Recent GM Patent Filing Suggests That the New ZR1 Could Receive Active Aero

The active aero system could be similar to what is used on the Pagani Huayra hypercar.

The Corvette world is waiting with bated breath for the release of the C8 Corvette ZR1. There has been speculation about the engine design, and power output. We salivate every time there is a new sound clip captured of a ZR1 test mule. We stare at the camouflaged concept car pictures trying to make out every last detail. And now we have another nugget of information to chew on. As first reported by CarBuzz, General Motors has recently filed a patent with the United States Patent and Trademark Office that hints at an active aero system that could be deployed on the new ZR1. Or perhaps even the Zora. We don’t know for sure, but it is sure fun to speculate.

While we don’t yet know all the details around the C8 ZR1 or Zora, we do know one thing. And that is that those cars will produce incredible power. They will likely be the most powerful Corvettes ever created. The Zora may make as much as 1,000 horsepower. And with power figures like that, the cars are going to need all the aerodynamic help they can get in order to stay planted on the ground. So, it makes sense that GM would be looking to develop an active aero package for its new top dog Corvettes. The system that is described in the patent is similar to the setup used in the multi-million-dollar Pagani Huayra hypercar. To see similar technology on a car that will cost a tiny fraction of the Huayra would be an impressive accomplishment.

Huayra Active Aero Approach

In the Huayra there is a control unit that monitors the behavior of the car. It considers variables such as speed, steering angle, yaw rate, and lateral and longitudinal acceleration. Based on those variables the system can determine in milliseconds which wheels require more downforce to keep the car balanced. It can then activate four individual aerodynamic surfaces. It can also be used to raise the aerodynamic surfaces to act as air brakes in an emergency stopping situation.

Corvette Active Aero Approach

The Corvette solution appears to be similar to the Huayra, except the GM patent mentions only a front wing and rear wing aspect rather than the four panels used on the Pagani. That seems to be the only real physical difference. Of course, the software calibrations for the Corvette will also differ from the Huayra. In some ways the GM system may be even more advanced. The patent makes mention of the system using the aero panels in conjunction with the electronic limited slip differential. The Huayra system does not consider the power going to each wheel.

ZR1 Aerodynamics

On the C7 ZR1 equipped with the ZTK Performance Package the large rear wing created 950 pounds of downforce at top speed. That was the most downforce for any production Corvette. And that was great for handling, but it did reduce top speed. If the C8 ZR1 or Zora gets the active aero system as described in the patent filing, it will be the most advanced aero system the Corvette has ever seen and will help it achieve some truly astonishing performance figures. As if it was not already hard enough to wait for the formal reveal of these new models. Now we have another detail to obsess over.

Images: Chevrolet; Pagani

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