Rumors are swirling regarding newly surfaced sightings of a Corvette prototype on social media. It has a wide body like the C8 E-Ray and C8 Z06, and a Carbon Aero Z06 wing, but it’s saddled with emissions testing equipment.
Some are speculating that this is an early look at a C8 Grand Sport, which would be slotted between the Stingray and E-Ray in the C8 lineup. However, we think it’s more likely a hybrid Corvette E-Ray using a prototype of the next-generation GM Small Block V8 that will eventually replace the 6.2L V8 LT2. The LT2 is the base engine in the Corvette Stingray and the ICE V8 that serves as the heart of the E-Ray’s hybrid powertrain.
In early 2023, GM announced a $579 million investment in the Flint Engine plant in Michigan for the next generation of the Small Block V8. However, General Motors has yet to actually announce or debut the next-gen engine. Sources familiar with the matter have told GM Authority that the Gen 6 Small Block V8 will be available in the next-generation GM full-size trucks, namely the Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra, which are due for the 2027 model year. These truck engines are expected to include a naturally aspirated V8 for the 1500 trucks, a plug-in hybrid setup, and a high-displacement variant for the gas versions of HD trucks.
However, new generations of the Small Block V8 have historically been introduced in the Corvette, with other applications following. This could still be the case with the Gen 6 Small Block V8, but just barely. We aren’t expecting any new engines in the Corvette lineup for the 2026 model year. It’s possible the 2027 model year will bring a new engine to the Corvette Stingray and E-Ray alongside truck applications in redesigned Silverado and Sierra models. Naturally, the next-gen Small Block will eventually make its way to GM’s full-size SUVs like the Chevy Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, GMC Yukon, and Cadillac Escalade.
2027 Chevy Silverado prototype
Based on what we know so far about the next generation of the Small Block V8, it will improve refinement, efficiency, power, and torque while continuing to use a 90-degree V angle and an overhead valve (pushrod) design.
“As we refresh these trucks, we continue to make strong improvements in ICE efficiency and performance,” GM President Mark Reuss said at a 2024 Investor Day presentation. “Our next generation of full-size trucks coming soon will see a four to six [percent] efficiency improvement at launch over the mid-cycle enhancement of 2022, and this is 10 to 12 percent better efficiency-wise over the previous generation, which debuted in 2019, so these are big efficiency improvements.” We hope to see this prediction come to fruition and for the Corvette Stingray and E-Ray to reap similar benefits.
Comments
All this pollution stuff is a hoax. I straight pipe all of my cars and remove all them hoses. I run 100LL from the airport and the Misses Caddy and my Silverado run like stink. When I was a wee young’in I had a T-1000 and my buddy taught me how to straight pipe it. Best lesson ever.
Ya know, there was a time where I would’ve easily recognized this as satire… today, however, I’m sitting here hoping it is. FML.
You really want to save the environment do this turn the AC down in your house, install all LED light bulbs, don’t waste electricity, and finally when you drive try to make all stops in one trip. Please don’t make fun of the V8 we don’t need a twin turbo V6 but the hybrid option I like a lot.
Why? I don’t want to live like a cave dweller. Crank the heat and AC! See my breath inside when it’s 110. This is America! With my Trumpy Bear we’re going to drill baby drill. We are going to win. It will be beautiful. You’ll see.
Drill for oil yes but we can still stop wasting our resources. I don’t want to talk politics but guess who I support ( read my first sentence) . If we show all these environmentalists that we can have oil, natural gas and other forms of power and everything will be just fine!
Uhhh, no.
If you really care, you need to get rid of all the liberal control in our big cities. We got whole blocks of major metropolitan areas because the c0mmies ran out the buisnesses with regulatory abuse, high taxes and bad zoning. Then ruined the schools and made the streets unsafe so all the workers left. They all now commute for an average of 45 min vs 15 before, now own 2 acres instead of 1, and to tend those extra acres, they now realize a big truck is a handy tool and inst impossible to park everywhere.
Course the green movement is all about control anyways and not common sense solutions. That’s why they shut down atomic power back in the 50’s. Man, where could we be if the greenies weren’t power hungry control fre@ks.
@Steve 29: you must have been born in 1929. Even for that era you are too extreme. And you are not a Republican, you are an extremist. And do not label me as a liberal because I am not. I hope there are enough common sense Republicans to weed out the extremists from their ranks.
We would be in a lot better shape if we’d built more nukes. In order to run a modern society, you have to have reliable, dispatchable power and lots of it. We aren’t going to get that from sunlight or wind. I’m wondering a little bit whether there is one particular area that GM is looking for increases in fuel efficiency and if so, what it might be. Hopefully they figured out how to do it without DOD and with HP.
Well, please learn to read, never called you a liberal, but doesn’t change the fact the dumbocrat party has been the #1 preliforator of environmental and humanity destruction of this last century, from endless w@re to stopping atomic power and destroying cities, their demise is the best thing mother Earth could get for a present.
That said, I more align as a classical liberal than even an early 1900 conservative. Smart, intelligent central planning is what turned NY into the empire state. From NYC zoning that promoted small business and industrial growth to the Erie canal, simply getting the right people in these cities would allow them to do a complete 180.
Mke,
If I had to guess, it’s VVL. They’re saying a 4-6% increase across the lineup, but the 2.7 and 3.0 are remaining unchanged, so that means the V8’s are probably getting a 8-12% efficiency boost.
VVL would do that. When the 2013 Malibu introduced GM’s sliding cam VVL the 2.5 I4, identical to the 2.5 from 2012 except the VVL, saw a 15% efficiency increase, so that’s my bet. The different cam profiles also will allow for them to put in a really hot cam for the high lift mode while still maintaining a silky idle and emissions. A cam swap on a Chevy is good for up to 100 HP no other mods. Probably an additional 50HP for the truck engines and 30 for the Corvette engine. GM’s announcement of the 6th gen was primarily block and cam, so we’re going to see some wizardry there.
Besides that GM announced investment into the intakes. We might see active Intake across the whole line, so we’ll also get a fantastically flat torque curve more reminiscent of a super charger.
Better put 0W-30 oil in at the factory.
Its a no brainer the EPA and CAFE standards are the double edge sword here ! The earth has jet streams !We all breath the same air but the U.S has some of the most strict emission standards and cost consumers $ billions a year with the costs and reliability passed on to the consumer ! While china and other countries are building coal fired power plants like theres no tomorrow its not a level playing field ! If you want to save earth stop treating it like crap and be more responsible ! Unless every country had stricter emission regulations then it would be fair but that will probably never happen in our lifetime !
China is moving very rapidly to a green economy, and is leaving the US behind. Plus, it is kind of unfair to blame China for all their pollution, since we exported all of our industry to them. What is inevitable is that the world WILL go green. it is already happening. We need to keep up with it
Hmmm, seems like this tread has drifted off subject. I think the contraption shown in the picture is the worlds fast moving still. 😁
Nobody wants a plug in hybrid Corvette. Even Ferrari, who sells everything they badge, is seeing that their 296 car is poorly received, the used market is flooded with people flipping out of them quickly. Used F8 prices actually exceed the 296 in some cases.