The Z06 might be the hottest thing in Corvette country right now, but it’s not the only solution for C8 fans who love the new mid-engined format but want a heap more performance than the stock pushrod V8 can deliver.
Callaway Cars, the company behind Corvette performance legends like the 255 mph (410 km/h) C4 SledgeHammer, is showing a prototype supercharged C8 at this week’s Corvettes at Carlisle event that could match the Z06’s quad-cam motor for power and annihilate it in a torque showdown.
Though Callaway says the engine package hasn’t been fully signed off yet and has declined to quote power and torque figures, it’s not a stretch to imagine that it will lift the normally 495 hp (502 PS) output of the 6.2-litre LT2 to somewhere in the region of the 670 hp (679 PS) generated by the Z06’s 5.5-litre LT6.
Related: Callaway And Chevy Partner To Produce 35 GM Certified Special-Edition 2022 Corvettes
With its four-valve heads and supercar-style flat-plane crank, the Z06 is sure to rev far higher, of course. We already know that the the LT6 has an impressive 8,600 rpm redline, compared with 6,600 rpm for the LT2, and it sounds incredible. But not everyone wants to work hard for their kick in the back. And if you were the kind of person who preferred the supercharged C7 Z06 to the naturally aspirated C6 Z06 it replaced, then Callaway’s machine might be right up your street.
All Callaway C8s are converted at the firm’s Connecticut facility but can be sold through – and serviced by – Callaway’s authorized Chevrolet dealer network. You also get a three-year, 36,000-mile powertrain warranty that supplements the factory Chevy warranty, Callaway being keen to emphasize that this conversion is for people who want to reliably increase the performance of the stock C8, not merely enjoy an extra 400 hp for five minutes before the car scatters its rods and valve train all over the highway.
The conversion can also be applied to used C8s, so if you’re feeling a little bored with your existing Corvette’s sub-500 hp output after a year of driving, the supercharger mod will definitely solve that problem. Callaway is currently accepting serialized products slots in exchange for a $1,000 deposit.
Would you rather have a monster-torquey supercharged 6.2-liter Callaway C8 or a rev-crazed 5.5-liter Z06? Leave a comment and let us know.
