[RUMOR] C8 Corvette Z06 Will Have a Flat-Plane Crank Twin Turbo V8

By
Mitch Talley
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[RUMOR] C8 Corvette Z06 Will Have a Flat-Plane Crank Twin Turbo V8


The upcoming C8 Corvette Z06 will have a flat-plane-crank twin-turbo dual-overhead-cam V8, at least that’s the word from Motor Trend today.

The magazine says “a deep source on the Corvette team” has confirmed the new Z06 will borrow the twin-turbo engine from the upcoming C8.R race car.

“Everyone thinks it will be a small block, but it won’t be,” the source reportedly told Motor Trend. “Listen to the race car.”

Indeed, in a comparison of the sounds from the current C7.R car, which has a known cross-plane-crank V8, and a camouflaged C8.R testing at Sebring, Motor Trend believes there is a significant difference.

Writes the magazine: “The C8.R exhibits an entirely different exhaust note, one consistent with a flat-plane-crank engine design. Key characteristics to listen for: a higher-pitched exhaust note, a consistent exhaust note without the pushrod’s staccato bass line, higher RPM than a pushrod motor typically reaches characterized by longer times between upshifts, and lightning quick downshifts wherein the engine spins up to higher RPM much faster than a pushrod engine.”

MT points out that flat-plane-crank engines have key advantages for racing, including smaller, lighter crankshafts that spin up faster than cross-plane-crank V8s and lose less power to rotational inertia, plus improved performance and combustion efficiency because of better exhaust scavenging (which pulls the last exhaust gases out of a cylinder faster with reflected pressure waves).

The drawback to FPC engines, however, is balance problems as FPC V8s have only half of their vibrations cancelled out naturally, causing vibrations that only worsen as the speed climbs. “Aside from being annoying in the cockpit, vibrations can damage components or cause them to wear out more quickly,” MT notes.

Even though Cadillac President Steve Carlisle has insisted that the Corvette would get its cross-plane-crank Blackwing powerplant “over my dead body,” Motor Trend says the new design could just be a Chevrolet adaptation that would be upsized and switched to flat-plane-crank.

“It’s likely to have a lot in common with Cadillac’s engine, but with enough different to make it a game of semantics,” MT believes.

Chevy has already said the C8.R race car will be unveiled later this fall. Says Motor Trend: “When it does, take a good look under the engine cover, because what you see there is what you’ll be getting in the next Z06, and it won’t have pushrods.”


Source:
MotorTrend.com

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7 COMMENTS

  1. For once, I actually find this MT C8 story believable. It would make sense, given the layout of the car. But, I more or less see a flat planed turbo V8 plant being in a ZR1, with a Z06 possibly doing a supercharged variant of the LT2. Fun times ahead!

  2. Some time ago when this clip first surfaced it was very clear this was not a small block, as the pitch and revs were too high. Now, whether this particular car is turbocharged, or not is difficult to say…however, definitely would bet it’s a flat plane crank V8. With a small displacement V8, I’d bet on the twin turbos! JB

  3. It sure won’t win any awards for the sound of that engine. Sounds like an import V-6 NOT a deep base bellow of a Chevy push rod V-8 Reminds of the guys who buy Camaro and Mustangs and get them with V-6’s and a loud exhaust and really think they have something there.

  4. Cadillac president Steve Carlisle firmly stated “Over my dead body,” when asked whether other General Motors divisions would get access to the Blackwing V8 engine which means Carlisle is willing to resign as Cadillac president, someone at Chevy will commit murder or possibly that the C8 Corvette Z06 is powered by a Twin-Turbo LT2 6.2L V8.

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