Chevrolet teases Corvette Stingray convertible
At the very end of the long-awaited 2020 Corvette Stingray reveal, Chevrolet gave us our first glimpses of two upcoming Corvette variants that we all knew were coming—the C8.R and the convertible. Before we indulge in speculation about the upcoming endurance racer, let’s take a look at the drop-top.
The first thing we noticed was that the C8 convertible will, like many mid-engine drop-tops, retain its C-pillars. We assume that every C8 will feature a removable roof of some sort—just like every C7 did as well—so the inclusion of the C-pillars means there will be little to differentiate the targa and convertible profiles when the tops are down.
The high-angle shots of the convertible tell a different story, and reveal a unique vented deck lid. We can’t help but be reminded of the C7 Stingray’s hood. It appears that the new deck lid, now without a window to view the LT2 V-8, features a forward-opening front half that will place the folding top, be it cloth or fiber-reinforced polymer, near the front of the 495-horsepower LT2 engine. Although the C-pillars mean there’s no doubt a lot less volume for the top, our hats are off to the engineers that managed to fit a convertible top in there, because it didn’t seem that there was a whole lot of real estate to spare under the hatch.
Rather than a glass rear hatch and a view to the engine below, the C8 convertible will use twin fairings that trail off behind the headrests and mimic the contour of the targa’s hatch. They’re reminiscent of the roll hoop fairings in early sports cars like the XP-87 Stingray racer from 1959 or the C3 Stingrays with their rear window coves framed by sail panels.
We are awaiting the convertible details just like you, but if the C7 is any indication, expect the C8 Stingray convertible to cost about $5,000 more than a comparable targa-topped model, which will start under $60,000.
