2008 Corvette Ligenfelter
Discussion
2006 Lingenfelter Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Twin Turbo - Feature
Fifth Place: Zero to 200 and Back
Street drivability: 3 stars
Zero to 200 mph: DNF
¼-mile: DNF
200-to-0-mph braking: DNF
Total time, 0 to 200 to 0 mph: DNF
After witnessing what the Lingenfelter boys went through this time around, we’ve stopped believing that you can make your own luck. The twin-turbo Vette that was an early favorite couldn’t get a break on race day, and two seemingly innocuous occurrences made the car the lone DNF.
In fact, the car was dubbed a "science project" for all its tubes, solenoids, cooling tanks, electronics, and air tanks. Onlookers, giving the car the once-over, inevitably muttered, "Hey, whazzat?"
Obtaining big horsepower is not the most difficult task in this competition. What’s tough is getting all that power to the pavement without uselessly smoking the tires. Compared with the mid-engined Ford GT, the Corvette has an inherent disadvantage because less of its weight is on the rear tires. So the Lingenfelter crew developed a system that limits the amount of engine horsepower available when the transmission is in the first three gears and the car is most likely to melt down the tires. The system relies on compressed nitrogen to control the turbo waste gates and limit the amount of turbo boost. In first gear, boost is limited to 6.0 psi; then it successively ramps up with each gear selection. By fourth gear, it’s making 15.5 psi.
Another useful modification was the switch from the standard final-drive ratio (3.42:1) to a taller (2:73:1) rear end that, combined with a redline 500 rpm higher (7500) than standard, allowed the Vette to reach 200 mph in fourth gear. Every other car had to perform a time-consuming shift to fifth or sixth somewhere north of 140 mph.
Getting a good launch was plenty difficult because the 7.0-liter V-8 still produced about 750 horsepower in first gear. The engine block was a stock LS7 Z06 unit, true enough, but the internals had been completely replaced with stouter pieces and a second fuel system, and a set of injectors was added to satisfy the extra fuel appetite. A pair of pumpkin-sized turbos that flanked the engine didn’t sit flush with it, so a new hood was shaped to provide clearance. The engine-modification list covers a full page, but you need to know two things: 1109 horsepower—the most here—and to replicate this engine, expect a $186,515 bill.
Another 35 grand and change were spent on a Baer big-brake kit, LPE-Penske shocks, a Corsa exhaust, and a dual-disc clutch. The cost of the Z06 combined with the mods: $288,540.
Working against automotive bliss were a hugely stiff clutch, an overly firm ride, and having to crawl around the safety cage just to get inside. Although definitely acceptable as a daily driver, this car and the Saleen were the least civilized of the bunch.
Trouble for the Lingenfelter car began on its maiden run. The company’s driver flubbed the two-three shift, effectively ending that run. On the second run, everything looked fine, and then a small aircraft swooped down and tried, but failed, to hang with this killer Vette. We mention the plane because of what happened next: Our VBOX test equipment didn’t record that run. We theorized that perhaps the plane had interfered with the antenna. That’s an unlikely story, but it’s the only one we have. The tragedy was that the Vette was unable to make another run, with the engine making some very unhealthy noises after run No. 2.
Since the engine bay is so packed with turbos, intercoolers, ducts, etc., that it takes six hours to replace the spark plugs, a fix was not attempted. Back home in Decatur, Indiana, the crew determined that when its driver missed the shift, the engine revved wildly to 8878—about a grand past redline—and cracked a piston and a valve.
We had a hard time sleeping after that, wondering what exactly this Vette could do, so we gave the Lingenfelter crew a second chance. Four weeks later, we returned to Oscoda for a retest, even though we’d decided it wouldn’t be fair to include these results in the main competition. You’ll have to read the sidebar on the last page to get the numbers, but here’s a teaser: More surprises follow.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive,
2-passenger, 3-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED: $288,540 (base price*: $272,040)
MODS:
Engine/Transmission: $186,515
Suspension: $4390
Brakes: $6440
Wheels/Tires: $9005
Body/Interior: $16,500
ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 428 cu in, 7019cc
Power (C/D est): 1109 bhp @ 6350 rpm
Torque (C/D est): 932 lb-ft @ 6200 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
FRONT BRAKES: Baer 14.0 x 1.3-in vented, cross-drilled discs; Baer 6-piston calipers
REAR BRAKES: Baer 14.0 x 1.3-in vented, cross-drilled discs; Baer 6-piston calipers
BRAKE PADS: Pagid
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 105.7 in
Length: 176.0 in
Width: 75.9 in
Height: 48.0 in
Curb weight: 3701 lb
Weight distribution, F/R: 52.4/47.6%
Fifth Place: Zero to 200 and Back
Street drivability: 3 stars
Zero to 200 mph: DNF
¼-mile: DNF
200-to-0-mph braking: DNF
Total time, 0 to 200 to 0 mph: DNF
After witnessing what the Lingenfelter boys went through this time around, we’ve stopped believing that you can make your own luck. The twin-turbo Vette that was an early favorite couldn’t get a break on race day, and two seemingly innocuous occurrences made the car the lone DNF.
