C5 vs. C6 Aerodynamics

[Remo]

Last year when I was at the annual Corvettes @ Carlisle event, I was chatting with the Corvette Engineers in the GM tent. I asked them if the drag coefficient of the C6 was better than the C5. Their answer went something like this. "We've been very pleased with the wind tunnel results and the C6 is an extremely aerodynamic vehicle". I smiled, they smiled and I left it at that. However, I was pretty sure what the real answer was. Especially when one considers the more radical windshield rake on the C5.

"Well as I live and breath." Yesterday I got this months addition of Corvette Fever which included an article titled Areo Evolution. Essentialy a test of the drag coefficients of C1's right through to the C6's. As you might expect ,the body design wind tunnel results got better through the years. That is until you get to the C6. It turns out the C5 is actually a little slippier than the C6. Less drag, more down force and less lift. Now to be honest the C5 drag coefficients fall below the C6 when the headlights are open. I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm in a top end race with a C6 after dark.:L

Consider if you will....the aerodynamics of a C5 convertible, dropped two full inches closer to the ground, with the top down....OMG!
Remo:cool

 

[Patrick]

Remo,
Winter is over. You can stop stirring the pot as your form of hibernation recreation now.

 

[Remo]

An Innocent Post

Remo,
Winter is over. You can stop stirring the pot as your form of hibernation recreation now.

Oh please.....if I wanted to stir the pot, I would have posted this in the C6 section. I just wanted to make the C5 guys feel good about themselves. And they should because they're beautiful people.:L
Remo:cool

 

[XLR8]

Oh please.....if I wanted to stir the pot, I would have posted this in the C6 section.....

Touché

I just wanted to make the C5 guys feel good about themselves. And they should because they're beautiful people.:L
Remo:cool

Ain't it the truth.

 

[vett boy]

I feel that the C5 is a sleeker looking car.Lots of pluses to a C6 but surprisingly they come with some negatives .At times I really miss my C5

 

[Patrick]

Oh please.....if I wanted to stir the pot, I would have posted this in the C6 section. I just wanted to make the C5 guys feel good about themselves. And they should because they're beautiful people.:L
Remo:cool

You don't think C6 owners stop by here?

But you're right, Remo. You are a beautiful person. Would you like a hug for Spring?

 

[jrose7004]

That's good because I still like the C5 better anyway!

 

[vett boy]

You don't think C6 owners stop by here?

I'll just sneak back out ,even though my C6 is silver.

 

[Gorgon]

It turns out the C5 is actually a little slippier than the C6. Less drag, more down force and less lift.

Those are mutually exclusive. You can't have more down force with less drag, which is likely why the C6 has a higher Cd since it would need higher down force for the higher top speed.

Now to be honest the C5 drag coefficients fall below the C6 when the headlights are open. I'll keep that in mind the next time I'm in a top end race with a C6 after dark.:L

You wouldn't run top speed with those crappy C5 headlights even if the C6 wasn't there. You can outrun the C5 headlights in 3rd gear.

But either way, all the data I looked through online actually had the C6 with a better Cd; 0.28 versus 0.29 on the C5. They might have been looking at drag area which is a combination of the drag coefficient times the frontal area. I don't have those numbers and the C5 likely has an advantage there. But I can't believe it's worth writing home about.

 

[Remo]

And The Point Is

But either way, all the data I looked through online actually had the C6 with a better Cd; 0.28 versus 0.29 on the C5. They might have been looking at drag area which is a combination of the drag coefficient times the frontal area. I don't have those numbers and the C5 likely has an advantage there. But I can't believe it's worth writing home about.

Leon...nice to hear from you. the CD numbers in the Corvette Fever testing on the baseline coupes were: C5=.334, C6=.343. In terms of drag they measured how much HP it took to reach 100 MPH. The numbers were: C5=128.6, C6=133.0.

