delivers little.The Hyperloop is a brilliant invention and could be the future mass transit but their cars are oversold, overpriced and underperforming.Despite being worth alot of money they struggle to provide the orders for cars that they took.Money cannot solve everything, sometimes you just have to be organized and good at business.
Probably the most intricate way of saying Elon Musk is just a big mouth huckster. The Royal we are duly impressed