Zac Quinn 
The Chevrolet C8 Corvette ZR1 is an exhilarating vehicle to behold. We’ve already seen footage of the car racing around the legendary Nürburgring racetrack, with epic engine sounds and fantastic cornering. Some have also spotted the supercar testing around the United States, meaning it should be brief until the tarp comes off the car and we can confirm the glorious specs surrounding it. As it stands, the LT7 is suspected to be a turbocharged version of the already epic LT6 engine, and after hearing it race around a track, it’ll run on gasoline. However, the GM Parts Catalog states it’s a diesel engine.
A member of the Corvette Forum discovered the item, which appears on the catalog as a 4.3-liter V6 diesel. Incidentally, a diesel engine featuring this displacement was in production between 1982 and 1985. It was engineered for front-wheel-drive cars, and thanks to the diesel fuel source, it gave the 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera a whopping 28 miles per gallon in the city and 41 mpg on the highway with a combination of 33 mpg. It’s probably safe to say that this was either a mistake or an attempt to bamboozle Corvette fans; with a power output of 85 horsepower and 165 lb-ft of torque, it’s probably not worthy of finding a home behind the seats of the Corvette ZR1, let alone taking to the Nürburgring.
C8 Corvette ZR1 LT7: What To (Actually) Expect
What the LT7 actually will actually be is a 5.5L twin-turbocharged V8 engine with an expected output of around 850-900 horsepower, and will be found exclusively in the C8 Corvette ZR1, as well as the Zora hypercar down the road. This will retain the flat-plane crankshaft found within the Z06 and that exotic car exhaust tone that so many people love. Couple that with the whirling spools of the turbos, and you have a beautiful soundtrack from the new Corvette ZR1 worth drooling over. The base C8 ZR1 will be fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires on the base model, which is the tire that comes standard on the Z06. However, for customers that want extra grip when racing around the track, a more performance-focused set of rubber with Pilot Sports Cup 2R tires, as seen on the Z06 with the track-dominating Z07 package. That, along with serious downforce from the rear wing and other aero modifications, means some serious grip around the corners.
Unfortunately, while the C8 Corvette ZR1 will be made spectacular with the all-new TTV8 LT7 engine, it will likely be the last C8 Corvette variant that won’t feature any electrification to its powertrain. After this, we suspect to see GM’s first hypercar, the Zora, which is expected to deliver over 1,000 horsepower thanks to the power of the LT7 and the assistance of a hybrid electric system that can currently be found on the 2024 Corvette E-Ray. That also means all-wheel-drive for incredible launches and 0-60 times, and the power boost needed to cross the four-figure mark.
