Listen to the C8 Corvette Z06 Engine Under Moderate Throttle

C8 Corvette Z06 sounds nothing like the Stingray, increasing the likelihood of an all-new engine.

It is widely expected that when the C8 Corvette Z06 arrives, it will be powered by something a bit hotter than the LT2 in the Stingray. There have been rumors of new engines, including both forced induction and flat plane architecture. This video from GM Authority via the Motrolix YouTube channel supports one of those rumors, as the engine in action here definitely is not an LT2. Based on sound alone, it is clear that this Corvette is motivated by a new engine that probably doesn’t have pushrods.

Corvette at the Milford Proving Grounds

The camouflaged C8 Chevrolet Corvette shown in this video is caught on the road in Milford, Michigan. Milford is the home of General Motors Proving Grounds, and also where I live. It is common to see disguised test cars zipping around town, with the front entrance of the testing facility shown in the video being their destination. If you watch carefully, as the car straightens out from the turn, it passes the large sign that reads GM Milford Proving Grounds.

While the test facility is packed with different types of test tracks, Chevrolet and the other General Motors brands also use the rural roads of Milford for real-world testing. They test models from brands that aren’t sold in the United States, such as Vauxhall, as well. High profile cars like this Corvette Z06 often move around at night, but they do occasionally come and go during the day. In this case, the car is turning into the Milford Proving Grounds and accelerating up the long hill that hides the interior portion from the outside world.

Moderate Acceleration from the Z06

The video is short but sweet, showing what we believe to be the C8 Corvette Z06 speeding up the hill into the GM Proving Grounds. The car is heavily disguised in thick black camouflage, but this video isn’t about what we can see. The important part of this short clip is what we can hear.

As the mysterious Corvette pulls into the entry road of the facility, the driver climbs into the throttle. Right as the video begins, it sounds like the C8 shifts into second gear. The driver then gives it a little gas. The exhaust note is smooth and very high-pitched, which is completely unlike the sound of the LT2. The driver stays into it as the Z06 is nearly out of sight. There is one more shift before the clip ends. That shift is far too quick and smooth to come from a manual. This leads us to believe that a dual-clutch gearbox is in use here.

Based on the sound, we know that this Corvette Z06 is not powered by an LT2. It does sound like it could be a high-revving flat-plane V8, which could be the 5.5-liter LT6. If that is the case, this engine gets rid of the pushrods, opting instead for a dual overhead camshaft design. The flat-plane crankshaft design would lead to a high redline, allowing drivers like this one to let the engine scream.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com