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Chevrolet Z06—A Look Inside The 670 HP LT6 DOHC Beast

Chevrolet Z06—A Look Inside The 670 HP LT6 DOHC Beast


 
Chevrolet has been impressive in NMCA competition, with a multitude of Bow Tie-powered race winners and national champions running a wide range of Chevy engines, from classic small- and big-block, to the latest LS and LSX powerplants. And with the release of the all-new LT6 V8 that will power the 2023 Z06 Corvette, things are about to get even hotter.
 
We got an inside look at the dual-overhead cam V8 at the recent North American International Auto Show in Detroit and what we saw was simply amazing. According to Chevrolet, “The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is designed and engineered to act as a precision tool for the track. It has striking appearance, sound and tactile feel that is the result of intense focus by engineers and designers. With new, wider sculpted front and rear fascia designs that define a confident stance and exotic proportions and a luxuriously appointed interior, the Z06 is the ultimate supercar experience.”
 
The heart of any performance car is the engine, and Chevrolet infused the Z06 with the best naturally aspirated V8 GM has ever developed. “Corvette has always brought a discerning customer to the Chevy family,” said Steve Hill, vice president of Chevrolet. “This new Z06 was designed and engineered to set a higher bar with increased levels of craftsmanship, personalization and performance so customers can truly have their own bespoke performance car.”
 


Powering the track capable Vette is an all-new 5.5L LT6, which is also the highest horsepower, naturally aspirated V-8 ever to sit in a production car. Attributes includes an all-new flat-plane crankshaft design, quad cams and a dual-plenum intake manifold that will enable drivers to experience 670 hp with a rev range that soars to 8,600 rpm!
 
Chevy used a clean sheet of paper to design the engine, with the goal of exceeding the power of any naturally aspirated production V-8 engine ever made. The key to the LT6’s performance capability is a lightweight, low-inertia rotating assembly rooted in an all-new flat-plane crankshaft that, along with a comparatively short stroke, allows the engine to rev to its maximum range. A version of the LT6 has powered the C8.R race cars since 2019, and the rigors of endurance road racing helped engineers refine the engine’s performance and durability.
 


LT6 Special Features
• All-new aluminum cylinder block casting with the Small Block engine family’s signature 4.4-inch (111.76 mm) bore spacing
• All-new dual-overhead-camshaft cylinder head design with fully CNC-machined combustion chambers and intake ports, supporting a mechanical “finger follower” valvetrain
• Dual-coil valve springs to support titanium intake and sodium filled exhaust valves
• Forged aluminum pistons and forged titanium connecting rods for low mass and high strength 
• Distinctive Edge Red camshaft covers
• All-new active split intake manifold with twin 87 mm throttle bodies
• All-new six-stage dry-sump oiling system with individual crank bay scavenging
• Four-into-two-into-one stainless steel exhaust headers
• 670 hp at 8,400 rpm (GM tested per SAE J1349)
• 460 lb-ft (623 Nm) of torque @ 6,300 rpm (GM tested per SAE J1349)
• The LT6 is hand assembled by master engine builders at the Performance Build Center within the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky. Builders use precision tooling and hand fit pieces of the engine to meet Chevrolet’s exact specifications. Each engine features a plaque on the intake manifold with the signature of the technician who crafted it from start to finish. 
• The LT6 is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission with a specific, “shorter” 5.56 final drive ratio compared to the Corvette Stingray, which enhances acceleration capabilities.


 
 

 





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