C6 Z06 Dynos with Aftermarket Headers

[Sig]

There are a few dyno plots floating around multiple car forums(including this one) that show a dramatic hp/tq improvement over stock when using aftermarket headers. My recollection is that it was in the neighborhood of 40/40 gains in hp/tq.

Am I the only one that is perplexed by this? My understanding of the new z06 was that it was fairly well tuned from the factory. I am shocked that just adding headers would make such a significant difference in 'tuned from the factory' sports car.

Was this something chevy did purposely to mask the real potential of the engine?

 

[ak]

emission maybe?

 

[khappucino]

There are a few dyno plots floating around multiple car forums(including this one) that show a dramatic hp/tq improvement over stock when using aftermarket headers. My recollection is that it was in the neighborhood of 40/40 gains in hp/tq.

Am I the only one that is perplexed by this? My understanding of the new z06 was that it was fairly well tuned from the factory. I am shocked that just adding headers would make such a significant difference in 'tuned from the factory' sports car.

Was this something chevy did purposely to mask the real potential of the engine?

maybe its sound output level limited from the factory, also i think that maybe its such a gi-normous gain because the increase in efficiency gains scale with the gi-normous engine size =)

 

[White92]

I'm sure it is an emissions thing. I know alot of the newer cars large engine or small are showing serious gains from a simple header and intake. Emissions regulations are choking the performance out of engines.

I'm sure the Z06 engine is great from the factory. Just like the S2000 engine is already pushed up to the limits. You can't do much internal modding, but adding i/h/e go a long way.

 

[TC]

LG Motorsports has posted details on the LS1tech forum - due to various issues with heat, they felt that their stock baseline of 443 HP was low - had they rerun when the car was cool, it would have been higher. But the LG headers still provided significant improvement - about 30 HP.

Also, if the base engine is delivering 443 HP to the rear wheels, the engine is likely underrated at 505 HP. The engine probably makes 525 HP or better.

One owner took his stock Z06 to the drag strip - 11.7 seconds at 125 mph, on the stock run-flat tires.

http://www.dragtimes.com/Chevrolet-Corvette-Timeslip-6750.html

What really amazes me is that this car gets decent gas mileage. In this months Automobile magazine, they got 19 MPG in mixed driving over a few hundred miles. According to Chevy advertising, the base C6 and the Z06 are the only cars rated at 400 or more that are not EPA gas guzzlers.

 

[White92]

What really amazes me is that this car gets decent gas mileage. In this months Automobile magazine, they got 19 MPG in mixed driving over a few hundred miles. According to Chevy advertising, the base C6 and the Z06 are the only cars rated at 400 or more that are not EPA gas guzzlers.

Someone told me that it doesn't even require premium fuel. Is this true?

 

[TC]

I was just browsing the the Corvette forum and found several people had dyno'ed their new Z06 and published the results - the numbers ranged from 453 (totally stock) to 478 (aftermarket air cleaner). So this engine has to be making closer to 550 HP at the crank - there is no way that the drivetrain loss is only 10%.

 

[NetViper]

One of the magazines said the Z06 motor was pretty much maxed out in terms of HP and not to expect any increases. Guess they were wrong.

What I don't understand is that if it is that easy to slap on some headers and exhaust and make another 40HP, why didn't GM do that in the first place?

 

[White92]

People used to say there was no more power to be had from a VTEC motor at one time too. :smile:

 

[TC]

One of the magazines said the Z06 motor was pretty much maxed out in terms of HP and not to expect any increases. Guess they were wrong.

What I don't understand is that if it is that easy to slap on some headers and exhaust and make another 40HP, why didn't GM do that in the first place?

I saw a similar article, perhaps the same one you are referring to, and it had to do with the small block V8 being maxed out in terms of displacement, not power. That it would be impossible to increase either the bore or stroke of the small block V8 (beyond what Z06 engine specs), which has had the same critical dimensions (bore center spacing, for example) for the past 50 years.

You are right, though, as to why GM would leave 40 easy HP on the table. Perhaps there will be a higher HP factory Z06 in a couple of years.

 

[W]

One of the magazines said the Z06 motor was pretty much maxed out in terms of HP and not to expect any increases. Guess they were wrong.

What I don't understand is that if it is that easy to slap on some headers and exhaust and make another 40HP, why didn't GM do that in the first place?

The car's not all about HP.

 

[Shumdit]

I agree with the earlier post, the reason is that 500 HP will sell plenty, and in a few years when Dodge or someone else trumps it, they will be ready to easily retake the crown. This happened with the C5 Z06 too. This is very common now with the Diesels in the truck market, they are leapfrogging each other every year or two to keep bragging rights.

 

[TC]

This is the golden age of HP - and in the case of a few cars, decent mileage. I read in Autoweek (or maybe Automobile) this week that the next Lambo Muicialogo may have 1000 HP to counter the Veyron. Frick, in a year or two, 500 HP from the factory might be on the low-end of the spectrum for the modern supercar.

 

[NSXLuvr]

Besides if the z06 is 550 HP, then what will be the HP for the blue devil. They have to hold back somewhere so that blue devil at 650 HP or so will be considered a good value at $90k+.

 

[White92]

Besides if the z06 is 550 HP, then what will be the HP for the blue devil. They have to told back somewhere so that blue devil at 650 HP or so will be considered a good value at $90k+.

What's the Blue Devil?

 

[Shumdit]

It's the Super Z06 (S/C is the rumor) that can/will be over 600HP

 

[gheba_nsx]

No end to the HP madness!!