Conquering 1000 HP: Engineering Hurdles for Chevrolet’s Corvette Engines

Chevrolet recently announced that they have a special edition of the Corvette that produces 1,000 HP from a 5.5-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. Obviously, you know that turbocharging stresses the engine, and engineers have to make strong parts for it. Those of you who are familiar with tuning will understand how difficult it is to make a 1,000 HP engine that is safe for daily driving; hence, that is probably what Chevrolet engineers are facing; however, that is not a big problem now.

It uses this crazy combination of a huge displacement, sky-high revs, and massive turbo boost.

Like the Z06’s LT6, this engine has a flat-plane crankshaft. This makes it rev higher but also creates intense vibrations that could literally shake the oil filter off. Normally, flat-plane V8s are limited to around 4.5 liters to control these vibrations. But both Ford and Chevy are pushing the limits with these new monsters.

Using two turbos instead of a supercharger keeps the engine spinning fast. This engine makes a monstrous 828 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 RPM and a mind-blowing 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 RPM before screaming all the way to an 8,000 RPM redline.

The turbos spin unbelievably fast, with the blades reaching speeds of up to 1.7 times the speed of sound. They’re made from a super-strong material called Mar that can withstand incredible heat. At full blast, the engine pushes out 20 psi of boost and produces so much exhaust that it actually pushes the car forward with 37 pounds of thrust.

Basically, this engine is a masterpiece of engineering.

Fuel is the next issue. As far as I know, those 1,000-HP bikes require an E85 blend to make that much power, and I imagine there will be a setting for that in the engine. I mean, you can set it for daily use or racing where you can find high-octane gas; your regular gas probably won’t do the trick.

Most high-powered turbocharged monsters require high-octane gas, and I think that is what Chevrolet engineers were thinking: how can they make 1,000 HP and still be able to use pump gas in most places? Maybe E85 is something common in the US, and people can afford it; it's better than having to use race gas all the time.

Besides that, there’s the issue of durability. Basically, a race engine with that much power isn’t really meant for daily use—it generates a ton of stress. But somehow, it looks like Chevrolet’s engineers can pull it off. Most likely, they’ll use reinforced parts in key areas, like the pistons and other parts of the rotating assembly. How exactly? No idea—it’s probably a company secret. But one thing’s for sure: they’ll be using high-stress-resistant materials, just like what you find in race engines.

The transmission also needs to be upgraded and reinforced, especially to make sure all that power gets delivered properly. But honestly, I don’t think that part’s a huge challenge. I mean, for decades now, we’ve seen plenty of aftermarket transmissions that can handle serious power—some can even take 1,500 horsepower without breaking a sweat. They’re not cheap, but they’re reliable and available, especially if someone’s thinking of daily driving a car like that.

I think the engineering challenges that Chevrolet faces are many, but not far from how to make their engines reliable and able to use pump gas for daily use. What is happening is probably the same as in Ferrari or Lamborghini; they are tinkering with how to make a fast engine that can still use pump gas, and that is a tough one, at least for the last few years.

Yet they did it. A few decades ago, you could only get 1,000 HP from a Bugatti Veyron, but now a Corvette can produce the same power.