in , ,

GM REVERSE ENGINEERED A FERRARI 458 ENGINE TO DEVELOP THE C8 CORVETTE Z06

They Weren’t Even Sure The $25,000 Engine Would Arrive

2023 C8 Corvette Z06 Coupe SEMA Show 2021 LT6 DOHC V8
Image copyright Manoli Katakis, Muscle Cars & Trucks.

When General Motors’ engineers designed the new C8 Corvette Z06’s 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8, it was something entirely new to them. Never before had they built an engine without a cross-plane crank, nor one that had such a massive rev count. So it’s no wonder the engineers needed to get creative when putting together the record-breaking engine. However, the GM engineers knew they lacked the required experience, so they decided to do some benchmarking by purchasing a Ferrari 458 engine.

C8 Corvette Z06: Benchmarked From A Ferrari 458

According to The Drive, the so-called Gemini Project’s chief engineer, Jordan Lee, stated during a deep-dive presentation of the LT6 that the team was extremely interested in what made Maranello’s engines tick back when development began.

“We wanted a Ferrari 458 engine, to take a look at their components and see what they did,” he stated. At the time, buying a 458 to extract the engine wasn’t on the table this early in development, and they needed to find a more reasonable source for a test motor. “We were able to buy a wrecked car engine from Poland on eBay. We sent them a check for something like $25,000, and we were all pretty pleased and thrilled that the engine actually did show up.”

Ferrari 458 Engine Benchmark For C8 Corvette LT6 Engine
Ferrari 458 Engine

The team didn’t know how legitimate the buying process was. According to Chevy spokesperson Trevor Thompkins, the motor was simply delivered on a pallet directly to the company’s Pontiac, Michigan engineering facility. From there, the crew got right into the disassembly process, and Corvette’s chief engineer, Tadge Juechter, said they were surprised at what they found inside. But once they finished inspecting the Ferrari 458 engine, they began working on improvements for their own engine.

Why a Ferrari 458 engine? Because at one point it was the most powerful naturally aspirated flat-plane V8 engine ever built. That record has since been shattered by the LT6 V8 engine in the Z06, which is the most powerful naturally aspirated production V8 engine in the world, full stop.

Once a C8 test car was on the road, the team used an actual 458 to test against the prototype. Eventually, the 458 GM used to benchmark against the C8 was sold, and they bought a 488 once it was available. Later, they went back to a used 458 after realizing the newer turbocharged Ferrari was lacking in “soul” compared to its naturally aspirated predecessor.

We’re sure that won’t be the rhetoric when the C8 Corvette eventually features forced induction on the upcoming ZR1 and Zora models, but hey, this feels like an honest take.

When considering the extreme benchmarking that took place when creating the LT6 engine for the C8 Corvette Z06, you’ll have a deeper appreciation for the hype surrounding the 670 horsepower, 8,600 rpm Corvette, especially when considering that it’ll arrive at dealerships for under $100,000.

LT6 V8 Engine
Image via GM.

Written by Zac Quinn

Zac's love for cars started at a young age, after seeing the popular Eleanor from Gone In 60 Seconds. From there, fascination and enthusiasm blossomed and to this day the Ford Mustang remains a favorite. His first job started out detailing cars, but also provided the opportunity to work on restoration including an 1968 Ford Mustang, Pontiac Firebird, and a C3 Corvette, though he left that job before further work and experience could be had. From there, he was a detailer at a car dealership before quitting that job to try and finish college.

Much of his free time while studying was spent watching YouTube videos regarding new cars, or off-roading. 4WD247 is a personal favorite channel which rekindled a dying flame in car enthusiasm, now tailored towards trucks and SUVs and the fun that can be had building up an overlanding rig, and going on adventures, though, that chapter remains unwritten for the time being.

One Comment

Leave a Reply

    One Ping

    1. Pingback:

    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Ford Ranger Rally Racer

    THIS FORD RANGER IS SET TO RALLY RACE IN SOUTH AFRICA

    FORD PERFORMANCE ADDS ORANGE AND RED BEADLOCK CAPABLE RING KIT FOR BRONCO