Hard top convertible
11-04-2013, 01:09 AM
#1
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Hard top convertible
Do you think corvettes will ever have convertible hard tops? As in some mercedez and BMWs? I think soft top convertibles are looking a little behind. I know it would probably add 10 grand to the cost. I love my c7 but I would've definitely paid the extra cost for a hard top convertible. Coupe when you want it, convertible when you don't.
11-04-2013, 01:17 AM
#2
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I would have bought it if they did. It will be some time but I'm sure at some point they will out law soft tops for safety reasons.
Until then, they will try to save weight where they can.
Until then, they will try to save weight where they can.
11-04-2013, 03:31 AM
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My thoughts exactly. Convertibles are fine with me when the top is down, but when the top is up and it's some kinda fabric I think it's pretty embarrassing considering it's 2013.
11-04-2013, 03:45 AM
#5
BMW has some convertible cars that are PRHT (power retractable hard top) and some that are strictly soft tops. I believe it is a function of cost, space, weight, and design.
I have had convertible Vettes and PRHT BMW Z4's. I have also had Coupe Vettes. For me, I would never buy another Coupe. The removable panel is a PIA and doesn't give you anywhere near the same driving experience as a full top down.
For me, driving a sports car with a hard top, is just not as enjoyable a twisty road experience.
11-04-2013, 05:54 AM
#6
Racer
I hope not. I drive a lot of premium cars daily, and many of the BMW and Mercedes hardtops rattle, and that's not even considering the extra weight. Oddly enough, I've never heard any noise from the Miata hardtops, but they're also heavier. My first car in 1960 was a convertible and so was my first new car. Over half of the 70 or so cars I've owned have been convertibles, so I'm quite confortable with soft tops.
11-04-2013, 06:03 AM
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I really love my SL55 hard top. Don't notice any rattles at all. I am not a big fan of soft tops they tend to look kind of shabby as time goes by and much louder for road noise when up. Also think the structure of the car and possibly safety is compromised as well.
My SL55 has a cool retractible roll bar as well for safety when the top is down.
It does add weight and complexity but really hoping to see a retractible hardtop in the future in the vette.
My SL55 has a cool retractible roll bar as well for safety when the top is down.
It does add weight and complexity but really hoping to see a retractible hardtop in the future in the vette.
11-04-2013, 06:04 AM
#8
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Mrs. Lucky has a beautiful Lexus SC 430 folding power hardtop...doesn't squeak, rattle and looks great top up or down...Definitely would be more costly for a Vette to go in that direction...My 2011 GS is a soft top 
11-04-2013, 07:01 AM
#9
Safety Car
Hard top convertibles are for people that want to be able to take the top down on a really nice day. Soft top cars are for people that ride around with the top down unless it is a really, really, bad day.
BMW has some convertible cars that are PRHT (power retractable hard top) and some that are strictly soft tops. I believe it is a function of cost, space, weight, and design.
I have had convertible Vettes and PRHT BMW Z4's. I have also had Coupe Vettes. For me, I would never buy another Coupe. The removable panel is a PIA and doesn't give you anywhere near the same driving experience as a full top down.
For me, driving a sports car with a hard top, is just not as enjoyable a twisty road experience.
BMW has some convertible cars that are PRHT (power retractable hard top) and some that are strictly soft tops. I believe it is a function of cost, space, weight, and design.
I have had convertible Vettes and PRHT BMW Z4's. I have also had Coupe Vettes. For me, I would never buy another Coupe. The removable panel is a PIA and doesn't give you anywhere near the same driving experience as a full top down.
For me, driving a sports car with a hard top, is just not as enjoyable a twisty road experience.
Especially in Florida when you run into rain. Jumping out of the car just to put the top back on in the rain can get hectic and dangerous. You just have to pick your days for the removable tops. So in the raining season in sunny Florida you have to be careful or you'll get soaked.....that's for sure.
