10 Reasons Why The Chevy Corvette Z06's Flat

Jun 08, 2024

Featuring a clean-sheet design, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06's flat-plane crank V8 is the pinnacle of engineering for naturally aspirated V8 engines.

Some enthusiasts might beg to differ, but we think the Chevy Corvette C8 Z06 is the best 'Vette you can buy right now. It's a part of the 8th generation model known as the Corvette C8, which is now considered a game changer in the sports car segment.

The Chevy Corvette Z06 sets a new bar in terms of streamlined aerodynamic design for a superfast land vehicle, and it has also set out to break a few records with regard to efficiency as well as the capability of production cars. Its stellar design and impeccable craftsmanship makes it one of the most beautiful cars of 2023.

That said, we believe the most insane thing about the Chevy Corvette Z06 is its engine, a flat-plane crank V8. Let's give you some reasons why it's an amazing piece of machinery.

We collated this list with information taken from Chevrolet, and other automotive sites that include Hagerty.

The C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 often leaves a lasting impression on anyone who’s lucky enough to get behind its wheels, and this is only down to the incredibly high level of craftmanship deployed into its production. Like other Corvette models before it, the C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 is also produced at General Motors Bowling Green Assembly located in Bowling Green, Kentucky, United States. Notably, the Bowling Green Assembly is the only plant in the world where Corvettes are manufactured, and since the factory was launched in 1981, it has seen the production of more than a million Corvettes. Also, the Bowling Green Assembly has the Chevrolet’s Performance Build Center and this is where each Z06’s LT6 are hand-built by Chevrolet's master engine builders, whose signatures are proudly inscribed on the intake manifold of each engine.

Performance engines aren’t the easiest to build, and it gets even harder to build V8 engines that are designed with flat-plane cranks due largely to intense vibration, among other things. Flat-plane cranks are usually deployed in the production of engines powering incredibly fast sports and racing cars, and they are ideal for getting the most out of an engine, performance-wise. However, flat-plane crank V8s are prone to ferocious vibration since they operate similarly to two four-cylinder engines that are strapped together. Therefore, to reduce the negative tendencies inherent in flat-plane crank V8s, manufacturers often try to keep their displacements as small as possible, often not exceeding 4.5 liters. Therefore, at 5.5 liters, the Chevy Corvette Z06's flat-plane crank V8 is the largest of its type ever fitted in a production car, even bigger than the Ford Mustang Shelby GT350's 5.2-liter Voodoo engine.

There are several naturally aspirated engines that'll last you a lifetime, and as a naturally aspirated production V8 that has been painstakingly designed and manufactured by Chevrolet, the Corvette Z06's flat-plane crank V8 is poised to join the ranks of those revered engines. Basically, a naturally-aspirated engine is an internal combustion engine that breathes air at atmospheric pressure rather than using forced induction mechanisms such as turbochargers and superchargers to boost performance. Even though the Z06’s engine was designed to be naturally aspirated, yet the thought of having a less powerful Corvette engine than the 650-hp LT4 in the preceding C7 Z06 was stuff of nightmares for Corvette’s engineers. Hence, the team got creative, using large twin plenums of the intake manifold among other measures, in getting maximum airflow into the LT6’s combustion chambers, resulting in an impressive output of 670 hp. This makes it the most potent production naturally aspirated V8 in the world.

Titanium now commands high prices and some gearheads believe the Aston Martin Valkyrie is to blame, and that might not be far from the truth. Often processed into glistering metal with low density and high strength, which is resistant to natural degradation elements, vehicle manufacturers have found great use for titanium in the automotive sector. Notably, titanium is used in fabricating automobiles parts that include exhaust systems, turbocharger rotors, brake caliper pistons, pins, clutch discs valves, valve springs, valve spring bearing seats, and connecting rods in engines among others. In building the Chevrolet Corvette Z06's flat-plane crank V8, Chevrolet engineers needed to keep weight down while using the strongest of materials, hence, the LT6’s connecting rods and intake valves were produced using titanium connecting rods.

