The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, which debuted with a rear-mid-engined layout for the first time, has now got a convertible sibling — a first-ever hardtop one.
We put the world on notice when we introduced the first mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette a few months ago, and now we’re raising the bar with the first-ever hardtop Corvette convertible. And the convertible will be priced only $7,500 more than entry 1LT Stingray coupe. – Brian Sweeney, Vice President, Chevrolet
As with the coupe, the Stingray convertible’s design too was apparently inspired by the fighter jets. The tonneau cover features nacelles or flying buttresses, inspired by the housing for jet engines. The two-piece top can be operated at speeds of up to 30 mph (48 km/h) and takes about 16 seconds to retract. It is powered by 6 electric motors which according to Chevrolet, increases reliability compared to hydraulic systems.
A body-colored roof is standard, while Carbon Flash metallic-painted nacelles and roof are optional. Special attention was paid to make sure the engine could breathe under the tonneau cover; the sheet-molded composite top stows in a compartment made from lightweight composite panels and heat shields to manage heat from the engine.
As you might expect, there’s also an electric glass window to reduce wind noise. The roof system design, combined with the same rear spoiler used on the Stingray coupe’s Z51 Performance Package, results in identical drag between the coupe and convertible with the top up, Chevrolet said. Apparently, the engineers tweaked the chassis, with springs and dampers tuned specifically to get nearly the same performance as the coupe.
Another highlight is the storage. Even with the top down, Chevrolet claims the convertible to be having the same storage space as the coupe. The front storage compartment or the “frunk” has been retained, which apparently can fit an airline-spec carry-on and a laptop bag.
Our goal from the beginning was to make sure customers didn’t have to sacrifice any functionality, performance or comfort when choosing the hardtop convertible. We managed to keep the same design theme as the coupe, as well as the exceptional storage capacity and track capability. – Josh Holder, Corvette program engineering manager
As with the coupe, the Corvette Stingray convertible too is powered by a 6.2-litre LT2 V8 naturally aspirated petrol engine with 369 kW (502 hp) and 637 Nm (470 lb-ft) of torque when equipped with a performance exhaust. The LT2 is paired with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.
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