At this year’s SEMA trade show, Chevrolet Performance is displaying a cache of over 20 performance parts for customer Corvette C7 Stingray cars.
We’re so excited, we could scream.
This video takes us through some of the highlights. Starting with the brakes: both carbon ceramic and two-piece iron brake sets are on display, with single-block, 6-piston aluminum calipers. Suspension concept parts amount to stiffer passive components: springs, stabilizer bars, bushings, and race-tuned Bilstein dampers are all included, beefed-up to allow for tighter control in the corners.
To cool the transmission adequately for continuous track abuse, an up-sized main cooler is featured, and an auxiliary front trans cooler – two parts which, put together, double the trans fluid capacity and optimize cooling to allow for longer stints. To see to engine cooling, there’s a 600 W radiator fan on display.
Yes, an insane, ungodly 600 Watts. The Butterfly Effect just became the Corvette Radiator Fan effect, and people will die.
The one part in the bunch that we feel was glossed-over too quickly was the carbon fiber torque tube, which is 14.5 pounds lighter than stock. The presenter in the video mentions this fact, but neglects to illustrate the relevance.
See, 15 pounds isn’t a significant amount of savings on vehicle weight, but 15 pounds of rotational mass certainly is. It’s like installing a lightweight flywheel; horsepower doesn’t magically increase, but the lesser rotational inertia allows the engine to accelerate more quickly – especially in the lower gears.
We can’t wait to see which of these parts garner enough enthusiasm at the Chevrolet Performance booth to be offered for sale to customers of the Stingray. Fingers crossed for that torque tube.
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