Like Ice Running Through its Veins
Short Answer: While cold air can slow down moving parts inside a car’s internal combustion engine (ICE) and transmission since it makes the engine oil and transmission fluid thicker, it can also make cars perform better when properly warmed up due to the colder air’s higher oxygen density.
Image 1: The new 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X has set new acceleration records in large part due to colder air (Image Courtesy of General Motors)
Even though we talked about cold air potentially negatively affecting your car’s internal combustion engine (ICE) when you start it up and immediately drive it in the winter cold in Unifunful Today’s Warming Up to Face the Cold, there actually appears to be some benefit to running drag-strip times in cooler weather. According to this video from General Motors and Chevrolet promoting the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, one of the reasons why the Corvette team decided to run the car in October of 2025 in Michigan was due to the cold air helping the car make more power. Why is that, though?
Image 2: The 1,064 horsepower (hp) 5.5 liter (L) Twin-Turbo Dual Overhead Cam (DOHC) engine in the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X (Image Courtesy of General Motors)
This has to do with how much oxygen is in the air. Cold air contracts while warm air expands. Because air contracts in cold temperatures, there is typically more oxygen available around the car than there would be in warmer air.
From Unifunful’s very own Old School Heart with New School Brains, let’s not forget the combustion reaction—the very mechanism which helps get the Corvette ZR1X’s ICE powerplant going:
Fuel Source + O_2 (oxygen) = CO_2 (carbon dioxide) + H_2O (water)
As you can see, combustion like the chemical process inside the Corvette ICE powerplant relies heavily on oxygen (O_2), making it a very important part of the Corvette’s stunning performance.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Corvette ZR1X comes with a 168 hp electric motor driving the front axles (you can explore more about axles and drivetrains in Unifunful’s Keeping in Rhythm with the Power).
Image 3: The 168 hp electric motor in the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X (Image Courtesy of General Motors)
Bottom Line: A properly warmed-up car with an ICE powertrain can take advantage of the extra oxygen around it on a cold winter day to give its performance a bit of a boost.
Image 4: With or without the help of cold air, the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X is ready to take on the best hypercars in the world (Image Courtesy of General Motors)
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