C8 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Spotted Making Exotic Flat-Plane V8 Noises

Having already edged away from traditional sports car territory with its mid-engined layout, the C8 Chevrolet Corvette is set to move even closer to the realm of supercars. Appearing to confirm rumours that first emerged last year, the C8 test mule you see here was filmed making an unmistakable flat-plane V8 noise.

A flat-plane crankshaft evens out a V8’s firing order across the cylinder banks, meaning you lose the characteristic burble but gain an angry shriek. Flat-plane V8s are also lighter and keener to rev, hence why Ferrari is so keen on using the setup in its eight-cylinder supercars.

The car Chevrolet is testing under all that camouflage - which was spotted near San Diago by a member of the public - is most likely the next Corvette Z06. It’s set to use an engine related to the C8.R (above), which you’ll see making a racing debut at Daytona this weekend. The Z06 will probably use the same Tremec eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox as the C8 Stingray.

Speaking of, the entry-level Corvette (below) is hardly a slouch. Its LT2 6.2-litre V8 - an evolution of the pushrod LT1 - develops 488bhp, making for a 0-62mph time of under three seconds. A pretty good starting point for the Z06 to improve upon.

The very first production example of the C8 Corvette Stingray was recently sold for $3 million at auction, despite not being built yet.