More and more pieces of the C8 Chevrolet Corvette puzzle are coming together.
The latest concerns a trademark filing made by General Motors Company [NYSE:GM] for the use of the “LT5” name on automotive engines.
First identified by GM Authority, the filing was made with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on September 19, 2016. It follows an earlier filing made by GM in 2013.
Linking LT5 with the C8 Corvette is a placeholder page on the website of engine builder Katech that surfaced in July and was quickly removed upon discovery. On the page was listed "C8 Corvette ZR1/Zora” and “2018+ Corvette ZR1/Zora LT5.”
2019 Chevrolet Corvette (C8) spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
Katech has a long history with GM, including building high-performance engines for Corvette Racing, so it wouldn’t be odd for the Michigan-based company to be helping develop engines for the C8 Corvette.
But what exactly is the LT5? While we can’t be sure, the name hints at the next-stage of performance for the current LT family of small-block V-8s from GM. The LT4 is a supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 delivering as much as 650 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque. We’d expect the LT5 to be delivering even higher numbers.
The C8 Corvette is expected to make its debut at the 2018 Detroit auto show, as a 2019 model. Prototypes suggest the car will feature a mid-engine layout, a first for a production Corvette. We've also heard that the car may skip a manual transmission.
Before the arrival of the C8, though, GM will launch a C7 Corvette more potent than the current Z06 model, and this could be the model to debut the LT5. The car has also been spied and is expected to revive the ZR1 name. It should make its debut at the 2017 Detroit auto show next January.
