2020 CORVETTE FEATURES A VENTED ENGINE COVER TO IMPROVE COOLING

It might only be a new patent application, but it sheds more light on the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8.

The concept design features a unique design for the rear hatch that will aid engine cooling, which gives the sports car's mid-ship layout. Since General Motors has deemed it necessary to file a patent application for the engine cover, there must be some sort of originality and speciality to it, right?

The sketches which you can see in the gallery are from a filing with the United States Patent and Trademark Office and were discovered by Road&Track. Titled as "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."

In the design, you will see the hatch patent, which consists of a glass-component in the centre, and is surrounded by a frame that is perforated in order to allow cooling the engine compartment. This explains why the Corvette C8 test prototypes that have been spotted online lacked camouflage foil over the engine cover, otherwise, the engine would've ended up overheating.

The patent filing goes in the specific details explaining that the fact is 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.

GM claims the unique design can lead to a 200% 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, which is another interesting disclosure regarding the cooling efficiency of the engine cover.