LT2 Engine: Everything You Need To Know About the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Engine
The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray packs the familiar LT2 engine from the last few model years in the C8 lineup. Still, familiarity isn’t a bad thing, and the LT2 is more than enough to turn the Corvette into a serious performance car. Here’s what you should know about the midengine magic in the C8 Corvette.
What kind of engine is in the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette?
The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette packs a 6.2L LT2 V8 engine, similar to the previous model years of the C8 generation. However, unlike previous generations, the LT2 resides in a midengine configuration instead of the ‘Vette’s tenured front-engine layout.
Furthermore, the LT2 engine is the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 General Motors has used in a production Corvette since the conservatively rated big blocks of yesteryear. Of course, the LT2 is digital compared to the analog big block V8s of the 1960s.
| Engine type | Naturally aspirated pushrod LT2 V8 |
| Displacement | 6.2 liters (375.4 cubic inches) |
| Compression ratio | 11.5:1 |
| Stroke | 3.63 inches |
| Bore | 4.06 inches |
Engine data courtesy of CorvSport.
How much horsepower does the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette produce?
The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette’s LT2 engine produces 490 horsepower in its stock configuration. However, power-hungry performance fans will opt for the dual-mode performance exhaust option, which bumps power up to 495 and 470 lb-ft of torque.
| Engine size | Horsepower/torque | Redline | |
| C8 Corvette Stingray | 6.2L LT2 V8 | 495 horsepower/470 lb-ft of torque | 6,450 RPM |
| C8 Corvette Z06 | 5.5L LT6 V8 | 670 horsepower/460 lb-ft of torque | 8,500 RPM |
While the LT2 engine’s power figures are impressive, the 670-horsepower LT6 V8 in the Z06 is the second most powerful production Corvette in the model’s history. Unfortunately, the Corvette’s generous power reserves have but one transmission option: an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. While the dual-clutch unit is quick-shifting and launch-happy, the lack of a manual transmission is a common gripe among Corvette fans.
| Transmission | |
| C8 Corvette Stingray | TREMEC TR9080 eight-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| C8 Corvette Z06 | TREMEC TR9080 eight-speed dual-clutch automatic |
Furthermore, even the track-ready, high-revving Z06 goes without a manual transmission option. What’s more, given the seventh-generation Corvette’s eager seven-speed manual option, the omitted manual is a shame. As a result, the savagely powerful 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 was the last new Corvette model with a manual transmission option.
Are Corvettes V12 or V8?
No Chevrolet Corvettes pack a V12 engine from the factory. Instead, the 2023 Stingray and Z06 pack two different V8s: a 6.2L LT2 engine and a flat-plane crank 5.5L LT6 mill.
Still, the lack of a V12 isn’t a new development for Corvettes; no production Corvette has ever packed a 10 or 12-cylinder mill. In fact, the smallest engine to power a production ‘Vette was the 235-cubic inch “Blue Flame” six-cylinder engine from the C1 generation.
Are Corvettes supercharged?
None of the trims in the 2023 Chevrolet Corvette lineup are supercharged. Instead, the Stingray and the Z06 pack naturally aspirated V8s.
However, for the first time in Corvette history, the incipient 2024 Corvette E-Ray will employ a hybrid drivetrain with eAWD. Still, even with the addition of a 160-horsepower electric motor, the E-Ray will keep the Stingray’s naturally aspirated LT2.
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