The Most Powerful V8 Engine Ever (Naturally Aspirated) - 2023 Corvette Z06 

I worked as an engineer at GM for 7 years. The engineers were some of the most brilliant people I've ever met. Unfortunately, also the worst management I've seen.

I always click your videos thinking, "ah, I actually don't care that much, but I'll see what Jason is talking about". Then I stay for the whole thing.

No one ever expected to see this long run from a low hp six in 53 to this monster in 2023!! its an insane engine!!!!😁

You are a SUPERB teacher. I am not a gear head, just a guy who loves cars. The other reviews I have seen of the new Z06 engine left me without much gain. Your explanations and graphics were so expertly done even I could understand. The best instructors figure out ways to structure the information to maximize comprehension. You, my friend are the best of the best.

**Additional information!** Something I forgot to mention in the video - obviously, torque is down from the previous generation Z06. Power is ultimately the important figure, because you can make up for torque with aggressive gearing. You can get away with short (high torque) gearing because the engine revs high. New final drive ratio is 5.56:1, previous Z06 was only 2.41:1 (we don't know transmission gears yet). GM engineers say the engine really comes alive above 3,500 RPM. Below 3,000 RPM, not much torque, but part of the reason of keeping the engine large (5.5L is still very big) is so that down low it still has useful grunt. *Edit 1:* It's "Helmholtz" resonance not "Hemholtz." Words are hard for me. *Edit 2:* Should have mentioned, but two of the three center valves (intake manifold) share a common shaft (so they open/close together). So that gives you four possible combinations (all closed, all open, one open, two open). *Edit 3:* At 3:31 I state the naturally aspirated engine will have better air density (for its given pressure). To be clear, the supercharged engine will certainly have a greater air density than the NA engine overall, however it's not as simple as looking at a ratio of the two engines manifold pressure, because the supercharged air will have a higher temperature, reducing oxygen density. Also worth pointing out, it takes power to run superchargers, so some of the additional air going into the supercharged engine is also being used to power the supercharger.

"Truly the future..." Loved that subtle jab.

I had no idea that the ZO6 engine is so perfectly engineered to maximize performance and without turbo or supercharger!!!

I feel smarter every time I finish watching one of your videos! Today, I learned what the annoying buffeting air inside a car with a window down at 60mph is called.

Ive known most of this stuff, just a tad more than "generally". This video explains things so well, that it solidified my understanding to a higher degree. Excellent, and thank you!

My boss just said last night, "I need to do a deep dive into this engine" (we are in the porting business for Chevys) and, Voila ! Love this channel !

WOW. I love this engineering! Very creative, especially the valves that help the torque curve.

GM has been hitting home runs with the corvette!! Its great to see them competing with "supercars" for a fraction of the price.

You forgot to mention that the super charged engine loses power running the super charger. (It's a net positive, of course, but it explains why you have less power per liter of air than a NA engine)

Yoooo the fact is revs that high is sick I love high revving V8 engines.

Last time the Z06 came out, everyone was hyped about the new power and new interior, then I saw all the owners at the dealerships with serious problems. Let's hope history doesn't repeat itself.

The science is sound, 4 valves per cylinder, high rpm configuration, high compression ratio, and enough cam duration and lift. If this thing gets a pair of turbos, it's going to be awesome.

The way they handled the pressure waves in the manifold is mind blowing!

That intake manifold reminds me a little bit of what you talked about in the video about the Porsche 4.0L flat 6. I think it's a great to get some extra power without forced induction. Crazy engineering for some of the last ICE's. I'm glad they didn't go for a V6 like Ford

I can’t wait to see what this engine does at Lemans!

I liked the detail offered in this video and I’m excited that the ICE technology continues to advance. Thank you for a great presentation. Any chance of a follow-up that focuses on the weaknesses and/or compromises in the engine design?

Gotta hand to chevy! Never thought they’d do something like this

Jason: *mentions 'exhaust scavenging' Subaru: "What's that"

Can’t ask for a better delivery of deep engineering know-how using simple terms and focused graphics that most enthusiasts can grasp the refinement of the design. Great job EE! You’re a very skilled professional and a great teacher.