American performance cars are starting to sing like an Italian opera, we also now know why American flat-plane crank engines sound meatier than European V8s. It’s the same with the Chevy Corvette Z06's flat-plane crank V8 engine, as the designers and builders apparently gave how it'll sound some thought when they opted to eliminate "air rush"—a noise that sounds like a jet engine and is typically brought on by intense turbulence in a muffler with acute angles. For a more desirable result, Corvette engineers created the muffler with shorter, smoother bends and the diameter was increased to 3 inches from 2-3/4 inches, thereby giving the sound waves a bigger space and reduced back pressure while moving through the pipe, resulting in the all-new Corvette Z06's perfect roar.

Most gearheads would rather have a manual gear in their sports cars, but as seen with this 2023 Toyota GR86, automatic transmission has its pros… and cons. That said, Chevrolet would rather see the positive side of things as the new Corvette Z06’s unusual V8 is mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission that drives the rear wheels. According to the company, it’s an upgraded version of the C8 Corvette Stingray’s Tremec TR9080 eight-speed dual-clutch transmission which features improved casing to withstand heavier lateral loads and upgraded clutch pack for better torque capacity. Furthermore, the transmission’s output shaft flanges have larger diameter for an improved support of the Corvette’s high-strength half shafts. The model also received a larger oil sump with track-ready transmission fluid while the final drive ratio was reduced to 5.56:1.

The lightning quick acceleration provided by the flat-plane crank V8 for the Chevy Corvette Z06 is another reason it’s a special engine. Great acceleration prowess is one of the most desired attributes in fast sports cars, and the Chevy Corvette Z06’s lightning quick acceleration capability is what many gearheads desire in their sports cars. Unlike its predecessor, the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 isn’t equipped with a supercharged mill, nonetheless, the all-new, naturally aspirated, rev-happy flat-plane-crank 5.5-liter LT6 V8 powering the iconic sports car is capable of an incredibly awesome performance. Notably, the model is able to accelerate from rest to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds and quarter-mile distance at 131.6 mph in 10.6 seconds. Also, with the model’s optional Z07 Performance Package, we even expect the acceleration to be quicker.

Undoubtedly, the Corvette Z06’s 5.5-liter naturally aspirated flat-plane crank V8 is the most formidable naturally aspirated V8 to power a production car. With up to 670 hp and 460 lb-ft of torque at its beck and call, not only is the engine able to propel the car from rest to 60 mph in only about 2.6 seconds, but it is also able to power the sports car to a top speed of 195 mph, even in its base form. According to Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter, while outright performance was put on the back-burner during the Z06's production, with more focus directed towards the production of a very engaging car for true driving enthusiasts, yet the car was able to outperform the Stingray, to the surprise of even the manufacturers. With little enhancements, it is expected to easily go over the 200-mph mark.

In the automotive sector, pickup trucks are often revered for their unmatched torque, however, there are several relatively new sports cars with really high torque as well. A rather important constituent of performance cars and every automobile in general, torque is the degree of force applied to make an object rotate about an axis, and it is quite significant in a car’s performance. The Chevy Corvette Z06's flat-plane crank DOHC V8 engine is able to crank out 670 hp at 8,500 rpm and 460 lb-ft of torque at about 6,300 rpm. Notably, to maximize low-end torque, Chevrolet fitted a three-valve and two-plenum intake on the engine’s sides for better breathe at high rpm.

Gearheads often get nerdy about the specs and sheer potential of certain cars they find interesting, and it's the same when anyone tries to explain the magic of a flat-plane crank in comparison with a cross-plane crank. Notably, a typical cross-plane crank V8 has smooth power delivery and outstanding torque characteristics since the cylinders fire once per 90 degrees of crank rotation. However, in the flat-plane V8, one cylinder is fired every 180 degrees of rotation, necessitating a crank and piston assembly that is primarily well-balanced and requires minimal counterbalance mass.

Also, the increased operational symmetry of flat-plane crank V8s allows for more effective tuning. The flat-plane crank has an even firing order and exhaust pulses that enter the exhaust system at equal intervals, as well as ideal induction conditions, as opposed to the uneven firing orders in cross-plane setups.

Right from childhood, Olakunle has been fascinated by cars, and as an adult, he's gotten neck-deep in the world of automobiles. Hence, he finds contributing to HotCars quite interesting – a surreal experience.