Following an FCC filing for the key fob, a new patent application sheds more light on the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8.
It looks like new Vette will feature a unique design for the rear hatch that will aid engine cooling, given the sports car’s mid-ship layout. Since GM has deemed it necessary to file a patent application for the engine cover, there’s probably something special about it, right?
The sketches you see are from a filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, and were discovered by Road&Track. Titled “Venting Module for Vehicle Compartment Cover Assembly,” the engine cover is officially referred to as “vented engine hood assemblies for motor vehicles with a rear-engine or a mid-engine layout.“
The hatch consists of a glass component in the center, surrounded by a frame that is perforated in order to allow cooling the engine compartment. This explains why the Corvette C8 test prototypes we’ve seen so far lacked camouflage foil over the engine cover — otherwise, the engine would have overheated.
The patent filing goes into specific details, such as the fact that the venting assembly can be made from magnesium mesh in some configurations. Chevrolet is known to use the lightweight, strong metal in the current-generation Corvette, so it comes as no surprise that the C8 will feature magnesium parts as well.
Another interesting disclosure regards the cooling efficiency of the engine cover. More specifically, GM claims the unique design can lead to a 200 percent increase in venting compared to some traditional designs. Furthermore, it eliminates the need for a bridge structure used in other glass rear hatches, thus reducing weight and speeding up manufacturing.
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