Chevy expects about half of Corvette C8 sales to be the convertible.
Opting for a convertible often comes with the compromise of accepting a vehicle with a higher weight, but this doesn’t need to be too much of a concern for folks shopping for the newly revealed 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible. Lead engineer Tadge Juechter tells Autoblog that the droptop ‘Vette weighs only around 80 pounds (36 kilograms) more than the coupe, but Chevy doesn’t have the exact figures yet. This is less than an earlier estimate of the roadster having 102 pounds (46 kilograms) of extra fat. Most of the increase comes from the six electric motors and other parts necessary to move the roof.
Gallery: 2020 Chevy Corvette Stingray Convertible
The Corvette Convertible’s top uses two composite pieces that separate in the folding process. When not offer the passenger, the sections nestle underneath the rear deck in a heat-shielded composite compartment. The convertible operation takes 16 seconds and can happen at up to 30 miles per hour. Occupants can operate the rear window independently from the top, which allows for a little of the open-air experience even with the roof in place.
In terms of style, the roof and nacelles come standard in the Corvette’s body color, but a contrasting Carbon Flash metallic finish is optional.
The powertrain for the Corvette Convertible is identical to the coupe. Buyers can still get the optional Z51 package for boosting the output, improving the brakes, and tightening the suspension.
This is the first time for the Corvette Convertible to use a folding hardtop, and Juechter tells Autoblog that the company expects the droptop to be quite popular. The company’s current forecast is for the convertible to make up at least half of Corvette C8 production.
Prices for the 2020 Corvette Convertible start at around $67,000 – $7,500 more than the coupe. Production should start before the end of the year. There’s no official info yet about when the droptop would arrive in showrooms, but very early 2020 seems likely.
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