Hybrid mid-engine C8 Corvette with 850 hp apparently leaked on fan forum
A purportedly leaked spreadsheet unearthed by a CorvetteForums user also seems to give insight into new Z06 and ZR1 models.
Just because we've seen the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray doesn't mean that the mid-engine Corvette rumor mill is just going to stop turning. In fact, if anything it seems to have sped up with talk of Z06 and ZR1 variants.
Surely these rumors of a possible flat-plane 5.5-liter V8 with turbochargers are just wild internet speculation with no basis in reality, right? Well, maybe not. See, users on the active and extremely passionate CorvetteForums have managed to unearth a document that could prove some of these rumors true, according to a post made on Tuesday.
But here's the thing, the forum user who posted this document declined to mention where they got it and doesn't really make any claims as to its veracity. "Got this from a guy who knows a guy," the poster says. In short, it could be BS. Still, there's enough there that seems plausible to make it worth looking into.
According to the purportedly leaked spreadsheet, not only is GM planning on making a 755-horsepower Z06 version of the C8 (this matches the current C7 ZR1 in power), it's also planning a hybrid version of its new mid-engine monster. Before you start groaning and angrily pacing around the house in your dad Crocs threatening to burn your Tommy Bahama shirts in protest, this isn't a hybrid in the sense of, say, a Prius.
The spreadsheet claims that the turbocharged gasoline engine and the hybrid electric system will work together to produce 850 horsepower. That number is bananas, and frankly, we shudder to think of what a Corvette with that much stomp would be like on the road. Plus, that means it's inevitable for FCA to release another Hellcat special edition with even more power lest its customer base turn in their No Fear t-shirts and white Court Classic sneakers and start buying European.
The flat-plane crank rumor is an interesting one because, except for the 5.2-liter Voodoo engine found in Ford's excellent GT350, the US has generally stuck with the tried and true cross-plane crank. Moving to a flat plane would -- in theory -- make the C8 Z06 feel (and sound) like an Italian exotic and who knows if Corvette dudes would accept that?
General Motors representatives would neither confirm nor deny the rumors, stating that they couldn't engage in speculation on future product.
Update, 2:16 p.m.: Updated to include GM's response to request for comment