Photo: Stefan Baldauf/SB-Medien
New year, new me! That appears to be the case with the C8 Corvette, which will premiere in California ten days from now on. Along with the switch to a mid-engine configuration, General Motors has also worked hard to improve the fifth generation of the small-block V8 engine.
Generation V went official in 2013 with the LT1 in the Corvette Stingray, capable of 455 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque out of the box. The Z51 Performance Package that adds the NPP high-performance exhaust system to the C7 levels up the eight-cylinder engine to 460 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of tire-shredding goodness.
GM Authority reports the LT2 is – as expected – an evolution of the LT1 with upgrades to both the Active Fuel Management system and valvetrain. AFM can shut off half of the engine’s cylinders under light-load driving conditions, thus improving fuel economy.
Given that the small-block V8 in the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 can be specified with Dynamic Fuel Management, we’re inclined to think that General Motors could’ve done better with the LT2. DFM allows the 6.2-liter powerplant to operate in 17 different patterns, meaning that one cylinder does the work in the most fuel economy-minded scenario.
Citing sources familiar with Chevrolet, the publication further reports a displacement of 6.2 liters (376 cubic inches), overhead valves (pushrod configuration), direct injection, and variable valve timing. All this info has been already confirmed in March 2019 by a dealership in Canada with access to the RPO codes of the C8 Corvette.
GM Authority estimates the output of the LT2 to range between 480 and 500 horsepower, and we wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case at the grand reveal on July 18th. A seven-speed DCT will do the shifting in either auto or manual mode with the help of steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and no manual option has been reported so far. Given the cabin design of the C8 Corvette and high-performance nature of a mid-engine layout, we’re inclined to believe the three-pedal setup is gone for good.
A more exotic engine option is under development, but heaven knows when the twin-turbo V8 will be introduced to the C8 Corvette. A hybridized powertrain – which could be called E-Ray as per a trademark from 2015 – is also expected with close to 1,000 horsepower.
GM Authority reports the LT2 is – as expected – an evolution of the LT1 with upgrades to both the Active Fuel Management system and valvetrain. AFM can shut off half of the engine’s cylinders under light-load driving conditions, thus improving fuel economy.
Given that the small-block V8 in the Chevrolet Silverado 1500 can be specified with Dynamic Fuel Management, we’re inclined to think that General Motors could’ve done better with the LT2. DFM allows the 6.2-liter powerplant to operate in 17 different patterns, meaning that one cylinder does the work in the most fuel economy-minded scenario.
Citing sources familiar with Chevrolet, the publication further reports a displacement of 6.2 liters (376 cubic inches), overhead valves (pushrod configuration), direct injection, and variable valve timing. All this info has been already confirmed in March 2019 by a dealership in Canada with access to the RPO codes of the C8 Corvette.
GM Authority estimates the output of the LT2 to range between 480 and 500 horsepower, and we wouldn’t be surprised if that were the case at the grand reveal on July 18th. A seven-speed DCT will do the shifting in either auto or manual mode with the help of steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, and no manual option has been reported so far. Given the cabin design of the C8 Corvette and high-performance nature of a mid-engine layout, we’re inclined to believe the three-pedal setup is gone for good.
A more exotic engine option is under development, but heaven knows when the twin-turbo V8 will be introduced to the C8 Corvette. A hybridized powertrain – which could be called E-Ray as per a trademark from 2015 – is also expected with close to 1,000 horsepower.
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