2019 Chevrolet Corvette to get mid-engined twin-turbo V8 flagship

BIG, bad, brawny and mechanically simple V8s have been the bread and butter of the Corvette for decades, but recently leaked CAD images show that things are about to get a little more sophisticated for the beloved ‘Vette’s next-generation replacement.

Published on enthusiast site corvetteforum.com, a single image purporting to show the powerplant of a range-topping Corvette variant depicts something that’s so far evaded GM engine bays: a twin-turbocharged overhead cam V8. Not the most 'Murican of configurations for The General's star-spangled sportscar, but performance freaks are unlikely to care.

We’ve glimpsed CAD illustrations of the new mid-engined eighth-generation Corvette's innards before, however those images – also unearthed by corvetteforum.com – depicted a naturally-aspirated V8, most likely the 6.2 litre LT1 that powers the current front-engined C7 Corvette and Camaro SS. The latest image, meanwhile, shows something we haven’t yet seen: a dual overhead-cam V8 with a pair of turbochargers hanging off each side and a set of water-to-air intercoolers nestled in the valley.

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Expected to carry the engine code ‘LT7’, this turbocharged donk is expected to power a mid-ranking variant as well as the flagship model of the C8 Corvette family, leaving the 6.2-litre pushrod-equipped LT1 to open the range. Both the mid-level and range-topper will feature a pair of turbochargers and twin-cam cylinder heads, but the former is expected to displace a modest 4.4 litres while the latter will flex 5.5 litres.

As for power output, those numbers are still very much top secret. However with the LT1 already capable of a very stout 343kW without the aid of turbocharging, the Corvette’s advanced new powerplants should easily eclipse the 485kW and 563kW outputs of the current Corvette Z06 and the mighty Corvette ZR1.

The best part? Chevy’s supercar is being fixed up with an Australian visa as we speak.