Excitement surrounds the forthcoming Chevy Corvette C8 Z06. The iconic sports car’s fans are keeping an eye out for any morsels of new info as the release date draws closer.

And those details are only fanning the flames of enthusiasm. What will lurk under the hood of the 2022 Chevy Corvette C8 Z06?

What we know so far about the Chevy Corvette C8 Z06

We know the 2022 Chevy Corvette Z06 will have a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter flat-plane twin-cam V8 that redlines at 9,000 rpm, MotorTrend reports. According to the MT team, only the retired Porsche 911 GT3/GT3 RS/Speedster had a 4.0-liter rear-mounted engine that could get up to 9,000 rpm. 

The folks at MotorTrend also estimates the engine’s output will be in the ballpark of 625 hp and 400-plus lb-ft of torque. They’re guessing the Z06 will offer 99 horses more than the next most powerful engine. The Ford Mustang Shelby GT350/GT350R’s Voodoo V8, another potent naturally aspirated engine, gets 526 hp.  

There will also be a ZR1 version of the C8 with two turbochargers piped into the engine and all the necessary cooling hardware. The MT team predicts this variant will harness up to 800 hp. They also foretell a hybrid model, the Zora, with the twin-turbo V8 and at least one electric motor to boost system output as high as 1,000 hp or more.

The team hears Chevy won’t release a Corvette C8 Grand Sport, but they don’t know why. They also hear there will be an all-electric model down the road. However, no details on that yet.

What’s new?

The team at Car and Driver likes the fact that the new Chevy Corvette is getting back to its C6 Z06 roots from 2006 through 2013. The 2022 model promises to be stripped down and track-ready like its exciting predecessors.

Like a Ferrari, the Z06 uses the Corvette’s new mid-engine configuration to maximize traction. Chevrolet has beefed up the C8 base with a recalibrated suspension tune, wider tires, stronger brakes, and enhanced powertrain cooling systems. Car and Driver explain that its flared fenders make a statement, while its new active aerodynamics glue it to the track.

But the mid-engine config and styling aren’t the 2022 Chevy Corvette C8’s only similarities to the prancing horse. The new Z06 uses a flat-plane crank like the Ferrari V8, making this Vette scream like the iconic Italian supercar. Paired with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, the Z06 engine is a beast. According to Car and Driver, a detuned version of the engine appears in the C8.R race car.

We’ll see it this year

Autoblog predicts Chevrolet will make liberal use of carbon fiber on the 2022 Corvette C8 Z06, including the wheels. They sold on eBay in 2020 for $4,500 and cost a little more than a new set of Pilot Sport Cup 2 Rs. It’s not yet known if those tires would be standard or optional on the Z06.

The Autoblog team hinted that Chevrolet engineers wanted a center-exit exhaust system. Such an adjustment would not only affect the Corvette’s appearance but also “improve the pitch” of its potent V8 engine. And it would give the Z06 more of an exotic appeal than before.

Though the pandemic has slowed this thrilling new sports car’s production, the 2022 model is still on track to be released this year. The forthcoming Chevy Corvette Z06 is said to be the first of many expected C8 variants. All are anticipated to be ultra-high-performance cars. And industry experts predict the 2022 model’s starting price will hover around $85,000.