General Motors has something brewing involving an all-wheel-drive system.
GM Authority first discovered on Wednesday a trademark filing for the name "Sport Control AWD."
The United States Patent and Trademark Office granted the filing on September 20 and noted the name will be associated with "all-wheel-drive systems and electronic stability control systems for vehicles." Additionally, the name will be used with steering, traction control, suspension, and braking systems for vehicles.
2020 Chevrolet Corvette (C8) spy shots - Image via S. Baldauf/SB-Medien
As for the name, the jury is out on what GM may have up its sleeve. The automaker could simply be preparing to brand its current AWD system for Cadillac and Buick vehicles with a proper name. After all, rival brands from Germany have marketed the quattro, 4Matic, and xDrive names for years. However, there may be a better reason for the trademark filing.
It's rumored GM is working on an all-wheel-drive system for the forthcoming mid-engine C8 Corvette. The Sport Control AWD name certainly has a better ring to it when attached to the Corvette, rather than a Buick or Cadillac crossover. The rumored AWD mid-engine Corvette would allegedly be a top-of-the-range model featuring a 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine in the middle and an electric motor on the front axle to power the front wheels.
The Sport Control AWD trademark comes as GM fires off numerous patents for the mid-engine Corvette. Specifically for an active aerodynamic system, which included mention of a hybrid control unit. Of course, automakers regularly file to protect names and we may never see the Sport Control AWD name surface. We'll just have to wait and see.