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Unfortunately getting too efficient with aerodynamics also means loss of durability due to overheating. If air passing through a vehicle's radiator does not have a means of escape from the engine bay it leaves parts cooking in a lot of hot air. Rear underbody panels also block off cooling airflow to the transmission and the hardworking differential. Since the Corvette is not just concerned with going fast, but doing so for upwards of 24 hours straight, durability is not a willing sacrifice.
These concerns led to the inclusion of vents in the hood and the rear fenders. The hood vents draw air through the radiator out of the engine bay to keep temperatures under control in abusive conditions. The fender vents channel air through Z51 package available transmission and differential coolers and out the vents in the rear bumper. The vehicle's side vents also connect to rear brake ducting with baffling that directs airflow to the calipers and center of the rotor.
Putting a vehicle through a ground up redesign is an opportunity for weight loss. The Corvette team not only focused on dropping 99 lbs off the frame in the transition from C6 to C7, but also on bringing mass closer to the ground. The C7 is a half inch lower than the C6. It loses high level mass with a switch to carbon fiber in the roof and hood. The fender and door panels are even constructed from composite materials. The diet has not resulted in a sacrifice to chassis stiffness either. The rear wrap around glass is lost, but a rear hoop adds torsional rigidity to the frame instead.
Keeping true to tradition the C7 engineering scrutiny did not do away with the torsional leaf spring suspension or the cam in block V8 engine. Instead they were refined because their inclusion helps the C7 Corvette achieve its extremely low center of gravity. The Corvette suspension setup could initiate an article of its own to explain its dynamics. It provides the Corvette team with significant weight advantages as well as improved packaging for suspension pickup points.
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| Here is a close-up of the front suspension. The transverse spring eliminates the typical coil springs resulting in lower weight and a lower center of gravity. I believe the eccentric bolt is used to adjust the caster. The upper control arm is attached to the chassis in a manner similar to high-end performance cars such as the McLaren 12C (formerly MP4-12C). |
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| A close-up of the rear suspension shows the eccentric bolts used to adjust the alignment. Again, a transverse spring is used reducing mass and the center of gravity. |
