C8 Corvette Raybestos Powertrain GPZ Clutches Can Handle Huge Power

Available for pre-order, Raybestos’s GPZ clutches for the C8 Corvette provide a big upgrade over stock.

While we’re still waiting for someone (anyone?) to crack the ECU of the C8 Corvette, plenty of folks have still managed to coax impressive power out of the car’s LT2 V8. And in the process, a few of them have broken transmissions and axles. The stock Tremec dual-clutch gearbox is rated to handle up to 590 pound-feet of torque, which obviously isn’t a lot. However, there is a new solution for those that desire more.

Raybestos Powertrain just rolled out its new GPZ clutches for the C8 Corvette, and they’ve already been track-proven in Extreme Turbo Systems’ 1,021 horsepower, 9-second C8. The parts maker says that its clutches improve both transmission performance and durability by using a state-of-the-art friction material that far exceeds OEM material to withstand high stress, high temperatures, and repeated cycling.

Obviously, that makes the GPZ clutches suitable for both heavy-duty vehicles and high-stress driving. Like, you know, drag racing. According to Raybestos, the friction material in its GPZ clutches outperforms OEM materials by as much as 20%, and even offers smoother gear engagements to boot. They know all of this because they’ve tested their product against pretty much everything out there, and they have the data to back it up.

As of right now, Raybestos Powertrain’s GPZ clutches for the C8 Corvette are available to pre-order, but aren’t currently priced. There are other options out there in the aftermarket, including Dodson Motorsport’s kit, which costs a hair under $4,300. That particular kit is rated to handle up to 800 pound-feet, however, while the GPZ kit can obviously take over four digits and keep on ticking.

The clutches in the C8’s Tremec TR-9080 transmission are one of the car’s few weak points, so we imagine that aftermarket solutions will continue to surface. After all, that’s what the aftermarket does. And our never-ending quest for power and lower E.T.s will also inevitably lead to more workarounds for the first-ever mid-engine Corvette, especially with an array of new, higher-performance variants on the way in the coming years.

Photos: Raybestos Powertrain

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