The existing Corvette model from Chevrolet that is better known as the C7 in short is certainly a looker by all means, having patched up many of the other issues that older Corvettes have experienced. This does not mean that there should not be able kind of changes or advancements made to the current model so that the next model will be even better when it rolls off the production line, right? It looks like Chevrolet has certainly done their part to beef up the new model of Chevrolet’s signature sports car -- starting with one of the most important parts of any vehicle, the engine. The signature sports car from Chevrolet will soon have a brand new engine by the time 2018 rolls around, at least that is what some leaked General Motors service documents pointed out as discovered by The Drive.
This brand new engine will be known as the LT5, where it will be a 6.2-liter V8 monster. “What’s the difference?”, you ask. It might be similar to the engines that see action in existing Corvettes, but it will actually drop the pushrod valve actuation used ever since the Corvette entered mainstream consciousness for more than half a dozen decades ago, in favor of a dual-overhead camshaft layout -- otherwise known as DOHC.
Majority of the automobile manufacturers out there have decided to drop support for pushrods a long, long time ago, but General Motors has stubbornly bucked the trend -- and yet still managed to achieve some rather impressive performance figures with the existing range of V8 engines that is underneath the hood of each Corvette. However, DOHC would allow engines to rev more freely, and this provides the window of opportunity for engineers to have a wider power band to work with whenever they attempt to gain as much horsepower as possible from an engine. DOHC setups will also work a whole lot better when there is a variable valve timing system in place, further bringing a new level of improvement to power and efficiency.
As for the LT5, it will no doubt come with a totally different character from that of other Corvette engines. We could very well be looking at a greater degree of eagerness to rev as well as reduced low-end grunt. Should the rumors prove to be true, then the LT5 will have the distinction of being the second production Corvette engine that will not come with pushrods of any kind, with the first being built by Mercury Marine that saw action in the 1990 to 1995 ZR-1.
With the new LT5 engine in tow, it might even be the beginning of a new era for the Corvette, as Chevrolet is said to be developing a mid-engined version of their iconic sports car. Such a design will do its job to overcome any kind of perceived performance limitations that are found in the current generation of front-engined design. Does this mean the Corvette is going to close the performance gap on higher, upmarket rides like Ferrari and Lamborghini? Only time will tell, so let us keep on waiting fro 2018 to arrive.
