When the latest generation of
Chevrolet Corvette arrived, it was the first new mid-engine sports car from GM since the Pontiac Fiero. More importantly, the mid-engine Corvette arrived in 2020 with the successor to the LT1 generation V8 engine, the LT2. The naturally aspirated LT2 debuted with 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque and dry sump lubrication, and it's a bit of a beast for a base model engine.
But soon, we'll be saying it
was a bit of a beast, because the LT2 is being retired as of the 2027 model year. With the reveal of the new
Corvette Grand Sport, Chevrolet has announced that the LS6 6.7-liter V8 will replace the LT2 entirely. According to Chevrolet, the LS6 "now becomes Corvette’s primary engine – powering the 2027 Stingray as well."
Interestingly, the
new engine for the Corvette Grand Sport and Grand Sport X isn't an LT designation, it's an LS. Traditionally, the LT has been the more technologically advanced of GM's small-block V8s while the LS is the
more versatile and reliable option – hence the popularity of swapping smaller engines for an LS V8 in the tuning community. The LS6 V8 will drop in the base model Corvettes with 535 hp and 520 lb-ft of torque, with GM also promising increases in power and torque across the rev band compared to its predecessor.
And there's still more to come.
Clearly,
there is a replacement for displacement because the hybrid Grand Sport X, the all-wheel-drive model, makes 721 hp with the L6 V8 when "combined with the 186 horsepower from the eAWD electric drive unit." In other words, the replacement for displacement here is an electric motor. Still, when it comes to
the sweet spot in the Corvette range, the ones that will be bought by enthusiasts and driven regularly and hard, an LS engine looks like the correct move forward whether hybrid or not.
A Future In Trucks And SUVs Too
More power is always better in a Corvette, and the LS line of V8s are (mostly) legendary for reliability and being able to take a beating. To that end, the latest LS V8 gets a new lubrication system, forged pistons and rods, and revised exhaust manifolds with the aim of improving durability in "extended high-load, high-temperature environments." We're going to translate "high-load, high-temperature environments" to mean on the track or extended runs out in the back roads.
But Chevrolet isn't developing this generation of small-block V8 just for a few Corvettes. No, the real money spinners justifying its existing will be GM's full-size trucks, and
GM's $579 million significant investment in a new V8 was always touted to benefit models like the GMC Sierra and
Chevrolet Silverado, at least in 1500 form.
I agree with you on every aspect. You absolutely nailed it.
