The split rear window was only part of the Chevrolet Corvette’s history for the blink of an eye, but it has become one of the most revered Corvette rarities. It’s back for the 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1, and it isn’t just some tacky cosmetic throwback like the Dodge Challenger was. Nope: It’s now a fully functional part of the Corvette’s aero package.
Its inclusion was explained by Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter, who has raised Chevy‘s favorite son since 2006. Not offered since the model year 1963 debut of the C2, the split window returns as a carbon fiber “spine” down the engine lid, available either in body color or with exposed carbon fiber weave. It’s louvered to not just reduce its impact on rear visibility, but also because it helps evacuate heat from the ZR1’s Thai-hot engine bay. According to Chevy, the turbochargers reach about two-thirds of the Space Shuttle‘s body during atmospheric reentry—or about 1,000ºF.
“It’s all about getting the heat out of the engine compartment,” Juechter told The Drive. “When this car stops after being hot on the track, it’s just generating so much heat, it’s mind-boggling. When we go on our ride trips, you can see the heat sort of boiling out, and when somebody takes off hard, so much hot air comes out of the exhaust it’s like the whole car disappears into a mirage. You can see all these heatwaves coming out.”
Surprisingly, Juechter pointed out that the detail had already been snuck into the C8 prior to the ZR1. This style of vented engine hatch has been used on C8 race cars for years, but nobody noticed until GM said something about it.
“We’ve had the split window, the additional engine compartment venting, on the C8.R the whole time,” Juechter added. “People see it but it just hasn’t registered. It’s a road car, but the venting strategy is the same.”
There may yet be another reason for the split window’s reintroduction, though. Back in 2019 before the C8 was revealed, rumors circulated that the car had been delayed due to structural shortcomings. Namely, prototype ZR1s’ frames were supposedly bending enough to strain the engine hatch, causing the glass to break. The chassis presumably would’ve been beefed up in some spots, and the extra rigidity offered by carbon fiber might keep stress off what glass remains. If any of this is true, anyway, as GM did not reply to an inquiry requesting confirmation or denial.
But no matter the reason, the split window is back, and it’s probably here to stay for longer than the C2 ever had it. The C8 is supposed to stick around until about 2028, which also gives the rumored Zora hyper-hybrid plenty of time to reign supreme. We’re looking at 1,000-plus horsepower and an electrified front axle—as if the ZR1 didn’t stake its claim as a hypercar firmly enough. The greatest road-going Corvette in history is yet to come, and it too will probably carry the split-window torch forward.
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