Another 2022 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Secret Has Been Exposed

Aug. 30, 2020 12:00 PM ET by Jay Traugott Sports Cars / 30 Comments

Actually, this may count as three secrets.

Only yesterday we learned something quite significant happening at General Motors. The automaker's top management has reportedly transferred a majority of the Corvette engineering team over to autonomous and electric vehicles. GM didn't deny this when asked to comment, but it's not like the C8 Corvette program is being abandoned entirely. One of the main reasons why GM felt it could move these talented engineers elsewhere is probably because they've nearly completed the C8's long-term development. And the next Z06 will be their latest creation.

Set to debut for 2022, the Chevrolet Corvette Z06 will come powered by a high-revving flat-plane crank V8 along with a number of other track-focused enhancements to prepare it to battle the Porsche 911 GT2 RS and other similar supercars. One area, in particular, received a lot of attention as well: active aerodynamics.

According to information obtained by Muscle Cars and Trucks, Chevy will offer not one, but three different rear wing options. At present, the Chevy Corvette Stingray can be had with either no wing or a Z51 fixed wing, and the latter is essentially where the Z06 will start off.

The base low fixed rear wing will be similar in design to that of the Z51 and will be equipped on Z06s without the Z07 performance package. That's expected to include larger brakes, stickier tires, thicker sway bars, and, of course, improved aerodynamics. The Z07's uniquely designed spoiler will be fairly large, though not as big as that of the C8.R race car. Carbon fiber wheels are another expected feature.

2020-2021 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Rear View Driving

2020-2021 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Forward Vision

And lastly, an adjustable rear wing will be part of an all-encompassing Z06 active aerodynamics package aimed directly at enthusiasts. Apparently, this package and spoiler are still in development, meaning not all Corvette engineers have been reassigned yet. The package's complexity requires a lot of development work aside from the rear wing. Features like side flaps and other deployable components to help the car slow down, maneuver, and remain stable at high speeds require additional time to perfect.

Because of this, the active aero package, rear wing included, won't be ready for 2022 but will be good to go by 2024 - just in time for the twin-turbo ZR1.