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GM sees an all-wheel-drive future

Chevrolet Corvette Grand Sport
Photo: Chevrolet
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Daniel Rufiange
The company is at work on a new four-wheel-drive system

This week the devotees at the GM Authority website learned through sources that General Motors had filed a trademark request for the Sport Control AWD name. The patent and trademark office approved GM’s filing on September 20th.

The filing mentions the presence of an all-wheel drive system and of stability control systems for vehicles. The document stipulates that the Sport Control AWD name will also be used in combination with the following words: steering, traction control, suspension and braking systems for vehicles.

It’s common for manufacturers to register names to prevent competitors from poaching them, though in this case, the experts are in consensus: something’s brewing at GM, and it’s got a whiff of AWD.

Speculating is free
Nothing official has been said by General Motors, but that doesn’t stop us from deducing some things. Especially at a time when the first mid-mounted Chevrolet Corvette is in full development.

Need more? Rumours have it that this Corvette will get… all-wheel drive. It’s expected the car will get a 5.5L V8, as well as an electrical unit on the front axle to ensure maximum stability and performance.

The name Sport Control AWD does have a good ring to it if you associate it with the Corvette nameplate – much less so if you’re developing the system for Buick models, for example.

Still, it could well be added to models throughout the range of GM products, even become a recognizable brand name with consumers. Just look at what German automakers have done with their own AWD designations, like xDrive, 4Motion, 4MATIC and Quattro, all trademarked names.

GM may well have decided to follow suit. Stay tuned…

Daniel Rufiange
Daniel Rufiange
Automotive expert
  • Over 17 years' experience as an automotive journalist
  • More than 75 test drives in the past year
  • Participation in over 250 new vehicle launches in the presence of the brand's technical specialists