Auburn Hills, Michigan, September 23, 2024 – BorgWarner, a global product leader in delivering innovative and sustainable mobility solutions, has solidified an agreement to deliver its turbochargers for use on the General Motors Corvette ZR1 sports car platform, marking the largest passenger car twin turbochargers in the market to be released to date. Paired with the automaker’s 5.5-liter flat plane crankshaft V8 engine, this “unthinkable” Corvette is capable of 1,064 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque.
The automaker selected BorgWarner’s twin ball bearing turbochargers as a result of the company’s extensive work and reputation with the NTT INDYCAR SERIES and ability to provide turbochargers that function at the highest levels. The turbochargers feature a 76mm forged milled compressor wheel with ported shroud and a 67mm turbine wheel inside a mono scroll turbine housing for maximum efficiency. The turbocharger integrates an exhaust manifold with equal length runners to amplify engine performance and better tune noise.
“We are proud to secure this contract and support General Motors in making the most powerful Corvette ever built. This technology has been in the works for some time now and to see it come to fruition is both exciting and fulfilling,” said Dr. Volker Weng, Vice President of BorgWarner Inc. and President and General Manager, Turbos and Thermal Technologies. “BorgWarner and General Motors have a long history of producing market-leading applications across a wide range of segments, and we look forward to continuing to develop new technologies and push industry boundaries together.”
The new turbochargers also contain a compressor-mounted blade pass speed sensor, allowing General Motors to accurately monitor how quickly the turbo is operating, enabling the vehicle to utilize 100 percent of its turbo capabilities without compromising the integrity of the part. Additionally, the technology incorporates a patented decoupled ball bearing system capable of a faster response time than traditional journal bearings, all while limiting noise transmission and maximizing durability.
Designed and manufactured in the United States, the turbochargers are designed to withstand extremely high temperatures with zero-clearance heat shielding on the turbine housing to improve thermal efficiency and prevent excessive engine compartment temperatures. They also feature an electronically actuated wastegate system that enables General Motors’ anti-lag calibration.
The turbochargers have a small Gemini rocket insignia cast on the face, paying homage to General Motors’ history with NASA’s Project Gemini missions in the 1960s and the astronaut’s relationship with the Chevrolet Corvette.