When a new car comes out, the thing I’m most excited for is the tuning scene. Especially whenever the new car brings something new to a genre of cars. We’re getting a flat plane in a corvette! That’s crazy. I’m excited to see how people respond.

The engine is very impressive

Kudos to GM. This looks to be a brilliant engineering effort. Between this and the Blackwing, it's a great time to be an enthusiast.

What a great motor! I've always been a loyal and appreciative fan and owner of Chevy's, and I love my 2004 C5 Corvette. I can't wait to buy the 2023 Corvette, adding another to the stable!

Really great to see all this tech going into a Corvette engine, in my opinion. Everyone loves a big 'ol pushrod V8, but seeing a high revving, DOHC, flat-plane crank engine going into a Z06 is pretty cool. And if it sounds anything like the GT-350R then we're all in for a treat with the exhaust note too! Great video

I just love that in this current EV craze GM is like here you go, the most powerful NA V8. They could've just stuck a supercharger on the LT2 and called it a day and it would've been fine. Bigger news to come when the ZR1 is released.

This is the engine I've been waiting for GM to release. High revving, flat plane, DOHC V8.

Great explanation as always. Thanks for bringing out the whiteboard! This Z06 is an incredible piece of mechanical engineering. I am so glad we got it just sad it is coming out in the twilight years of the internal combustion engine. 😢

Thank you GM for giving us tge C8, and for giving our boy here so much info to relay!

Whoa, impressive to match Cosworth's BMEP. The question is the grunt factor? (Torque) My guess is that with the free sprung reciprocating weight the car will still pull as if it had 650 FP of Torque? 2.6 sec zero to sixty is Porsche Turbo numbers. Nice job. 👍

Talking about the DOHC setup as being the future reminded me of the C4 ZR-1 with the Lotus LT-5 that had DOHC in the 90's Sad GM never used it again until now

This thing is a work of art. Absolutely bowled over. Thanks for the fascinating explanation!

Amazing technology. I can wait to see one of these in person.

"Larger" should always be explained between DOHC and push rod stuff. The old engine may be bigger in displacement but push rod stuff is usually physically compact in comparison.

This is one of the best ‘explanation videos’ that I’ve seen. After watching….I understand. And, I’m not an engineer!!! Very well done.

I was really excited when I first heard this then realized that they changed the engine completely and I just love the feel and power band of the normal gm engines. Like that 6.5 redline was always so nice in the way that the power band worked. Not sure how I feel about this but I guess we’ll see if I ever get to drive one of these new ones

Thank you so much for taking the time to explain this , I was so confused before to HOW Chevy made this possible.

Looks like GM knocked it out of the park with this engine. Nearly hellcat levels of power on pump gas NA. Should be a monster of a car.

As a RU-vidr myself I know how hard it is to film and edit. And I know that taking requests for unplanned videos is not going to happen BUT I'm asking anyway. I'd love to see a video comparing the new LT6 Engine VS the Ferrari 458's F136 Engine. 😎🤙

Excellent video. Thanks for explaining more about this exciting engine!

Love the car window explanation about Hemholte resonance. You said we don't have to understand how those middle valves work to see the benefit, but if you've ever cracked your driver's window to offset the resonance caused by your rear passenger's open window, you already intuitively know how it works.

I want cars with small but high revving engines again for the streets!!

Wow. Engineering is truly a spectacular work of art, I feel like digging into the exhaust system would really be an interesting video as well, to see how the scavenging looks downstream. Excellent video as always Jason

Finally! A optimal explanation of a wonderful engine from GM - from the grandson of a Fisher auto body engineer.

You are so right: this is the first REAL mid engine Corvette. I so long have been going WHY? Why still valley camshaft with ports choked by a pushrod picket fence ?! Now, Chevy did more than a token OHV V8.... they built a world beater, and future hot rod legend core. Thank you GM for doing something right. Please do manufacture it in the USA, so your/our workers can afford to buy one.

“Now we have dual overhead camshafts with 4 valves per cylinder. Truly the future” hey, literally every car and motorcycle manufacturer from 1990s Japan called, they said the future was 30 years ago.

