America’s beloved sports car, the Corvette, is one of the most iconic luxury vehicles in the world. It screams freedom, power, and classic American sportiness. Its unique lines are recognizable by everyone, and all who see it feel the desire to drive one. Believe it or not, you can take the already unrivaled Corvette to a higher level with the right modifications. In this article, we’ll look at how performance modifications improve your Corvette.
What’s a Modification?
Before we discuss how performance modifications improve your Corvette, let’s look at what a performance modification is. There are lots of modifications out there, but they aren’t all focused on performance.
A performance modification is adding to or changing something on a vehicle to make it perform better. The modification might improve engine performance, handling, or aerodynamics. As you can imagine, choosing the right performance modifications for a Corvette creates an even more impressive machine.
The Different Performance Modifications
So which performance modifications should you choose? We’re going to look at several options for improved performance on the Corvette to make that decision easier.
Side Skirts
Side skirts reduce the high-pressure effect caused by the air at the sides of the car, which causes air to go under the car. This high pressure creates lift for the Corvette, and that leads to poor handling. Think of it this way—when taking a tight curve at high speeds, the last thing you need is to feel your car lifting rather than gripping the road.
When you decrease that pressure, the downforce increases at the top of the car, giving the driver a safer and better handling experience.
Exhaust Diffusers
Exhaust diffusers increase downforce, keeping the Corvette on the ground at high speeds and around fast turns. Still, sometimes downforce creates drag, resulting in a performance problem. Diffusers, however, are an excellent answer to the drag issue.
Diffusers create downforce by acting as an expansion chamber. Using a diffuser, as air exits from underneath the car, it mixes with the high-pressure atmospheric air. When this happens, the airflow underneath the Corvette improves. The diffuser’s ability to make this smooth airflow transition reduces turbulence and drag.
Spoilers
Spoilers are one of the best ways performance modifications improve your Corvette. They change the airflow all around a vehicle, including above, below, and at the sides. You’ll notice that’s the point of most performance modifications—to change the airflow.
Wind creates resistance, or drag, around a moving car, making it tough to safely reach top speeds. A spoiler literally “spoils” the effects of the wind, directing the airflow where a car needs it: to the top, creating that downforce that gives a Corvette better handling and performance.
Carbon Fiber Hood
Carbon fiber hoods look cool, but their greatest benefit is weight reduction. The hood on a Corvette is heavy. A carbon hood is lighter than the standard hood. This weight reduction helps the Corvette to fly. It’s a win-win—you’ll get great looks and fast speeds.
Full Body Kit
The full body kit for the Corvette is the ultimate way to increase aerodynamics and performance. A full body kit for the Corvette comes with the following:
- Front hood
- Front and rear bumpers
- Front lip
- Front lip caps
- Fenders
- Fender vents
- Rear quarter panel vent
- Side skirts
A full body kit is highly recommended. A car like a Corvette is an investment, so why not go all out rather than pick and choose parts of a body kit?
The Full Wide Body Kit
The wide body kit is similar to the full but is designed to give the Corvette a stealthy, wide, low to the ground design. The wide body kit for the Corvette includes the following:
- Rear trunk spoiler
- Front bumper
- Rear diffuser
- Fenders
The wide body kit allows for the safe use of wider tires, giving your Corvette a better grip on the road and improved and safer handling. As a bonus, the wide body kit creates an intimidating and powerful Corvette.
The Best Materials for Auto Body Kits
As you consider making modifications to your Corvette, keep in mind that material matters. There are three common body kit materials: fiberglass, polyurethane, and carbon fiber. Let’s look at the pros and cons of each.
Polyurethane
Polyurethane is very flexible, making it a popular choice. Flexibility allows for easy installation, with little risk of cracking. Still, it has its cons, just like anything. Polyurethane is heavy, which isn’t preferred when improving aerodynamics. It also requires a lot of prep work to paint because of its shiny finish. Polyurethane is one of the more expensive options because it’s costly to produce.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is the least expensive for modification parts and kits. Because of this, it’s one of the most popular materials to use. However, installing fiberglass is tedious work since it cracks easily. It’s lightweight, which is good, and paints very well since the surface is rough, making it easier for the paint to adhere.
Carbon Fiber
Carbon fiber is often the most expensive choice but well worth it. It is just as strong as steel but much lighter, making it tough to crack and break but also great at improving aerodynamics. One of the unique benefits of carbon fiber is its ability to resist heat and chemicals during installation.
Your Corvette and Modifications
When it comes down to it, you’ll need to decide what’s best for your Corvette. Consider these thoughts when choosing the right modifications and materials:
- What’s your budget?
- Who will install the body kit?
- Do you plan on keeping the Corvette and modifications for many years?
- Are you concerned with only adding one modification then wanting more to match it later?
- Are looks or performance more important?
Performance modifications are an excellent choice when desiring to make your Corvette all it can be. Keep in mind your Corvette is your own personalized machine. Choose the modifications that are pleasing to your eyes and bring you the performance you desire. Then, find the right manufacturer and professional body kit installer.
At DarwinPro Aerodynamics, we offer the Corvette body kit, along with all other luxury vehicle auto body kits. We use only the highest quality materials and believe each customer should have the best kit they can to suit their needs. Contact us, or browse our online store for more information.
