![[VIDEO] Chevrolet is Now Including Underbody Air Deflectors on New 2027 Corvette Stingrays and Grand Sports](https://www.corvetteblogger.com/images/content/2026/07/071526_1b.jpg)
Deliveries of the 2027 model year Corvettes began last week and our friend Rick Conti discovered something on a new Grand Sport coming through his dealership that he had not seen previously come from the factory, and it was something that Chevy engineers said there was no reason to put them on Corvettes here in the USA.
The part in question? The Grand Sport included a pair of underbody air deflectors.
As Conti’s Corvette service technician Chuck was unbagging all the items that would be installed on the car during the Pre Delivery Inspection (PDI), he discovered that the car included a pair of air deflectors that are mounted under the car. As there was nothing that said track use only, Chuck installed the pair of deflectors on the car.
These air deflectors are an OEM part that actually come in a pair with each side having its own GM part number and sold separately. Chevrolet only includes them on exported C8 Corvettes that have a gas particulate filter (GPF) built into the corner-mounted exhaust systems. These filters are required due to European emissions regulations to remove fine particulate emissions, but they can get really hot. The underbody air defector mounts in an opening next to each rear tire and it’s designed to “deflect air” up onto the exhaust systems to cool the gas particulate filters.
The Corvette community only learned about these air deflectors last November when Justin from Horsepower Obsessed shared a video showing what they are and more importantly, giving everyone a reason why you would want these on your C8 Corvette: The cooler air that is deflected can also help reduce the temperatures in your trunk!
Every C8 Corvette owner knows just how hot those trunks can get, and depending on your location, summers can be particularly bruising when it comes to trunk temps. Yet, when asked if there was any benefit for C8 Corvette owners in the USA to add these to their cars, Vehicle Corvette Chief Engineer Josh Holder told us during a CORVETTE TODAY Podcast that “there is no advantage” to having them on a C8 without the GPFs:
“And the short answer is no. There is no advantage. If there was, we would have put them on the car. Trust me. The GPF filters, gas particulate filter that’s needed for emissions in some of our export regions. That filter goes through a regen process and we get the filter really hot. That’s how we get rid of whatever trapped carbon molecules are inside the filter. That’s how we clean that filter out. And so in that regen process, the heat generated by that can heat up the compartment. And we use those scoops, the little plates on the bottom of the car to get air up directly to the GPS. So, it’s not global compartment cooling. It’s very targeted air flow to that specific area. And if you don’t have GPF filters in your car, which nobody in North America would have, there’s no reason to put those on your car.”“But there is a cool story about those. So, I’m glad this question was asked, that maybe a lot of people don’t know. Those parts are built in our Warren Technical Center campus. We don’t buy them from a supplier. We actually make them in a prototype shop on campus in Warren. And there’s some pretty amazing capability there. And one of it is for robotic brake forming. And those parts are brakeformed parts. And they helped us out with a relatively low volume of export corvettes to make those deflectors for us.”
(Question from Steve Garrett): Very nice. So it does that just ram air into the engine area? Would that help the cooling at all?
“It helps cool a GPF. Very targeted flow, but it doesn’t add a lot to overall compartment cooling and it would be unnecessary flow for anyone that doesn’t have GPF.”
Last week after watching Conti’s video, we also confirmed with our friend Mike Furman that his new Grand Sport deliveries were also shipped with the air deflectors. But are other models also getting them or just the new Grand Sport? We reached out to Chevrolet last week but was told no one was in the office that could answer that question. A follow up email sent Monday has yet to be answered…
Thankfully, we reached out to our friend Rod Keller at the National Corvette Museum’s R8C Delivery Program with that question. Ron confirmed for us that based on the various 2027 models they had received, the air deflectors were only being shipped with new 2027 Corvette Grand Sports and Stingray.
BINGO!
With the new 535-hp LS6 V8 being the common denominator between the two models, it’s safe to say that GM engineers have changed their minds that non-GPF Corvettes can benefit having the air deflectors mounted on the cars. Now, the automaker is mounting these $400 air deflectors on Grand Sports and Stingrays, even if the new 2027 has the optional quad-center exhaust. Why the change? That’s what we wanted to know from Chevrolet.
