The new Chevrolet Corvette Z06 debuted last week with the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated V8 in a production car. The performance machine has already generated a lot of buzz, and a new report indicates there could be even more surprises in the cards. Chevy might potentially sell the Z06’s V8 engine as a standalone option for DIY projects, though it needs more time to make a final decision.

GM Authority had the chance to talk with GM’s Director for the Performance and Racing Propulsion Team, Russ O’Blenes, who told the online publication such an option has already been considered by his team. However, the demand for the Corvette Z06 is so strong that the automaker wants to focus on delivering the cars first.

Gallery: 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06

“There’s obviously discussion,” O’Blenes told GM Authority during the 2021 SEMA. “I think right now, the good news is we’re selling I think three years’ worth of sales already on the cars. I’m sure it’s something that we’ll continue to investigate. We’ve done a lot of development with it as we worked really closely with the production team, so we’ve got a really good feel for how to do it.”

The Corvette Z06’s LT6 V8 engine has a displacement of 5.5-liters and delivers an impressive 670 horsepower (500 kilowatts) at 8,400 rpm. The DOHC unit has an all-aluminum construction with a dry sump, a flat-plane crankshaft, and a redline at 8,600 revs. The peak output in terms of torque is rated at 460 pound-feet (623 Newton-meters) at 6,300 rpm. In the most powerful Corvette C8 version so far, the V8 propels the car from a standstill to 60 miles per hour (0-96 kilometers per hour) in just 2.6 seconds.

The Corvette Z06 will go into production in the summer of next year at GM’s Bowling Green Assembly plant. The Performance Build Center located within the factory will be responsible for the assembly of the LT6 unit. Until (and if) Chevrolet decides to bring the V8 engine to the market as a crate engine, customers can choose the 1,004-hp (738 kW) ZZ632 option instead, though it doesn’t come cheap.

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