Reverse False Advertising? C8 Corvette WAY Over Delivers on the Dyno

If there’s one thing that we can attest to that certainly no secret, it’s that numbers sell cars. Depending on what the car is, the numbers might change. However, automotive manufacturers always make sure to mention it when they’re the best in class. For example, someone looking into a vehicle to do a little of towing will look into torque numbers. On the other hand, a daily driver might be sold in a high-capacity based on its fuel economy numbers.

This time, we head to the sports car category. It’s certainly no secret that horsepower is the number here that ends up moving units. With a whole slew of new vehicles coming to light, we certainly have an eye on the horsepower wars that have risen once again. Apparently, Chevrolet didn’t really have much interest in entering in these horsepower wars with the latest base model Corvette. Instead, they advertise the car as making 495 hp to the crank along with 470 torque.

Naturally, once these numbers make their way from the crank to the tire, the number will be less. Every car loses some power between the crank and the tire due to friction. Therefore, when the car makes its way to the dyno, we would expect less than 495/470. However, when Motor Trend got their hands on the car, they found exactly the opposite. Instead, the machine would make 558 hp to the tires and 515 lb-ft. This is certainly a shocker to anyone who understands how these things work. In fact, the number inferred that the machine made 650 hp to the crank instead of the advertised 495. That’s a 150 hp discrepancy for those doing the math.

So why would General Motors undersell this car so much? Was this some grand mistakes? Could a publication like Motor Trend have gotten the test wrong? Well, it turns out that none of the above are true. By following along with the video below, we get the rundown on the dyno numbers and how exactly they came out the way that they did. In any case, we have to say that we are incredibly excited to see what the Corvettes finally does do once enthusiasts start to get into these things!