It is undeniable that the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has an extremely powerful engine. In fact, the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 LT5 can be considered as one of the best engines that GM manufactured throughout its history.
This time, the site GM Authority revealed some of the new details regarding the V8 LT5 Engine of the C7 ZR1.
Let’s start with the basics. This engine is capable of producing up to 755 horsepower and 715 lb-feet of torque on its base form. These figures are twice as powerful as the standard form of the C8 Corvette. If equipped with the ZR1 Performance Exhaust, the numbers can scale from 755 horsepower to 772. Keep in mind that such an output is outstanding. It represents that for every cubic inch of the engine, two horsepower is produced.
The V8 LT5 engine was an upgrade of the 6.2-liter V8 LT4, which was equipped with the Corvette C7 Z06, 2017 Camaro ZL1, and the third generation of the Cadillac CTS-V. There are notable changes upon the development of the engine, which includes a new Twin Vortices Series supercharger. The latter spins slowly but offers a higher displacement output. Because of this, the peak boost of the engine cranked from 9.4 PSI to 14 PSI.
The bigger supercharger in the V8 LT5 engine only requires one horsepower of the engine to turn it while cruising. But the number increased to 110 horsepower when it’s running at the highest air flow and boost. Meanwhile, the LT4 supercharger has a lower parasitic loss–only 94 horsepower. However, the LT5 compressor only takes 16 horsepower so that it can generate an additional 100 horsepower on its output.
The monstrous performance of the LT5 engine is also due to the presence of two big intercoolers. It doubled the charge-air heat rejection of the engine. Keep in mind that engines can only benefit from the cool air. Therefore, these intercoolers are exceptionally important.
Furthermore, two muffler valves can be opened every time the Corvette C7 ZR1 is driven at high-speeds. It also generates exhaust trails from the car, which create flames that can be visible in low-light conditions.
With these capabilities, it is not surprising anymore that the Corvette C7 ZR1 can achieve the top speed of 212 miles per hour.
