Higher-performance variants of Chevrolet’s mid-engine Corvette are on the horizon, and automotive media is already abuzz with what’s to come. Today, the newest agitator of C8 Z06 hype hit the internet, as word is that the new amped-up ‘Vette will feature aerodynamics wholesale superior to those found on the pinnacle C7 ZR1.
Citing “sources familiar with the project,” GM Authority alleges that the C8 Z06 will feature a larger rear wing than the C7 ZR1. It’s also said to produce more downforce than the wing on the C7 ZR1, but less drag, which points to a possible “swan neck” configuration. Swan neck rear wings use arching supports to mount the wing from above rather than below, decreasing airflow disruption in the wing’s low-pressure area while minimally impacting airflow characteristics on the upper, high-pressure side. All in all, it’s a more efficient design.
GM Authority reports that the C8 Z06’s wing doesn’t take after the more traditional wing design seen on the Corvette C8.R race car (top), but more closely resembles that seen on the Koenigsegg Agera RS hypercar. The Z06’s dev group is supposedly strongly considering this wing for standard equipment on the car, whose launch is speculated to be somewhere around two years out.
Few details of future C8 variants are known, though test mules have been spotted with high-voltage charge ports, leading to expectations of hybrid Corvettes somewhere down the line. Additionally, GM has all but confirmed that a twin-cam V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft will at some point power a road-going Corvette in addition to the C8.R race car. Current rumors pin this as the engine that’ll power the Z06, but until GM says so itself, take all rumors of new Corvette models with a grain of salt.
The Drive contacted GM for a statement on its plans surrounding future high-performance Corvette variants, and we will update when we receive comment.
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