I signed up for the Z06 Sep 2020 and GM has exceeded my expectations! What impressed me, according to Tadge Juechter the Z06 w/ the ZO7 option, “Will hang with the C7 ZR1 for quickest lap of a session, but if you look at the average lap over a full tank of fuel, the C8 Z06 will be quicker.” He went on to say that the difference in Z06 lap times over a session is zero, even negative. Sometimes the fastest lap of the day was the last lap. IMHO this Z06 truly is the whole package!

The engineering is absolutely fascinating. The engineer describing the engine did a fabulous job of describing the engine. I'm in love with the car already....like so many.

Your attention to detail is amazing and appreciate the explanation regarding all the mechanics involved, truly a masterpiece for GM, regards 💯

It never stops. Chevy makes some real strides in engineering and value and still people in the comments try their hardest to minimize or poo-poo it. This is an accomplishment for a U.S. manufacturer and I'm impressed, especially considering the price point.

A good ‘old school’ EE video, with math and stuff. Loved it!

Man! You make all of this car science stuff interesting! Thank you!

Awesome engineering by GM and excellent presentation by you!

I wish GM put as much effort into some of its smaller motors as they did here. My buddies shop has at a minimum of 2 GM products in for extensive motor work or full replacements. Primarily the 3.6L V6, 1.4/1.5T and the 2.4L

Very impressed with this level of details on how this engine works. I can't wait to see it on the road! Can't help but think when they unleash the ZR1 version it will be the hottest car for a long time.

Your best Video yet! Thank you.

Very excellent job by the presenter. If I'd had an instructor as enthusiastic and able to provide me with the information I needed to ask an informed follow-up question I'd have become whatever he/she was teaching. Truly, a very nice job.

When the C8 was first announced I was blown away. I think this is the most impressive vehicle I’ve ever seen in my life. I like the C7, but the C8 is out of this world.

When you discussed the difference in airflow, why did you not point out that a good fraction of the 6.2L’s higher airflow is used to generate power to run that supercharger? Critical difference between NA and mechanically forced induction engines.

Having watched the Chevrolet video on the Z06 and wondered why basketballers and shoe designers were trying to tell me how awesome this car was going to be without any technical details or any real details at all to back that up. This video clearly provides evidence on the actual engineering that has been put into this car. Great work!

Seems like a great engine. Let's hope it holds up over time since this is GM's first go at a flat plane crank production engine.

Love your engineering explanations. Coincidentally, I was just talking about how Chevy would have to get over the pushrod engine and move to an OHC engine and then, sure enough, they packaged one of the most impressive NA engines I've seen. I'm a huge fan of NA engines and have had 2 R8's which I love for their small package, high revving engines. I wish I could afford a Cogsworth small packaged V12 as their engineering is incredible. Congratulations to Chevy for building such an impressive engine. I hope that they are able to ditch the satin jacket/gold chain negativity for this incredible car.

Bore/stroke ratio for Yugo 1.1 engine is 1.44, and for 1.3 engine is 1.55 :D

Respect. Finally showing the world what they can. One can see they really want to be recognized on the world wide parkett with a serious sports car and not a ditch reorganizer.

I have an LT4 engine, love it, love the torque. I also live at 6,300 feet - any ideas on the power drop off when you live far above sea level?

I learn something every time I watch and I love that! Love your insight and the way you explain the details of everything. Thanks for another fantastic video

Take a look at the intake valves, 2 of the 3 share a shaft. Your combinations should be 0 open, 1 open, 2 open (if you closed the single), or 3 open based on this. Best possible if packaging were to allow, would be, 0 open, 1 open front, 1 open middle, 1 open rear, 2 open (many combinations), and finally all open).

Very impressive breakdown…well done!

This is the best thing you've ever done. Great work!

“Dual overhead camshafts with four valves per cylinder - truly the future” Hehehe Carbon pushrods! 😂

It's a bit sad that we haven't reaches the physical limits of combustion engines, and now we're switching to EVs.

this is one of the coolest YT vids I have ever watched. utterly fascinating

tHANK YOU FOR YOUR GREAT VIDEOS AND EXCEPTIONAL EXPLANATIONS

COOLEST engineering video online right now. Makes me want to buy a car just for the engineering involved in it!!

