The Corvette nuts over at CorvetteOnline have snagged a coarse pair of photos of what they think is the supercharged mill destined for a high-performance iteration of the C7 Corvette. Indeed, the V-8 pictured above is supercharged, and its block design indicates that it belong's to GM's fifth-generation small-block V-8 family. But beyond that, there are a few possible misconceptions—and mysteries—going on here.
CorvetteOnline, which claims it snagged the photos of this engine from inside a GM prototype center, speculates that this engine will replace the current ZR1's LS9 powerplant when that model is reloaded in C7 guise. Our intel, however, suggests that there likely won't be a C7 ZR1—instead, we expect Chevy to offer a single high-performance Corvette dubbed Z07. Based on our spy photos and rumor, this all-encompassing performance Vette will be something of an amalgam of today's Z06 and ZR1. As for this engine's curious look, well, ignore the transmission bolted directly to it—Corvettes use a torque tube to carry power to a rear transaxle, and this engine could just have the more pedestrian setup for testing purposes. Also, it's hard to argue with the "Corvette" lettering on the engine's top cover.
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However, while we've reported that the Z07 could utilize turbocharging mixed with a smaller-displacement V-8 than the base Corvette's 6.2-liter unit, CorvetteOnline's photos seem to contradict that. The engine is very clearly supercharged (note the top-mounted intercooler, plus the supercharger pulley mounted high on the front of the mill, to the left of the throttle body), though its displacement is anyone's guess. (It should be noted that when photographing a Stingray convertible earlier this year, we stumbled across a supercharger boost gauge in the car's digital gauge cluster, lending further credence to the idea Chevy will stick with a blower.) Perhaps GM is also working on a turbocharged Vette engine, perhaps not, but for now, this could be our first glimpse of the next mighty Corvette's heart.
from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com
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