Rob Loszewski
The new Ford GT may not be the only American made sports car to feature active aerodynamics.
On May 24, 2016, General Motors filed a patent application entitled “Vehicle Ride-Height Determination for Control of Vehicle Aerodynamics” and just published on March 23, 2017. The application details and active aerodynamics system on a Corvette.
Along with various diagrams of a C7 Corvette used in the patent, the abstract is as follows:
A system is configured to control aerodynamics of a vehicle. The vehicle includes a vehicle body having a front end facing an ambient airflow when the vehicle is in motion relative to a road surface. The system includes an adjustable aerodynamic-aid element mounted to the vehicle body. The system also includes a mechanism configured to vary a position of the adjustable aerodynamic-aid element relative to the vehicle body and thereby control movement of the airflow. The system additionally includes a sensor configured to detect a height of the vehicle body relative to a predetermined reference frame and a controller configured to receive a signal from the sensor indicative of the detected vehicle body height. The controller is also configured to determine a ride-height of the vehicle using the detected vehicle body height and to regulate the mechanism in response to the determined ride-height to control aerodynamics of the vehicle.
The system sounds very similar to the one now in use on the Lamborghini Huracan Performante which just recently debuted and broke a Nurburgring record.
If Corvette Engineers are in the process of developing an active aerodynamic system for the Corvette, it seems logical it would debut on the upcoming 2019 mid-engine Corvette. However, after taking a look at some of the spy shots of the 2018 Corvette ZR1 with two different styles of rear wings and what looks like a larger front lip similar to the one shown in the patent diagram, we can’t help but wonder if some form of an active aerodynamic system could debut on the C7 Corvette.
It will be interesting to see what happens!
Download the patent application below.
GM Active Aerodynamics Patent Application
