Watch a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette with nothing more than a custom tune make solid numbers on the dyno.
The C7 Corvette is powered by the new LT1 V8, delivering 455 horsepower and 460lb-ft of torque (460hp and 465tq with the performance exhaust setup). A stock C7 Corvette Stingray packs between 395-420 horsepower at the wheels, depending on a handful of variables including temperature, altitude and the individual dynamometer itself. Figure that “around 400 wheel horsepower” is a good estimate for a stock C7 Stingray.
So, what can a stock C7 put down when the engine computer has been tuned to squeeze a little more power out of the LT1 V8? To be exact, this C7 Corvette laid down 425 horsepower and 425lb-ft of torque at the rear wheels, so assuming the average wheel horsepower rating of 400-ish, this particular Stingray picked up somewhere in the area of 25 wheel horsepower from just a tune.
Figure that if the fully stock C7 Corvette Stingray with the automatic transmission makes around 400 wheel horsepower, it is burning up about 60 horsepower between the crankshaft and the wheels – accounting for a drivetrain loss ratio of about 13%. If we apply that 13% loss ratio to this Corvette, 425 wheel horsepower and 425lb-ft of wheel torque would equate to roughly 488 horsepower and 488lb-ft of torque at the crankshaft, so with nothing more than an engine computer tune, this Corvette gained close to 30 horsepower and 25lb-ft of torque.
Finally, in addition to showing us what kind of power a C7 Corvette Stingray can gain from just a tune, this video gives us a great chance to hear the LT1 roar, so crank up your speakers and enjoy!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
