The First 2015 Corvette Z06 to Blow its Engine

Update 1/14/15: Lawdogg’s 2015 Corvette Z06 has been resurrected! Click here to find out the latest.

Update 12/31/14:One engine dies, another is born. Below is a picture of the new LT4 that will be replacing the one that went “kaboom” last Friday, Dec. 26, in Lawdogg149’s 2015 Corvette Z06.

The motor arrived this morning directly from Bowling Green, according to Lawdogg, who updated us on the forum earlier today. “I’m hoping for a speedy install so I can get the 1,500-mile break-in done before the Jan. 10 track event [at Road Atlanta],” Lawdogg said. “Thanks for all the positive comments from people all over the world. So far, GM has done as I have expected them to in this situation.”

All 2015 Corvette Z06 engines are “blown”, as in supercharged, but we only know of one so far that has blown up, and it belongs to Corvette Forum member “lawdogg149“.

Lawdogg tells us on the forum that last Friday, Dec. 26, he experienced catastrophic engine failure in is new, unmodified Z06 with only 891 miles on the odometer. “I was out putting some more miles on the car to get ready for my track event at Road Atlanta Jan. 10 and 11,” Lawdogg said. “While making a pull from 35 mph, I accelerated and shifted short of redline, and boom — the car began knocking. I pulled over and popped the hood. I could hear a loud knock coming from the No. 6 cylinder area along with a serious, grinding, metal-on-metal sound coming from the supercharger area.”

Indeed, that sounds catastrophic.

Yesterday Lawdogg’s servicing dealer confirmed a failure in the No. 6 valvetrain. “[The dealer was] instructed not to tear into the engine because it needs to be evaluated by [GM],” Lawdogg said.

With the 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque the LT4 engine in the 2015 Corvette Z06 offers, the stinging pain I’m feeling in my reproductive organs right now for Lawdogg is only more pronounced.

I wouldn’t feel as much pain if I heard about a 245-hp L98 grenading itself into the afterlife.

Forum member “Denstoy968” describes this pain the best: “You know that feeling you get when you see another guy getting kicked in the balls? I just got that reading this, especially with my Z06 on its way.”

If there is any silver lining to this story, it’s that GM is sending Lawdogg another engine; an expense that will be covered under warranty. If Lawdogg had to pay the $23,999 for that motor, I would weep uncontrollably.

Note: the replacement-part cost for an Audi/Lamborghini V10 is about $25,000.

Lawdogg’s 2015 Corvette Z06 saddened by the loss of its 650 horsepower.

Delete your assumptions that Lawdogg is one of these new-Z06-owning hot shots with no self-control who has been hammering all of heaven and hell out of his car since he took delivery. Lawdogg is well-aware of the 500-mile break-in period, and that it is disadvised to track the Z06 within the first 1,500 miles. “The engine was indeed broken in right,” Lawdogg said, who lives 540 miles away from where he bought the car, and used the drive home to properly break in his new Z06.

Once his Z06 was broken in, though, Lawdogg began to have fun. Monday, I posted an article of his achieving a 3.1-second 0-60 run with a passenger. The impressive blast to 60 mph was captured on his Performance Data Recorder. I’ve shared the video again below. Click here to read more about that zero-to-60 run from Monday’s article.

But as the aluminum 6.2L supercharged LT4 V8 is a first-year engine, this tragedy was bound to happen to someone. Statistics tend to deal a bad card from time to time.

Some people on the forum find the LT4’s failure inexcusable. What do you think? In today’s world of sophisticated technology, should cared-for engines be failing in brand-new cars that are designed with 100,000-mile warranties in mind? Also, what could this mean for the LT4-powered 2016 Cadillac CTS-V?

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

Is the Viper happy or sad for the Z06’s misfortune?

Thanks to “etekberg” for the opening reference and “shayneusmc” for the tip.
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