In fact, the car was dubbed a "science project" for all its tubes, solenoids, cooling tanks, electronics, and air tanks. Onlookers, giving the car the once-over, inevitably muttered, "Hey, whazzat?"
Obtaining big horsepower is not the most difficult task in this competition. What’s tough is getting all that power to the pavement without uselessly smoking the tires. Compared with the mid-engined Ford GT, the Corvette has an inherent disadvantage because less of its weight is on the rear tires. So the Lingenfelter crew developed a system that limits the amount of engine horsepower available when the transmission is in the first three gears and the car is most likely to melt down the tires. The system relies on compressed nitrogen to control the turbo waste gates and limit the amount of turbo boost. In first gear, boost is limited to 6.0 psi; then it successively ramps up with each gear selection. By fourth gear, it’s making 15.5 psi.
Another useful modification was the switch from the standard final-drive ratio (3.42:1) to a taller (2:73:1) rear end that, combined with a redline 500 rpm higher (7500) than standard, allowed the Vette to reach 200 mph in fourth gear. Every other car had to perform a time-consuming shift to fifth or sixth somewhere north of 140 mph.
Getting a good launch was plenty difficult because the 7.0-liter V-8 still produced about 750 horsepower in first gear. The engine block was a stock LS7 Z06 unit, true enough, but the internals had been completely replaced with stouter pieces and a second fuel system, and a set of injectors was added to satisfy the extra fuel appetite. A pair of pumpkin-sized turbos that flanked the engine didn’t sit flush with it, so a new hood was shaped to provide clearance. The engine-modification list covers a full page, but you need to know two things: 1109 horsepower—the most here—and to replicate this engine, expect a $186,515 bill.
Another 35 grand and change were spent on a Baer big-brake kit, LPE-Penske shocks, a Corsa exhaust, and a dual-disc clutch. The cost of the Z06 combined with the mods: $288,540.
Working against automotive bliss were a hugely stiff clutch, an overly firm ride, and having to crawl around the safety cage just to get inside. Although definitely acceptable as a daily driver, this car and the Saleen were the least civilized of the bunch.
Trouble for the Lingenfelter car began on its maiden run. The company’s driver flubbed the two-three shift, effectively ending that run. On the second run, everything looked fine, and then a small aircraft swooped down and tried, but failed, to hang with this killer Vette. We mention the plane because of what happened next: Our VBOX test equipment didn’t record that run. We theorized that perhaps the plane had interfered with the antenna. That’s an unlikely story, but it’s the only one we have. The tragedy was that the Vette was unable to make another run, with the engine making some very unhealthy noises after run No. 2.
Since the engine bay is so packed with turbos, intercoolers, ducts, etc., that it takes six hours to replace the spark plugs, a fix was not attempted. Back home in Decatur, Indiana, the crew determined that when its driver missed the shift, the engine revved wildly to 8878—about a grand past redline—and cracked a piston and a valve.
We had a hard time sleeping after that, wondering what exactly this Vette could do, so we gave the Lingenfelter crew a second chance. Four weeks later, we returned to Oscoda for a retest, even though we’d decided it wouldn’t be fair to include these results in the main competition. You’ll have to read the sidebar on the last page to get the numbers, but here’s a teaser: More surprises follow.
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive,
2-passenger, 3-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED: $288,540 (base price*: $272,040)
MODS:
Engine/Transmission: $186,515
Suspension: $4390
Brakes: $6440
Wheels/Tires: $9005
Body/Interior: $16,500
ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 428 cu in, 7019cc
Power (C/D est): 1109 bhp @ 6350 rpm
Torque (C/D est): 932 lb-ft @ 6200 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
FRONT BRAKES: Baer 14.0 x 1.3-in vented, cross-drilled discs; Baer 6-piston calipers
REAR BRAKES: Baer 14.0 x 1.3-in vented, cross-drilled discs; Baer 6-piston calipers
BRAKE PADS: Pagid
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 105.7 in
Length: 176.0 in
Width: 75.9 in
Height: 48.0 in
Curb weight: 3701 lb
Weight distribution, F/R: 52.4/47.6%
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