The 2020 Corvette C8 stunned fans earlier this year
with a beautiful design, a high quality interior and a mid-engine layout. If
that wasn’t enough, the model costs under US$ 60,000 and features a 6.2-liter V8
engine that produces up to 495 hp and 637 Nm of
torque. Of course, there are more powerful variants on the horizon and one
first to arrive will be the next-generation Z06. Automobile Magazine says the
sports car will likely arrive in late 2021 as a 2022 model.
While it’s still a ways off, the car could be worth
the wait. The publication says the model will likely have a twin-turbo V8 that
is loosely based on Cadillac’s 4.2-liter Blackwing V8. In the CT6-V, it develops 550 hp and 867 Nm of torque.
The engine will be significantly revised for use in
the Corvette and it could be called the LT7. That remains unconfirmed and so
does the rumored output of 800 hp and 948+ Nm of
torque. While those numbers should be taken with a grain of salt, they’d be a
huge improvement over the outgoing Corvette Z06. That model has a supercharged
6.2-liter V8 developing 650 hp and 880 Nm of
torque.
Little else is known about the car, but the engine
could be paired to either the base model’s eight-speed dual-clutch automatic or
an all-new 10-speed dual-clutch gearbox. There’s even rumors of a manual
transmission, but we wouldn’t get our hopes up.
Besides the upgraded engine, there will be a host of
other performance tweaks. These could include carbon fiber body panels, an
aggressive aerodynamics package and wider fenders to accommodate fatter wheels.
We can also expect a sportier suspension and a handful of weight saving measures.
There’s no word on pricing, but the 2019 Corvette
Z06 starts at US$ 80,900 and it’s likely the redesigned model will cost several
thousand dollars more.
