Chevrolet’s overhaul of the Corvette with its C8 iteration has found its way into the hearts of enthusiasts alike across the world. The Corvette C8 sounds like a supercar, looks like a supercar, and now it will act like a supercar with new equipment unveiled at SEMA this year. The recently-announced Corvette C8 Z06 will have the world’s most powerful naturally aspirated V8 at 670 horsepower, so it stands to reason the car should have adjustable flaps to help it handle the power while gliding through corners. Thankfully Victor Racing is here to give the Corvette C8 such technology.
The world’s first active aero Corvette
The Chevrolet Corvette C8 holds many firsts. It’s the first Corvette with a mid-mounted engine, the first Corvette with a flat-plane crankshaft (Z06), and now it’ll be the first Corvette to have active aerodynamics. While a fixed wing may not provide enough stability at low speeds and too much drag at high speeds, Victor Racing’s active aero can morph in real-time, adjusting to the car’s need. This sort of technology is present in super and hypercars and perfected on the Formula 1 world stage
Lots of carbon fiber with Formula 1 settings
Called the ACT-C8 Smart Active Wing, Victor Racing’s Chevrolet Corvette C8 wing has several positions, including a drag reduction system setting (DRS) and a few different positions for increased downforce, as well as aerobraking. These are all presets programmable by the user, so says Victor Racing. In other words, the user can set the wing to change positions depending on the current speed.
The wing uses two actuators designed for use with heavy downforce loads, as well as a computer with an accelerometer and gyroscopic sensors. It will use the accelerometer for the aerobraking feature, which allows the user to set the G-force threshold under heavy braking.
The wing has a demo, manual, and an automatic mode. Demo mode is for display purposes, while automatic mode lets the computer and sensors control the wing according to the user’s preferences. Manual mode is there for the driver to feel more like an F1 driver, so they can activate the aero with the press of a button.
Victor Racing’s Chevrolet Corvette C8 wing is surprisingly affordable
The ACT-C8 wing ships starting December 1 of this year for $3,499, which isn’t a lot. All the owner needs to provide is 12v power, without the need of hacking up the car’s wiring harness, and the wing does the rest. All C8 models can use Victor Racing’s active wing. While multiple cars, including the Mitsubishi 3000GT, have had aerodynamics in the past, only supercars tend to have more effective active aerodynamics now.
This kit from Victor Racing lands the Chevrolet Corvette C8 in the company of cars like the Lamborghini Huracan Performante, the Ferrari LaFerrari, and the Pagani Huayra. Granted, the technology may behave differently, but the Corvette is now getting in on equipment normally reserved for cars priced at $1million.
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