- a video posted to youtube by corvetteblogger.com shows chevy testing upcoming mid-engine c8 corvette prototypes alongside a ferrari 458 italia and a porsche 911 gt2 rs.
- we suspect that both the z06 and zr1 (center exhaust) models are seen here.
- both will use a flat-plane-crank 5.5-liter v-8 engine. the z06's will be naturally aspirated, and the zr1's will have a pair of turbochargers.
chevy was seen testing some upcoming higher-performance 'vettes in ohio alongside a ferrari 458 italia and the porsche 911 gt2 rs. these upcoming c8 corvette models will use a flat-plane-crank v-8 engine rather than the base model's cross-plane-crank 6.2-liter v-8. and you'll want to skip to 1:56 in the video above to hear this exciting new engine rev up a bit.
the z06 will use a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter flat-plane-crank v-8 that should rev to between 8500 and 9000 rpm and make over 600 horsepower. it makes sense that chevy is benchmarking it against the 458 italia because it also has a flat-plane v-8. we think that the 911 gt2 rs, which is powered by a 700-hp twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter flat-six, joined the party because the c8 corvette zr1 was also there. it's expected to use a twin-turbo version of the 5.5-liter. in the previous c7 generation, both models used supercharged v-8s.
these cars are heavily camouflaged, but we suspect that the ones seen with the center quad-tip exhaust are zr1s. both should also look a lot more aggressive than the standard stingray, with wider fenders, different wheels, and added aero, which should include rear wings not seen on these prototypes.
a hybrid model will also join the mix, using the twin-turbo 5.5-liter v-8 in conjunction with a front-mounted electric motor, and it could approach 1000 horsepower. hopefully we'll know more about these upcoming c8 derivatives soon because we want to do more than just daydream about ripping to 9000 rpm in a mid-engine corvette.