The eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette has finally made the transition from a front to a mid-engine layout, after decades of concepts and rumors. It seems to have paid dividends already as, despite other issues like quality plaguing the first production year, the C8 Stingray's performance with only 490-495 horsepower is already better than that of the old 755-hp C7 Corvette ZR1 in a straight line. The platform has huge potential, but in the midst of delays in production relating to the coronavirus that could see the Corvette Convertible pushed back to 2021, new information has surfaced about the future plans for the Corvette, courtesy of Hagerty. A leaked document has surfaced which appears to confirm the pre-virus timeline for all forthcoming derivatives of the Corvette, along with the planned engine and estimated power outputs of each.
2021 was the planned release year for the RHD Corvette for foreign markets like Great Britain, Japan, and Australia, but with figures matching the current US Stingray, this wasn't the model that piqued our interest. The year 2022 did, however, as that's when we're due to see a new Corvette Z06.
The Z06 is to be powered by a 5.5-liter DOHC LT6 V8 - a flat-plane crank V8 that we've already heard in action - and which is suspected to be the same V8 as found in the C8.R racecar. While it develops in excess of 500 hp in current racing form, this number is expected to swell to 650 hp in Z06 form, with torque pegged at 600 lb-ft. Naturally, a Grand Sport will follow, with chassis improvements inherited from the Z06, but with less power. The Grand Sport will get an uprated version of the LT2 currently found in the Stingray, with estimated outputs of 600 hp and 500 lb-ft on tap.
Two models originally slated for arrival in 2024 and 2025 respectively will fully embrace the mid-engined 'Vette's new-found balance and agility. The hardcore ZR1 will receive a new twin-turbo version of the flat-plane crank 5.5-liter V8 expected to deliver 850 hp and 825 lb-ft of torque, while in 2025, the Zora nameplate will finally debut as a range-topping model - named after the man considered to be the father of the Corvette as we know it. A further upgraded version of the ZR1's engine, dubbed the LT7HP1, will blend combustion and hybridization for outputs of 1,000 hp and 975 lb-ft, elevating the Corvette into the realm of hypercars.
The good news is that these figures apparently come from official channels within the development teams at Chevrolet. But the bad news is that with the Covid-19-linked stop on all future car development, we expect each of the aforementioned release years to be delayed by at least one year each. That means you'll have to wait until at least 2026 for the opportunity to drive a 1,000-hp Corvette from the factory.
