As you’re well aware, the LT2 engine in the midship Corvette is different yet surprisingly similar to the LT1 in the seventh-generation sports car. It’s a pushrod V8 as before, it displaces 6.2 liters as before, yet it breathes better thanks to a bigger and taller intake manifold.
The small-block motor also features equal-length intake runners as opposed to unequal units on the C7. Other areas of interest include the throttle body, exhaust, and the camshaft profile. Last, but certainly not least, the LT2 comes standard with dry-sump lubrication.
Both the newcomer and the older engine utilize a cross-plane crankshaft, translating to the uneven firing order that makes American V8s sound… well, American. Though reliable, this setup doesn’t like high revolutions per minute like those screamin’ Italian V8s.
This gets us to something called a flat-plane crankshaft, which makes the Shelby GT350 sound like no other Mustang in production today. Team Corvette is currently developing FPC engines for the Z06 and ZR1, the next levels up from the 2020 Stingray.
Instead of waiting for Chevy to roll out the aspirated LT6 and turbo LT7, a tuning shop in Houston decided to convert the LT2 to the more exotic design. “You may not have heard, but we are teaming up with the best of the best in the industry to build a fire-breathing, soul-snatching, high-revving flat-plane crank monster,” said Alex Vincent Peitz.
The owner of Peitz Performance Tunes has also published a photograph of the pistons that will go into the FPC LT2, provided by Diamond Pistons. Winberg Crankshafts, Dyers Top Rods, and Late Model Engines are also listed as project partners by the shop’s owner.
Alex has also mentioned that he’s targeting “400 cubes on this engine,” referring to the displacement in cubic inches. Converted to the metric system, that would be 6.55 liters and change.
Upgrades to the rotating assembly, cylinder heads, and valvetrain should also be in the pipeline although nothing is known about them at the time of reporting. Still, the question is what can we expect from the flat-planed LT2 in terms of aural pleasure and engine speeds?
Two years ago, a C6 Corvette Z06 with a flat-plane LS7 was listed on eBay with a redline of 8,250 rpm and 560 horsepower. Someone bid $35,306 on the car, but failed to meet the reserve. In March 2019, the FPC Z06 eventually sold on Bring a Trailer for $30,000.
One more piece of the puzzle has arrived for our shop C8 from @diamondpistons! You may not have heard, but we are...
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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