Massive surge of 650 horsepower (485 kW) @ 6,400 rpm and 650 lb-ft (881 Nm) peak torque at 3,600 rpm is forced out of Corvette Z06’s LT4 6.2L V-8 supercharged engine. Torque curve takes a very steep hike from idling and reaches higher readings compared to other super car hearts like the V-12 in Ferrari F12 Berlinetta and that of Porsche 911 Turbo S’. New LT4 engine in Chevy Corvette Z06 delivers 40 percent more peak torque than the prior generation Corvette’s 7.0L LS7 engine.
“Torque is the pulling power of an engine and the LT4’s abundance of it at every rpm in the engine’s speed range helps the 2015 Corvette Z06 accelerate quicker and respond nearly instantaneously,” said Jordan Lee, chief engineer for Small Block engines. “It’s the very definition of power on demand.”
“The LT4 Small Block sets a new benchmark for power and torque at GM,” said Steve Kiefer, vice president, GM Powertrain Engineering. “The engine also puts the new Corvette Z06 on par with the most powerful supercars offered in America, while delivering performance with impeccable manners that make it suitable for daily driving.”
New LT4 engine in 2015 Chevy Corvette Z06 is assembled at the new Performance Build Center at General Motor’s Bowling Green Assembly Plant and at GM’s Tonawanda engine plant in New York. The engine is fitted with a standard seven-speed manual gearbox or a new paddle-shift 8-speed automatic transmission, that is built in Toledo, Ohio. This is the first time Z06 comes with auto transmission, and is designed to offer shift responses comparable to best dual clutch transmissions in the world.
“The new LT4 engine builds on the design strengths of our previous supercharged engine and leverages the technologies introduced on the Corvette Stingray – direct injection, cylinder deactivation and continuously variable valve timing – to take Corvette performance to an all-new plateau,” said Lee. “Our new, very compact supercharger also helps the engine make power more quickly, and perhaps more importantly, it helps produce more torque earlier in the rpm band.”
“It’s also worth mentioning that the LT4’s supercar performance numbers are achieved with an engine that is nearly the same size as the very compact LT1 engine introduced in the 2014 Corvette Stingray,” Lee said. “The power density of the LT4 makes it one of the smallest and lightest 650-hp engines in the industry.”
