If you’ve been paying attention lately, you know that the Lamborghini Huracan Performante made that amazing, record-setting lap time at the Nurburgring. You should also know that it was able to complete that lap thanks to an active aero system that is known as “Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva,” a system that allows the car to remain a little loose in the straightaways while achieving maximum downforce when cornering. Well, Lambo is the only brand that has been working hard on active aero systems as Chevy has also been hard at work, and according to a patent that was published on March 23, 2017, the Corvette could be the first in line to get the GM designed, active aero system.

That’s right; the patent itself gives a pretty fair breakdown of the system but shows that it has been designed around the Corvette. And, that points to something really important: A hardcore track-focused Corvette could be in the works! Of course, we don’t know this for sure, and like some patents, this one could fizzle away into nothing. Autoguide even contacted Chevy Communications to ask about the active aero system, and the only response it received was “We have no comment at this time.”

So what does this active aero system consist of? Well, keep reading to learn more about it.

Continue reading for the full story.

The Bits and Pieces That Matter

According to the patent, the system consists of an “adjustable aerodynamic-aid element” that is mounted somewhere on the body and configured to control aerodynamics. This would likely be based on speed and various driver inputs, among other things. This “element” would be able to adjust based on the position of the vehicle body (think body roll) and ultimately control the movement of ambient airflow in relation to the position of the vehicle body. Other aids mentioned include an adjustable air dam, splitter, diffuser, shutter, and rear spoiler – all of which could work in conjunction with the new aerodynamic system. All of which will be adjusted based on vehicle ride height as determined by a special sensor.

And, it’s quite unfortunate, but the Corvette in the patent images is a front-engined model. We were hoping that this patent would hint toward the mid-engined Zora ZR1, but so far it doesn’t appear that way. However, it’s quite possible, that this system will make it onto the Zora if it ever does become a reality – after all, it’s going to be Chevy’s very own supercar, and it will need all the help it can get on the track. For now, that’s all we really know about this new active aero system, but in the future, lesser iterations of this technology could find its way to non-track oriented cars like the Chevy Impala and Chevy Cruze. In this case, it would be far less extreme but could pose some benefit to fuel economy figures if implemented correctly. What do you think? Is Chevy working on an even more track-oriented Corvette or is this patent representative of technology we’ll see on the next-gen model? Let us know in the comments section below.