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New Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Expected Next Year As 2022 MY

We were waiting for the C8 Z06 for the 2021 model year, but the current situation has apparently pushed the roll-out date to 2021 for the 2022 model year. Also worthy of note, Chevrolet will switch to a flat-plane crankshaft V8 this time around – the LT6.
2022 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 21 photos
Photo: Jim Lill on Facebook
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Car & Driver doesn’t explain the backstory for the “early 2021” launch date in the motoring publication's report, nor does it go further into the “about $85,000” starting price. The LT5 designation of the engine in the C8.R and LT6 for the road-going model aren’t featured either, but then again, we all know that the supercharged LT4 has been ditched for natural aspiration.

Spied on video by a Facebook user in January 2020, the eight-cylinder blunderbuss of the Z06 definitely has a flat-plane crankshaft based on the sound it makes. What’s even more interesting is that the C8.R makes fewer ponies and torques than the upcoming Zee-Oh-Six.

The most conservative estimate for the crankshaft output is approximately 600 horsepower from 5.5 liters of displacement, 0.3 liters more than the Voodoo V8 of the Shelby GT350. Speaking of which, the high-revving pony is good for 526 horsepower, 429 pound-feet of torque, and a redline that screams to the tune of 8,250 revolutions.

“So you’re telling me the ‘Vette will rev as high as the Mustang or even higher?” I do, yes, and it’s easy to explain why. The dual-clutch transmission that Tremec supplies to General Motors for the Stingray has a maximum input speed of 9,000 rpm and a torque capacity of 664 pound-feet. In other words, the twin-turbo version of the LT6 – namely the LT7 - will need a stronger tranny because of the higher torque rating.

Not to be confused with the LTA – a.k.a. Blackwing – engine from Cadillac, the LT7 has its snails on each side of the engine. Word has it that Cadillac and Chevrolet were tasked with developing different twin-turbo V8 designs, and no, Chevrolet isn’t allowed to utilize Cadillac’s design. Given that the CT6-V and CT6 Platinum are no longer in production, it’s a bit of a shame the Blackwing has seen so few applications.

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About the author: Mircea Panait
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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.
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