More LT5 Rumors

[Hib Halverson]

The 2018 ZR1 will not use a "6.3L LT5" engine.

The '18 ZR1 will be the "swan song" for the higher-performance versions of the C7. The engine will be a supercharged, 2-valve, pushrod 6.2L. As for 36.5-psi boost–I won't discount that, becasue it is possible, but if that's the boost number the engine will either have a pretty low static compression ratio or it will have a pretty damn large charge air cooling system.

As for 909-hp at 8000 and 600-lb/ft torque at 7950, if those are really the numbers, they'd tend to confirm that the engine is centrifugally supercharged as engines with hair-blowers typically make max. boost near max engine speed.

I'll guess that the centrifugally supercharged engine in the C7 ZR1 will be a lot easier to drive than the Roots blown LT4 in the C7 Z06. This is because the vast differences in the boost curves of Roots blown vs centrifugally blown engines.

As for the "new" LT5, it will be in the mid-engine car. I'm sticking to my long-time WAG on this. The car will be AWD. The new LT5 will be a DOHC version of the Gen V V8 of 550-600-hp and will drive the rear wheels. The front wheels will be driven by electricity–perhaps wheel motors of maybe 150-200-hp each for a total of 900-1000-hp to the ground.

On SIDI and VVT...both have been on Corvette since 2014.