This Is How the Corvette's First Mid-Mounted V8 Was Developed

The Corvette has been around since the ’50s and has become the most recognizable American sports car of all time. From the big screen to the most famous racetracks, the fabled car has done it all.

After decades of experimenting with mid-engine prototypes, the first production Chevy to feature such a layout made its official debut on July 18, 2019. The media event was held at the Kennedy Space Center and coincided with the 50th anniversary of NASA’s Apollo 11 mission.

Continuing the Corvette’s legacy of using small-block V8s, the newly developed LT2 that powers the innovative C8 is a considerable upgrade over the previous generation’s LT1 engine.

There are few similarities between the two powerplants, like the 6.2-liter displacement and the fact that both are naturally aspired V8s, but the LT2 had to be completely redesigned to fit in the new mid-engine layout.

Since forward visibility over a big engine was something that they did not have to worry about anymore, the Chevy engineers were able to take more liberties with the engine construction.

They designed a new intake manifold and expanded its volume from 11.1 liters to 14.1 liters. Its runners are now the same length, a feat that was not possible with the LT1.

This helps deliver more power at higher RPMs, with Chevrolet stating that the new design of the manifold increases its performance by three percent compared to that of the LT1.

Another redesigned part of the engine is the camshaft, which features a different profile. Likewise, the exhaust valve lift has been increased by one millimeter in order to match the intake lift and allow the added flow to be fully converted into power.

A new wide-range air-fuel sensor (WRAF) was also added to allow the engine to run smoothly at idle with the modifications made to the valve lift. This gives the Corvette a docile, faint idle sound that lets loose and fully morphs into a beasty growl when the gas pedal is pressed.

Aiding the beautiful noise the C8 makes is a completely redesigned exhaust. It uses new 4 in 1 headers and the primary runners are now almost identical in length.

New catalytic converters have been added and the new Corvette uses one per bank instead of the two used by the C7’s LT1. Due to the use of the new WRAF sensor, the catalyst light-off is faster and emissions are reduced by 25%.

To allow for better lubrication of the engine, especially at high speeds, a new dry-sump oil system is added to the LT2. This means superior lubrication, better oil pressure while requiring less oil which makes the engine lighter.

With all these features the LT2 can achieve 495 hp (369 kW) at 6450 RPM while delivering 470 lb.-ft (637 Nm) of torque at 5150 RPM. This means that the most powerful C8 Corvette, the Z51 can sprint from a standstill to 62 mph (100 kph) in a supercar worthy 2.9 seconds.

The 2021 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray is available with the same starting prices as the introductory model, with MSRP starting at $59,995 for the coupe version and $67,495 for the convertible.