Diving into the Specifics of the Chevy Corvette Engine Offerings

There are a variety of reasons why a customer may opt for the Chevy Corvette, whether the vehicle’s sportiness, elegance, or innovative design. However, the main reason why consumers are targeting this model is the incredible engine options, which deliver all of the power a driver could possibly want from a new sports car.

Of course, if you are in the market for a muscle car, you’ll surely want to understand more about these integral parts of the vehicle. It’s all well and good to read statements that the Corvette’s engines provide unmatched performance, but what does that ultimately mean? What specific parts of the unit contribute to these improved specs?

Below, we’ve considered the specifics of the engines that are offered with the 2017 Corvette, providing you with all of the insight you need. While we’d certainly suggest checking out the vehicle and taking it for a test drive before you make any commitments, we’re sure you’ll be itching to visit Chevy dealers in Ohio when you’ve finished reading…

Engine Technologies

Whenever you’re reading up on a particular vehicle’s engine, you’ll likely see the same terms thrown around: direct injection, variable valve timing, active fuel management. Sure, these inclusions are all well and good, as they presumably wouldn’t be included if they didn’t add some type of positive advantage to the car. However, what do all of these individual technologies actually provide to the driver? At least in regards to the 2018 Corvette Stingray, Grand Sport, and Z06, owners will find that these inclusions influence various aspects of the driving experience.

Nowadays, direct injection technology is a common addition to many engines. This technology injects the system’s gasoline directly into the engine’s cylinder, avoiding the maze-type path that it usually follows. This allows the engine to deliver the fuel more efficiently while also delivering improved combustion. As a result, drivers will find that torque and horsepower are boosted, while fuel efficiency is also maximized. For those seeking a clean commute, they’ll appreciate that direct injection also influences the exhaust emissions.

The high-pressure fuel pump combines with the direct injection technology to maximize efficiency. Mounted right inside the cylinder block (below the intake manifold), this part will help reduce any engine noise and vibration, resulting in a more relaxing driving experience. This particular technology also influences efficiency while maximizing power. Meanwhile, engineers took a rather innovative route when they were designing the pistons included in the LT1 and LT4 version, composing the parts of aluminum-alloy. This increases the pressure that’s generated via the “forced induction,” and the uniquely-designed head allows the direct injection technology to operate to its full potential.

Furthermore, the continuously variable valve timing has been expertly included by Chevy’s creative grouping of engineers. Utilizing a one-of-a-kind “dual-equal phaser,” the system is capable of adjusting the camshaft timing at the same rate for both the intake and exhaust valves. As a result, the system will need less RPM for torque and more RPM for horsepower (as it already should be in optimal settings), and it also plays a significant role in improving fuel efficiency.

Next, the Active Fuel Management is intended to maximize peak power when it’s actually needed, and it also manages the fuel efficiency when optimal muscle isn’t necessary. To find this happy medium, the system deactivates four of the cylinders when the car is operating under “lighter-load conditions” and it will utilize all eight cylinders when that power is truly needed.

Finally, the Dry-Sump Oil System is exclusively included in the Z06, Grand Sport, and the Stingray (when equipped with the Z51 Performance Package). This technological amenity pumps oil into the engine via the 9.8-quart tank that’s sitting in the engine bay. Thanks to the inclusion, the oil that flows to the most critical aspects of the car isn’t impacted by high g-force cornering. The accompanying eight oil-spraying jets combine with the system to reduce overall engine temperature, which will ultimately influence the system’s longevity.

Performance

If a customer finds themselves opting for the Stingray or Grand Sport, they’ll certainly appreciate all of the power that’s produced by the incredible 6.2-liter LT1 V8 engine. The system delivers an astonishing 460 horsepower and 465 pounds-feet of torque, and these specs obviously influence the unmatched 0-to-60 time of 3.6 seconds (3.7 seconds on the Stingray).

To help accommodate all of the engine’s power, engineers specifically designed the vehicle to provide optimal handling and control. The exclusive rear transaxle allows the car to operate on its optimal weight balance, leading to a much smoother and driver-friendly experience.

If customers opt for the Z06 version of the legendary muscle car, they’ll soon be appreciating the capabilities of the accompanying 6.2-liter LT4 supercharged V8 aluminum engine. The system pumps out a blistering 650 horsepower and 650 pounds-feet of torque, confirming the model’s racing identity. To help boost this performance, the brand included their integrated intercooler, which reduces the temperate of the air that the engine uses. Meanwhile, the supercharger will also displace up to 1.7 liters of fuel, and it subsequently combines with a four-lobe rotor design to help deliver optimal fuel efficiency. The brand also reduced the overall size of the engine, leading to a more compact and lighter configuration. This change positively influences every aspect of the car, including power and fuel efficiency.

Transmission

One of the most important aspects of a vehicle’s performance is the accompanying transmission options, but owners won’t have to worry when they opt for the Corvette. The brand offers a pair of systems that will help lead to a one-of-a-kind driving experience.

The eight-speed transmission relies on innovative steering wheel paddles to allow for manual control. This unique inclusion is preferable to the renowned dual-clutch/semiautomatic system, returning a smoother switching of gears. Meanwhile, the seven-speed manual clutch system includes a light-weight flywheel and rugged clutch, reducing the rattling that often accompanies these options

2020 Update

Mid-Engine Takes Performance Further

Although there was undoubtedly fantastic performance offered from the 2017 Corvette models, some fairly significant changes have occurred this year. These changes not only include differences in what’s available on the 2020 Chevy Corvette but the entire design of this legendary performance vehicle. The engineers at Chevrolet had reached the limit of how much power they could pack into a traditional Corvette to boost its performance. So a new direction was necessary to take performance to the next level: a mid-engine design.

