Will 2022 Chevrolet Corvette get the Walkinshaw treatment? C8 Stingray and Z06 could take V8 performance to next level with huge supercharger

Walkinshaw Performance already sells aftermarket accessories, including a supercharger kit, for GMSV’s other Chevrolet model, the ‘remanufactured’ Silverado full-size pick-up, so will it do the same with the soon-to-be-released factory C8 Corvette mid-engine supercar?

Asked by CarsGuide if Walkinshaw Performance would offer a similar range for the all-new Corvette, Walkinshaw Group general manager Rick Perchold said: “I would never say no.

“And, in essence, we’ve had a number of, I guess, aftermarket businesses within the US approach us here in Australia, which is great that we’re being perceived across the globe as market leaders in the aftermarket accessory space.

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“So, we have spoken about what we could potentially do with that vehicle. From a business-case perspective, do the numbers support that? I’m not so sure about that at this point in time. But we’d definitely love to do something there.”

Mr Perchold added that confirmed and would-be Corvette buyers are already asking Walkinshaw Performance if it plans on offering aftermarket accessories, including a supercharger kit, but not in great enough numbers to justify the business case – yet.

“Typically, if we’re to build performance products like that, it could take 12 or 18 months to get that to market,” he said.

“So, are we going to meet the timeline to market? Does the volume expectation support that as a business?

“Or are we better off to, I guess, collaborate as such with an American performance company and be a support network for them, just to cater for that demand here in Australia?”

Australian deliveries of the C8 Corvette's entry-level Stingray are due to start in the coming weeks.

But even in the scenario of selling and fitting existing products, there’s still a chance Walkinshaw Performance would “further develop or enhance what is on offer”, according to Mr Perchold.

Time will tell what happens, but Walkinshaw Performance has quite the base to potentially work with, with the Corvette currently available with two naturally aspirated petrol V8 engines: a 370KW/640Nm 6.2-litre LT2 (Stingray) and a 500kW/623Nm 5.5-litre LT6 (Z06).

As reported, Australian deliveries of the entry-level Stingray (from $144,990 plus on-road costs) are due to start in the coming weeks, while the flagship Z06 (yet to be priced) is due to launch in late 2022 at the earliest.