Great explanation, can't wait to try twin turbo it!

Excellent presentation! So, I never knew that opening one rear window for the LabraDoodle to sniff everything caused that Hemholtz effect.

Thanks Jason, your videos are extremely informative! This and the one about the dimpled underbody panel, as well as the valve timing to catch reflecting air to naturally increase pressure on air intake, on the Porsche 718 GT4 are some of my favorite - you have an exceptional talent for teaching difficult technical concepts in a clear manner. However, I am curious about the placement of fuel injectors and air intake valve on opposite sides of each cylinder. If both were on the same side, wouldn’t they be “more mixed” by the time of ignition because they’d collide with each other earlier, especially in short/wide cylinders? Thank you again!

I’m sooooo hyped about this car man

I also hear this new Z06 has something like 5 heat exchangers on the front with all that Aero! If you get some more requests I'd be VERY interested to learn how they link them to the engine which is in the back of the car! Great video Jason! 🍻

Around the 4:14 mark when Jason mentions "Clever ways to get more air into the engine". I'm pretty sure he is talking about "Resonance Supercharging" which is a possible side benefit of having the flat plane crank instead of the cross plane crank design. The 2023 Z06/Z07 oil containment system alone is breathtaking. It makes the old dry sump system on my LeMans block C5R 427 Gen IV Trans Am look like a T-Rex at a Flintstone's Pterodactyl wing eating contest .

You are the 🐐! Absolutely love your channel! 🔥

"in a production car" I'm so glad to hear you say that I believe Chevy missed that in at least one of ours videos.

Love your videos, I’ve watched this video a few times. My question to you will the LT6 engine be more or less fuel efficient than the previous LT4 engine. Thank you.

This is really cool especially when it is broken down for us laymen. Really helps me appreciate how difficult engineering is.

I'm fascinated with this stuff & if I wasn't constantly playing sports, studying the basics & training at the gym, I'd love to have been a mechanic. E. E., it would be so cool if u got your hands on one LT6 FPC V8 (just to see u take it apart & explain step by step rebuilding process, along with materials used).

10:08 You did a video on the 992 GT3 engine and how it takes advantage of pressure waves to create higher than atmospheric intake pressures- is that also Heimholtz resonance? Same idea here?

Factoid of history: The NSX had a similar intake manifold engineering back in 1991. Honda called it Variable Volume Induction System (VVIS). That car really was a marvel. Although to be fair, the Z06 system seems more complex with multiple curves, while the NSX only had two curves (all valves either opened or all closed). But the Honda did pick up a third curve with VTEC. So you have valves closed no VTEC, valves open no VTEC, and valves open with VTEC.

As soon as I saw the Z06 specs, I knew you would feel out about BMEP. I bit of a shame you don’t bring up the 458 or S2K as comparison points

Thanks! I love the depth of your videos!

3:37- Gale Banks has some videos on his channel explaining air density vs pressure and why air density is a more important parameter.

I'm a diehard Mopar guy, mostly due to aesthetics. I also typically like the HEMIs of course. But I will say ever since the Corvette came in a mid-engine package, I've wanted one. I think Dodge made a HUGE mistake in never releasing a mid-engine Viper. Trust me, this is one Mopar guy who's definitely watching this car. It'll come out right around the time my bankruptcy ends. Maybe it's time for bankruptcy #2??? LOL

This video just drives home how creative and intelligent our modern engineers really are. I can't even begin to imagine the tight tolerances required to achieve an engine of this nature. Any tighter and more precise, and we'll be down to single-atom sized tolerances, lol.

Only recently did I find out the Mid-Engine Corvette! My neighbor's kid got one. It's incredible!

Great explanation! Just put my name on an allocation list :)

I would have never ever thought chevy was capable of doing this. Wow!

As an engineer, car lover and just plain all cool mechanical thing lover... your channel is the best! Hemholtz resonance???? you talk about it like this is normal conversation with you. sitting at dinner discussing Hemholtz theory.

Intake manifold explanation was great!