The Mid-Vehicle Placement

Before we take a look at the specs of the engine in the 2020 Chevy Corvette itself, we need to take a moment to talk about another (arguably) just as important aspect of it: its position. We’re sure you know, but in a traditional vehicle, even a sports car or performance model, the engine is typically located at the front. This placement works well, but it places the heaviest single item in the vehicle at the front-end, which means there is a lot of weight at the front. The rest of the car then has to be designed to compensate for this, to distribute weight more evenly and make it run well.

The 2020 Chevy Corvette has shifted things by moving the engine from the front of the vehicle to the middle, in what’s known as a “mid-engine” design. This isn’t the first vehicle to utilize this sort of design, but it’s the first time we’ve seen it on a Corvette – even though the idea has been teased for decades. With a mid-engine placement, the weight of the engine is positioned more toward the center of the car, which makes balancing the rest of it much easier.

With the 2020 Chevy Corvette, the engine is actually located just a bit behind the middle, right behind the cabin. It’s placed above the rear wheels, which makes it easy for power to be sent from the engine to those wheels, since, like just about any other performance vehicle, it has RWD. With the engine and the weight well-placed in the body of the car, you get fantastic handling and precision on the road, since the Corvette isn’t constantly trying to compensate for a heavy front-end.

The 2020 Chevy Corvette Engine

But what about the engine itself? You could put a lawnmower engine into the middle of a vehicle, and it wouldn’t suddenly turn it into a groundbreaking sports car. Fortunately, the 2020 Chevy Corvette isn’t all about just the position of the engine; it also happens to have an incredibly powerful and impressive engine located in an innovative new spot.

There’s just one engine available right now, but when you have this much power at your disposal, you don’t need much more. It’s a 6.2L LT2 V8 engine that delivers up to 490 hp and 465 lb-ft of torque, paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that is quicker, smoother, and more responsive than any manual. If you want even more power, then there’s an available Performance exhaust package that boosts the output to up to 495 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque.

But what does all this power actually mean? Well, the 2020 Chevy Corvette has a top speed of up to 194 mph and can go from 0 to 60 in just 2.9 seconds. Keep those numbers in mind as we look at a few other Corvette options from Chevy.

Legacy Vehicles – 2019 Chevy Corvette Grand Sport

While the standard 2020 Chevy Corvette is an amazing performance vehicle that offers a level of power we’ve never truly seen before, there are also a few other options available. These are all 2019 models that you can still get, which have a traditional front-end engine placement but come with incredibly powerful engines. So let’s take a moment to look at these other options to get a sense of the entire Corvette lineup.

First, there’s the 2019 Corvette Grand Sport, which features an aerodynamic design and a powerful engine that makes it an absolute dream to drive. This beauty has a 6.2L LT1 V8 engine (you’ll notice that’s LT1 while the 2020 Corvette has an LT2 engine – the newer model has an advanced version) that provides up to 460 hp and up to 465 lb-ft of torque. This was a tremendous amount of power in 2019, but it does fall a bit short compared to the 2020 model.

With this engine, the Grand Sport can go from 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds. You can see, the 2020 Chevy Corvette is quite a bit faster off the line, and that dual-clutch automatic helps it move through gears incredibly fast.

Legacy Vehicles – 2019 Chevy Corvette Z06

Next up, we have the 2019 Corvette Z06, which is designed as the ultimate consumer performance vehicle from Chevy. The Z06 has some great features for hitting the track, but it is also designed for getting around town – you’ll catch a lot of jealous glances from other people while you’re at it. The 2019 Corvette Z06 is absolutely gorgeous and offers an incredible driving experience, due in large part to its spectacular engine.

Under the 2019 Chevy Corvette Z06’s hood, you’ll find a Supercharged Aluminum 6.2L V8 engine that delivers up to 650 hp and 650 lb-ft of torque. We are way beyond what the 2019 Corvette Grand Sport can do, and the horsepower and torque are significantly beyond what you can get in the 2020 Chevy Corvette. This comes paired with either a 7-speed manual or 8-speed automatic transmission, but it’s not a dual-clutch. Does this matter?

Thanks to the incredible power of the engine in the 2019 Chevy Corvette Z06, it can go from 0 to 60 in 2.95 seconds. While that’s certainly amazing, you’ll notice it’s ever-so-slightly slower than what the 2020 Chevy Corvette can do. This is due to the mid-engine design and the lightning-fast dual-clutch transmission, which come together to deliver the performance you just can’t find anywhere besides Chevrolet.

Legacy Vehicles – 2019 Chevy Corvette ZR1

Finally, we come to the 2019 Corvette ZR1, which is essentially a racecar available to the general public. Labeled as a supercar, and certainly worthy of that title, this is the most powerful Corvette available from Chevrolet. The price point on it is more than double that of the 2020 Chevy Corvette, but it delivers power that you just won’t get anywhere else.

You see, the 2019 Corvette ZR1 has a supercharged 6.2L V8 engine that delivers an incredible 755 hp and 715 lb-ft of torque. Yes, you read those numbers right – the power under the hood of this beast is truly staggering and hard to imagine if you’ve never driven it. The ZR1 is born for the track, and while you can get great features like a Bose premium sound system inside, there’s no denying that this beauty is all about power and performance.

Thanks to that amazing engine, the 2019 Corvette ZR1 tops out at 212 mph and can go from 0 to 60 in just 2.85 seconds. That’s the highest top speed of any Corvette available, and you can see it actually beats the 2020 Chevy Corvette in 0-to-60 time, but just barely. But look at those numbers – look at that horsepower and torque. That’s what it takes to beat the time of the mid-engine 2020 Corvette. Absolutely remarkable.

Are you ready to check out the Chevy Corvette for yourself? Then visit us at McCluskey Chevy today.