LINGENFELTER SUPERCHARGED CORVETTE E-RAY MAKES 700+ AWD HORSEPOWER AND 800 LB-FT OF TORQUE

Lingenfelter Performance Engineering has broken new ground with the first known supercharger system adapted for Chevy’s Corvette E-Ray — the electrified AWD variant that augments the LT2 V-8 engine at the rear with the pull of an electric motor for the front wheels.

The force-inducted result is an impressive 734 horsepower and 792 lb.-ft. of torque at the wheels, as measured on an all-wheel-drive chassis dyno — increases of approximately 25 percent and 23 percent, respectively, over the baseline numbers recorded on the same dyno.

“Being the first is always risky,” says Lingenfelter’s Mark Rapson. “The key to properly integrating power adders in today’s vehicles is the electronics and the E-Ray takes that to an entirely new level.”

The first step in the project involved removal of the LT2 engine and transaxle, which was performed at Lingenfelter’s facility in Wixom, Michigan.

The project was done in partnership with Paragon Performance for an Iowa-based customer who wanted the first supercharged E-Ray. Lingenenfelter and Magnuson had already collaborated on a supercharger kit for the C8 Corvette and its LT2 engine, but the E-Ray and its unique electric-assist system represented uncharted territory.

Trifecta Performance, which is credited with being the first with a native-tuning solution for the C8 and its complex Global B electrical architecture, was brought in to assist. The E-Ray uses a version of GM’s E99 ECU, but carries additional channels of communication for the electric-assist system.

After removal, the engine was torn down and the original hypereutectic pistons were replaced with forged drop-in pistons from Mahle. The valvetrain was also updated with upgraded springs and pushrods.

“Many hours wear spent with Trifecta and Lingenfelter’s calibration team to write the code that properly integrated the supercharger system,” says Rapson. “The results were amazing and initial tests with the car’s onboard performance system showed 0-60 performance of 2 seconds flat.”

That’s about half a second quicker than Chevrolet’s published estimate and suggests the supercharged E-Ray should run 9s in the quarter-mile.

The blower is the same Lingenfelter-Magnuson TVS2650 used in Lingenfelter’s other C8 Stingray systems. It pushes about 7 pounds of boost into the LT2 engine and is matched with a charge cooler, 95mm throttle body and additional supporting components.

With the supercharger installed, the reassembled powertrain is ready for reinstallation.

On an all-wheel-drive chassis dyno, the supercharged E-Ray’s output at the wheels jumped from the stock-trim 573 hp and 630 lb.-ft. to 734 hp and 792 lb.-ft.

Calibration was the trick with this project and Lingenfelter brought in Trifecta Performance to help make the E-Ray’s unique electrical architecture work with the new supercharger system.

First-Ever Corvette E-Ray with a Supercharged LT2

For the moment, this Iowa-based E-Ray is believed to be the only one out there with forced induction in addition to its electrified AWD system.

In addition to the painstaking calibration work, the supercharger installation involved more than bolting on the Magnuson-based TVS2650 blower. The engine was also upgraded with Mahle forged pistons and Lingenfelter’s C8 valvetrain upgrade (springs and pushrods). And because the E-Ray’s center tunnel was occupied with the battery and other elements of the electric-assist system, repackaging of the supercharger system’s charge-cooling reservoir was required.

Official track tests for this supercharged and electrified C8 are planned, but for the moment it is chewing up the roads in Iowa as the first force-inducted E-Ray.

2024-05-08T13:16:31Z dg43tfdfdgfd