Prototype New “Hot-V” LS Engine Spied; Rumored To Be In Development

Prototype New “Hot-V” LS Engine Spied; Rumored To Be In Development

We are lucky in that we have a huge network of associates within this industry who will pass along inside information and give us looks at some technologies before they ever officially see the light of day. Occasionally, we even get clearance to post about some of that stuff ahead of everyone else.

This time though, not only are we blown away by what’s being developed, but our source has allowed us to post the spy shots way before we probably should, and gave us some insight into the project on the condition of strict anonymity.

There have been a wide variety of rumors about what will power the pinnacle-level C8, but one of the biggest constraints faced by project engineers is the physical size of the C8’s engine compartment. Confirming some rumors, the power adder of choice will be dual turbos, but in order to save space, the turbos will be nestled in the valley of the engine.

In order to accommodate the “Hot-V” setup as it’s known, engineers are straying from the LT engine architecture and its cumbersome direct-injection hardware and reverting back to the tried and true LS engine architecture. “By reversing the cylinder heads on the block, we are able to not only keep the weight of the system’s plumbing to a minimum but also make for an extremely compact package that will fit nicely into the C8,” says our source.

By running the exhaust ports inboard, the turbo plumbing can be kept to a minimum, for both weight and space savings inside of the compact C8 engine bay.

“Additionally, there are some thermodynamic benefits of consolidating all that heat right below the vents in the 2022 ZR1’s exclusive rear decklid. We’ve seen this technology increase overall efficiency in everything from Formula 1 to high-end luxury cars, so it’s a proven concept at this point.”

When asked about the apparent step backward using the LS architecture instead of the more modern Gen-V LT platform, our source was rather blunt. “We could re-engineer this thing into the ground, spend millions and millions of dollars to design and validate a new platform, or we could take the LS platform, which has proven itself time and time again, flip the heads around on the block, take a picture of it, and tell everyone we’re doing something new — all on April 1st.”

Special thanks to our good friend Jeff Smith, who had no problem indulging our ridiculous photo request on short notice.

Happy April Fool’s Day!

About the author

Greg Acosta

Greg has spent nineteen years and counting in automotive publishing, with most of his work having a very technical focus. Always interested in how things work, he enjoys sharing his passion for automotive technology with the reader.
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