Now you may be right regarding this being worth writing home about. But, my point was centered around the conversation I had with the Corvette engineers last August. They knew what the real story was but chose instead, to give me a very corporate response.:L
Remo:cool

 

[6 Shooter]

Gordon - Your information is correct, ...

But either way, all the data I looked through on-line actually had the C6 with a better Cd; 0.28 versus 0.29 on the C5.

...C6's have a lower Coefficient of Drag than C5's and a coupe has a lower Coefficient of Drag than a vert even it the vert has it's top down, due to turbulence!

​

L8TR - D

 

[Remo]

Your Data Base vs. Mine

...C6's have a lower Coefficient of Drag than C5's and a coupe has a lower Coefficient of Drag than a vert even it the vert has it's top down, due to turbulence! ​

​

L8TR - D

Terrific input from Senator Fenton from the great state of confusion...I mean Missouri. Here's the deal, I'm looking at the data in the May issue of Corvette Fever and coupling that with the evasive answer I got from the Corvette Engineers. So one might say if it walks like a duck and .........

As far as my comment about the convertible...that was intended to get Patrick out of the weeds and it worked perfectly.:L
Remo:cool

 

[zagger]

Every one knows that the C6 was freshly waxed for the test and they drove the C5 to the test site through dusty back roads. The actual difference is much grater than the skewed numbers show, typical GM conspiracy! And for those who think it's all a hog wash you obviously did not read the Mothers vs. McGuire wax wind tunnel test results.

 

[Cruzen]

Those are mutually exclusive. You can't have more down force with less drag, which is likely why the C6 has a higher Cd since it would need higher down force for the higher top speed..

IMHO More downforce is not revelent to more speed. The more important number is the less lift. Corvettes have been notorious for uplift.

Anyone who has had a C2 up over 110 can tell you about this. Between 110 and about 115 the uplift on my C2 was so bad that it seemed the steering stoped functioning. I could move the steering wheeel about 10 degrees off center without changing course. I have heard that the C3 was worse but never owned one so I don't know from experience.

The C5 has less drag than the C6, but the REAR of the C6 has more downforce which improves cornering at speeds over 100 or so when this downforce comes into play. For most parking lot jockies who participate in timed events, the slight difference won't come into play because they never get up to that speed.

The fact of the matter is that most people driving a Vette never get into triple digets speeds so the drag only comes into consideration on their MPG figures.

The trip is short,
enjoy the ride.
Denny

 

[vett boy]

The fact of the matter is that most people driving a Vette never get into triple digets speeds so the drag only comes into consideration on their MPG figures.

The trip is short,
enjoy the ride.
Denny

Exactly

 

[jims427400]

I also prefer C5s over the C6s.. So how hard would it be to put in a ZR1 crate motor into a C5 ?
Just cureous..

 

[Cruzen]

I also prefer C5s over the C6s.. So how hard would it be to put in a ZR1 crate motor into a C5 ?
Just cureous..

The ZR1 motor is a nice package, however for about half the price GM wants for the crate version of the ZR1 which I read is somewhere around $38,000 you can build your engine to have more HP and torque than the ZR1. With careful research and consideration of components and a good machine shop you can build a lot of HP into you existing motor. Just check out any of the magazines for ideas. Now if GM comes to their senses and gets the price down to a more sensible figure somewhere south of 12K then, due to the warranty that comes with the engine, it might be considered a reasonable deal.

The trip is short,
enjoy the ride,
Denny

 

[ScottNoxid]

confused:confused

Hmmmmm​

, I wonder if my rear spoiler makes any difference to drag

coefficient's​

or down draft on my C5, and I have had it up in the high triple digits and it really feels good. SC:WTT

 

[Electronc5]

C5/C6 comparison

I read that article as well, Remo, and found it interesting, too. I think the engineers' response was very telling. Just another reason to hang on to my C5 (as if I needed one). Guess it's time to think about Carlisle again...I couldn't catch up with you last year, I'll try to stop by and say "hi" this year! Enjoy the ride down!!