If General Motors’ shift to electric vehicles means the end of the legendary Chevrolet small displacement V8 engine, then the engines that power many of its greatest cars are roaring and recording: the most powerful natural suction ever produced in a production car Gas V8, 2023 Corvette Z06.

Last week, the 670-horsepower 5.5-liter V8 engine roared in GM's high-safety design dome, summoning the specter of performance design and engineering for eight decades.

The completely revamped Z06 has many other changes-many changes, such as the V8, which was born in the development of the Corvette C8.R race car, which won the championship in the first year of the race and took the lead in the second year .

"The racing car was the reason the Z06 was developed in 1963," said Tadge Juechter, Corvette's executive engineer. "We have tested the Z06 on the best circuits in the world, from the Americas circuit here in the United States to the Nürburgring circuit in Germany."

The interior has also undergone a number of upgrades, including a performance-oriented display, carbon fiber trim with subtle red highlights, and a noisy "dip red" color scheme.

The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 will go into production in Bowling Green, Kentucky next summer. It will be available as a coupe and convertible. Prices and fuel economy will be announced near the start of sales.

C2 (1963): 5.4L V8 engine, 360 horsepower, 4-speed manual transmission

C5 (2001-04): 5.7L V8, 385 hp (2001) and 405 hp (2002-04), 6-speed manual

C6: 7.0-liter V8, 505 horsepower, 6-speed manual

C7: 6.2L V8, 650 horsepower, 7-speed manual or supercharged 8-speed automatic

C8: 5.5-liter V8, 670 horsepower, 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

"Instinct", "emergency" and "scalpel" were the key words of the'Vette team when they started researching Z06 in 2019.

The body was widened to accommodate the 3.6-inch wider stance, which required huge 345 series rear tires and larger side vents for cooling.

The four 5-foot-long "slats" on the underside of the car exhaust air directly from under the car to reduce air pressure and increase grip.

Juechter said that because of the big tires and light wheels, "the steering response is in another universe." The engineers re-adjusted the steering, suspension and eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission of the "Werther" to obtain more power and higher speed, but the basic components including the MR adaptive suspension are the same as the Corvette Stingray.

The ethnic characteristics offered on Z06 include:

The grille, front fender and instrument panel of the Z06 are newly designed to accommodate more airflow for cooling and aerodynamic performance. The rear panel and corners are also new, including repositioned taillights. The hood and headlights are shared with Stingray.

However, the engine is brand new. After more than five years of development, it has 32 valves and dual overhead camshafts, and more small cylinders are pioneered. The high-pressure directional injection system is exactly the same as that used in the Corvette C8.R race car on the track from Daytona to LeMans. The engineers also borrowed some techniques from Chevrolet IndyCar engines, including moving the fuel rail to the exhaust side to make room for a larger intake valve.

The resulting improved air flow helps this exceptionally powerful engine meet emission standards.

The top speed is 186 mph. The 0-60 mph time drops to 2.6 seconds, which is about 0.2-0.3 seconds faster than Stingray.

Juechter said this was unexpected. "When you have only those seconds left, it is difficult to find a tenth of a second."

The focus of all improvements is to make the Z06 run the fastest lap time throughout the day. Compared with the previous model, the attenuation caused by heat and other factors is less.

The Corvette Z06 can be traced back to the early days of sports cars, when the legendary chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov wanted a "Vette" that he could race and win on the track. The name can be traced back to the special feature package created for this purpose in 1963: Zora Option 6 or Zora 06. Z06 (pronounced "Zee Oh Six", but written as zero, not O) was born.

The model name is not even in the order. This is a secret feature pack pieced together by Zora. Zora is a fanatical and accomplished racer.

Informed buyers can ask it to get a ready "Vette". Chevrolet did not officially recognize the existence of the Z06, perhaps because General Motors briefly abandoned motor sports in 1963.

The original Z06 packaging from 1963 includes:

The 5.5-liter V8 engine-the first small cylinder with a flat crankshaft-has a unique fast exhaust note that was once the exclusive domain of exotic cars such as McLaren and Ferrari. There is no need to go deep into the weeds, and the flat crankshaft reduces the weight of the engine and improves airflow. This leads to more power. Compared with the traditional counterweight crankshaft engine, this design also causes more engine vibration and a unique exhaust note that is very different from the traditional Detroit V8. It speeds up to the 8,600 rpm red line like a hiccup.

As long as there is Corvette, there will be Z06-which means as long as there is Chevrolet. One day, they will have electricity, maybe even 0-60 times faster than in 2023, but they may never exceed the visceral attraction of a small 5.5L flat area.

Two-seater mid-engined coupe or convertible

Engine: 5.5L DOHC flat crank V8

Output: 670 hp @ 8,400 rpm; 460 pound-feet of torque @ 6,300 rpm

Estimated EPA fuel economy rating: To be determined

Length: 184.6 inches standard; 185.9 with carbon fiber floor effect

Dry weight: 3,434 pounds, with carbon fiber wheels and Z07 packaging

Assembled in Bowling Green, Kentucky