C5 Corvette Roof Wing vs Drag Wing: 60 MPH CFD Comparison

What changes when you add a roof wing, a drag wing, or both to a C5 Corvette? We compared four configurations at 60 mph using computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which estimates how air moves around the car and the forces it creates.

No wings: the baseline

The reference car produced an estimated 77.8 lb of drag and 53.8 lb of total upward lift. Every comparison below is against this no-wing configuration at 60 mph.

Roof wing only

• Approximately zero additional rear downforce.
• 0.6 lb less total vehicle lift.
• 1.6 lb additional drag.

Takeaway: The predicted changes were too small to establish a meaningful aerodynamic benefit in this test.

Drag wing only

• 18.4 lb additional rear downforce.
• 16.2 lb less total vehicle lift — a 30.1% reduction.
• 9.5 lb additional drag.

Takeaway: The drag wing produced the largest predicted reduction in total lift, with increased drag.

Both wings together

• 18.3 lb additional rear downforce.
• 15.6 lb less total vehicle lift — a 29.0% reduction.
• 10.8 lb additional drag.

Takeaway: Compared with no wings, the combination reduced lift and increased rear loading. Its predicted rear-downforce benefit was effectively the same as the drag wing alone; these runs did not establish an additional aerodynamic advantage from adding the roof wing.

What “additional rear downforce” means

Here, additional rear downforce means the estimated increase in force pressing the rear tires onto the road compared with no wings, including the effect of aerodynamic pitching moments. It is not the force on the wing alone. The complete car still had net upward aerodynamic lift in all four configurations.

How to read these results

These are preliminary CFD estimates from an approximate vehicle model, not physically validated performance claims. Mesh-independence testing has not been completed. Small differences between configurations should not be treated as proven gains.

The animation illustrates steady CFD results; it is not a time-resolved simulation of changing turbulence. Wheel animation is visual only. These tests do not establish improvements in tire grip, braking, lap times, or fuel economy.

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Music: “Endless Night” by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio. Music source.