We’re still hoping to hear from them on this and will update this story with any response.
For those looking to add a set to their cars, you do have some options. The OEM air deflector part numbers are 85580654 and 85580653. I checked a couple different GM parts dealers and found they are priced at $125 each so $250 for the pair. If you go through Chevrolet Accessories, they are priced at $197 each. I had previously ordered an OEM set through GM Parts Online and got them in about two weeks.
For those looking for an aftermarket solution, our friends at DynamicDucts make a 3D-printed design that offers some upgrades over the standard OEM versions. You can use Discount Code CB10 and Save 10% on DynamicDucts’ C8 Aero Widebody Edition air deflectors.
Here is Conti’s video with the Grand Sport and hopefully its queued to the section when the air deflectors are unbagged and mounted on the car:
Source:
Rick Conti
Related:
Spring is Here and Temperatures are Climbing. Keep Your C8 Cooler with DynamicDucts Air Deflectors!
DynamicDucts Improves C8 Air Deflectors with its New Aero Widebody Edition
[VIDEO] Keep Your C8 Corvette’s Engine Bay Up to 50 Degrees Cooler with these OEM Air Deflectors
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The 3D printed ones have all been tested as providing sub-optimal results compared to the OEM ones.
I appreciate those, like Chuck, who take an OCD/attention-to-detail approach to what they do!
its about time. should have been standard all along.
Josh Holder: ““And the short answer is no. There is no advantage. If there was, we would have put them on the car. Trust me…. And we use those scoops, the little plates on the bottom of the car to get air up directly to the GPS. So, it’s not global compartment cooling. It’s very targeted air flow to that specific area. And if you don’t have GPF filters in your car, which nobody in North America would have, there’s no reason to put those on your car.”
Yet the LS6 car in the US have these deflectors, but NOT the GPF, so why put them on 2027 ‘vettes? Time for Josh to be asked the question again.
I saw they were included a little while ago with all LS6 engined cars.
It was in the owners manual all this time.
Based on GM’s work to improve thermal efficiency in the LS they must want more air coming in. They redid the heads and block cooling as well larger radiators. This is why we get 13 to 1 compressors and higher com is cleaner and more power.
This info was right there Al,nthe time so look around there might be more.
This info was right there all the time so look around there might be more.
They made it clear this is an LS item only and not the ZR1 or Z06.
GM spent a lot of time yo improve the thermal efficiency of the LS to clean up emissions. Move it to 13 to 1 compression was all about emissions. Higher compressions and boost make engines cleaner and more efficient. The side effect is more power.
They added larger radiators, they also reworked cooling in the head around the exhaust valves as well the block to add cooling to prevent detonation with the higher compression.
The added air flow will help this engine. This is not about trunk temps as it will always be hot.
GM did much on air flow on the Fiero as the did here. Use care with scoops and added non GM air induction to the compartment. It could make things worse.
The Fiero feeds under the car and vents out the deck. Air scoops putting air in from the top kill flow. The Fiero taught me the basics on mid engine and this was one area you need to use care.
Dyno test have show the engine to be heat sensitive.
We need Mulder and Scully to get to the bottom of this 👽👽👽
I had them installed and the engine temperature isn’t any different than before,…….Waste of time and $$!
Saying that the 3D printed knock-offs offer “some upgrades over the standard OEM versions” is deceptive and outright wrong. You really shouldn’t say otherwise. The OEM parts (or exact replicas) should be what you promote.
The aftermarket 3D versions from Dynamic Ducts offers several upgrades over the OEM versions. They have a larger surface area than the OEM versions, it has a grille to keep any debris from entering the engine bay, and they are designed to simply break off should they get hit by an immovable object. That is not being deceptive or wrong to point that out.
Keith, the problem is that the effective intake area is far less because of the grille. Despite having a larger “mouth” pulling in air, the actual air volume through the Dynamic Ducts 3D versions are a fraction of what the OEM versions pull in. These various deflector designs out there only make a difference if a large volume of turbulent air is forced into the engine bay.
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