What type of crankshaft does the 2023 Corvette Z06's V8 have?

The 2023 Corvette Z06’s V8 has a flat-plane crankshaft. Its 5.5-liter LT6 is a naturally aspirated, dual-overhead-cam V8 built to rev far higher than the traditional pushrod Corvette engines that came before it.

A flat-plane crankshaft places the crankpins in a flat, 180-degree arrangement rather than the 90-degree arrangement typical of a cross-plane V8. That design reduces rotating inertia and supports more even exhaust pulses between the cylinder banks, helping the LT6 breathe efficiently at high engine speeds.

The LT6 reaches an 8,600-rpm redline and produces 670 horsepower at 8,400 rpm. It also uses a dry-sump oiling system, forged aluminum pistons, titanium connecting rods, and dual overhead camshafts. These choices give the Z06 a sharper, higher-pitched character than the cross-plane LT2 V8 in the regular C8 Stingray.

“Firing plane” is not the name of a crankshaft type, and “single-plane crank” is not the standard term used here. Cross-plane crankshafts remain common in American V8s, but the C8 Z06’s LT6 deliberately breaks with that tradition.