Chevy Corvette Z06 engineers bought a Ferrari 458 engine on Ebay to learn its secrets
It’s no wonder General Motors small-block engineers had to get creative when designing the new Corvette Z06’s 5.5-liter flat-crank V8. Never before has GM built an engine without a cross-crank, or one that revs this high. Knowing they were inexperienced when it came to these somewhat exotic bits, the LT6 team decided to do some benchmarking – to sniff out and see how high-end European automakers have built their flat-plan factories.
During an in-depth presentation of the LT6, the chief engineer of the so-called Project Gemini, Jordan Lee, had an interesting story to tell about how the team tested the technology of its rivals. “We compared a considerable number of competitors,” he said. “We looked at McLaren, Porsche, and carefully [at] Ferrari.”
Lee went on to explain that when development on the project began in 2014, the team was more interested in what made Marnaello’s engines work. “We wanted a Ferrari 458 engine, to take a look at their components and see what they were doing,” he said. However, buying a 458 outright just to extract its engine was apparently not on the table this early in the development process. As a result, a more reasonable source for a test engine had to be found. “We were able to buy a wrecked car engine from Poland on Ebay,” Lee explained. “We sent them a check for about $25,000, and we were all very happy and elated that the engine actually showed up.”
Lee added that the team “didn’t know how legit the buying process was” at the time. As for shipping, the engine was simply delivered on a pallet, according to Chevy spokesman Trevor Thompkins. And yes, they had it shipped right to their doorstep at the company’s engineering plant in Pontiac, Michigan. I wonder if this raised eyebrows in Poland.
From there, the crew dove into the meat and potatoes of the teardown process, and Tadge Juechter, the Corvette’s chief engineer, said they were surprised at what they have found inside. “I remember being amazed at how small their bearings were,” Jeuchter said. Likewise, Lee mentioned earlier in the presentation that they’ve made “a lot of improvements in the way we do [our engine]after looking at the exotic Italian supercar F136.
Thompkins noted specific areas the team wanted to learn about, such as how Ferrari protected various ignition and electronic components from flat-plane crank vibration. “One thing that Jordan and the team looked at more closely was Ferrari’s techniques for isolating the ignition coil and securing the electrical connectors to avoid chafing issues,” he said. The reader. “We arrived at our own solutions, but looking at engines like the [F136] was beneficial. »
Later in the vehicle design process—once a C8 test mule was actually on the road—benchmarking of the prototype against an actual 458 took place. “The 458 was also part of the team’s competitive package of vehicles for the Z06, largely because of the engine,” Thompkins said. In his view, GM originally used a 458 to benchmark against the C8, then sold it and bought a 488 once it became available. He later reversed course and replaced the new turbocharged Ferrari with a used 458 after realizing the new machine lacked “soul” compared to its naturally aspirated predecessor.
Combine this comprehensive, subjective benchmarking with features designed to make the new Z06 more fun to drive, and you’ll see why the hype around the new 8,600-rpm, 670-hp Vette is so strong. When it hits dealerships later this year for under $100,000, and when we finally get behind the wheel, it’s going to be a special day.
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