A gentleman with access to the GM parts catalog has confirmed what everyone and their dog expected from the all-new ZR1. Closely related to the naturally-aspirated LT6 in the 2023 model year Z06, the LT7 of the ZR1 is a twin-turbocharged affair with a displacement of 5.5 liters.
The GM parts catalog lists it with AFM, which stands for Active Fuel Management. As per a source who spoke with Mid Engine Corvette Forum admin and founder John, that’s incorrect. Considering that General Motors doesn’t offer AFM in the LT6, the LT7 shouldn’t have it either.
On the other hand, we could be wrong. General Motors could have integrated Active Fuel Management by switching from a flat-plane crankshaft to a cross-plane unit, but why? This fuel-saving technology doesn’t have a place in a high-performance application, let alone the higher-performing sibling of the LT6.
As for the elephant in the room, do you remember how the Ford Motor Company switched from the flat-plane crankshaft of the Shelby GT350 to a cross-plane unit for the Shelby GT500? There are plenty of reasons for this change, though, including the Roots-type supercharger.
Superchargers are connected to the engine’s crankshaft by means of a belt, while turbos require plenty of exhaust pressure for spooling. In other words, totally different ways of producing more power.
Photo: Baldauf
Expected to sticker at $130K and change, Chevrolet’s most powerful road-going Corvette has also been confirmed with an eight-speed transmission of the dual-clutch transaxle variety. Most likely supplied from Tremec, said transmission bears RPO code M1K. There’s no information whatsoever on this box, although it’s most certainly related to the M1M in the Z06, MLH in the E-Ray, and the M1L in the Stingray.
All three are members of the TR-9080 family, and – believe it or not – Tremec also supplies a version of the TR-9080 to Maserati for the MC20 supercar. As opposed to 8,600 revolutions per minute for the Z06, the MC20 is much obliged to reach 8,000 revolutions per minute. Also worthy of note, Maserati uses a twin-turbo V6 mill with Ferrari know-how rather than an eight-cylinder lump.
Even if the ZR1 gets a cross-plane crankshaft, you can look forward to anything between 800 and 850 horsepower. That means the C8-gen ZR1 would replace the C7-gen ZR1 as the most powerful series-production Corvette of all time, only to lose its crown to the Zora. Expected in 2025 for model year 2026 at the earliest, the Zora is best described as ZR1 x E-Ray because it combines the LT7 engine with a front-mounted electric motor to produce in the ballpark of 1,000 horsepower.
What’s next after the C8? Rather than going fully electric, the C9 is understood to premiere in 2028 for model year 2029 with GM’s next-generation small block. General Motors announced an investment of $854 million into the production of the sixth-gen small block in January 2023. In addition to the C9, this new engine family will also power the next-gen Silverado and Sierra trucks.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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