Mid-Engine Corvette: Patent Hints at Potential Active Aero Bits

The countdown is underway–GM will debut the 2020 Corvette Corvette on July 18. Among the very few concrete details we have, it will bear a new logo and sport a mid-engine layout. Countless pieces of the puzzle remain up in the air, such as whether or not it will receive turbochargers and dual overhead cams. Adding more questions to the list, GM recently received a patent for an active aero system that we think could make its way to the new ‘Vette.

Issued on June 11, the patent details a system with “an air deflector moveably mounted to the vehicle body.” According to the document, sensors measure the distance to the ground, and this determines how the air deflectors are positioned. The system includes “a mechanism configured to selectively vary a height of the air deflector relative to the road surface and a position of the air deflector relative to the vehicle body to thereby control a movement of the ambient airflow relative the vehicle body.” The patent was uncovered earlier this week by MidEngineCorvetteForum.com, so head over there to check out the full document.

While the text doesn’t mention the Corvette specifically, sketches in the patent clearly show this sports car. Another aero bit that could make its way to the Corvette is an adjustable splitter system, of which one portion is fixed to the vehicle body and a second one moves to improve airflow. GM has filed for a separate patent related to this technology.

It’s likely the mid-engine Corvette will feature a dual-overhead-cam twin-turbo V-8 driving the rear wheels. We don’t know how much power the car will make, but it should offer 4.2-liter and 5.5-liter displacement versions. Earlier this year, we saw the interior of a Corvette prototype, sporting a new two-spoke steering wheel, a control knob for the infotainment screen, and a long row of climate controls on the right side of the center console. We’ll have to wait and see if all these details will make it to production.

Source: MidEngineCorvetteForum.com

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