11-04-2013, 07:57 AM
#10
Burning Brakes
Hard top convertibles are for people that want to be able to take the top down on a really nice day. Soft top cars are for people that ride around with the top down unless it is a really, really, bad day.
BMW has some convertible cars that are PRHT (power retractable hard top) and some that are strictly soft tops. I believe it is a function of cost, space, weight, and design.
I have had convertible Vettes and PRHT BMW Z4's. I have also had Coupe Vettes. For me, I would never buy another Coupe. The removable panel is a PIA and doesn't give you anywhere near the same driving experience as a full top down.
For me, driving a sports car with a hard top, is just not as enjoyable a twisty road experience.
BMW has some convertible cars that are PRHT (power retractable hard top) and some that are strictly soft tops. I believe it is a function of cost, space, weight, and design.
I have had convertible Vettes and PRHT BMW Z4's. I have also had Coupe Vettes. For me, I would never buy another Coupe. The removable panel is a PIA and doesn't give you anywhere near the same driving experience as a full top down.
For me, driving a sports car with a hard top, is just not as enjoyable a twisty road experience.
11-04-2013, 08:05 AM
#11
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I hardly ever removed the roof panel on my last 2 C6 because it was a pain. Hopefully the new carbon fiber roof is more manageable. I like the open air feeling of a convertible but always have had concerns about security. I would like the added security and looks of a power hard top. I would buy a PRHT if GM could do it right. Mazda did it on the Miata and did not sacrifice much trunk space.
Taking the top off the coupe is a PITA compared to pressing a button!
The new roof is very light. Still a bit awkward IMHO but that's coming from a guy that has had his C6 Vert to drive for the past 9 years.
Hard top convertibles are for people that want to be able to take the top down on a really nice day. Soft top cars are for people that ride around with the top down unless it is a really, really, bad day.
BMW has some convertible cars that are PRHT (power retractable hard top) and some that are strictly soft tops. I believe it is a function of cost, space, weight, and design.
I have had convertible Vettes and PRHT BMW Z4's. I have also had Coupe Vettes. For me, I would never buy another Coupe. The removable panel is a PIA and doesn't give you anywhere near the same driving experience as a full top down.
For me, driving a sports car with a hard top, is just not as enjoyable a twisty road experience.
BMW has some convertible cars that are PRHT (power retractable hard top) and some that are strictly soft tops. I believe it is a function of cost, space, weight, and design.
I have had convertible Vettes and PRHT BMW Z4's. I have also had Coupe Vettes. For me, I would never buy another Coupe. The removable panel is a PIA and doesn't give you anywhere near the same driving experience as a full top down.
For me, driving a sports car with a hard top, is just not as enjoyable a twisty road experience.
If the top is almost always down then it doesn't matter what it looks like with the top up!
11-04-2013, 08:09 AM
#12
Pro
I really dont mind the way the soft top corvettes look. I think it looks better on the vette then a lot of other cars I see and the car looks fantastic with the top down. Too each his own though 
Part of my love might be from the c5 days. I never did like the regular hatchback coupes but, I loved the fighter jet bubble that you got on the Z06 or FRC. The vert seemed to embody that, at least thats the way I looked at it.
Being able to put the top down on a nice 60F day was a slice of heaven...
Part of my love might be from the c5 days. I never did like the regular hatchback coupes but, I loved the fighter jet bubble that you got on the Z06 or FRC. The vert seemed to embody that, at least thats the way I looked at it.
Being able to put the top down on a nice 60F day was a slice of heaven...
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Parker25 (11-29-2022)
11-04-2013, 08:22 AM
#13
Le Mans Master
I hope not. I drive a lot of premium cars daily, and many of the BMW and Mercedes hardtops rattle, and that's not even considering the extra weight. Oddly enough, I've never heard any noise from the Miata hardtops, but they're also heavier. My first car in 1960 was a convertible and so was my first new car. Over half of the 70 or so cars I've owned have been convertibles, so I'm quite confortable with soft tops.
z51vett
Doug
11-04-2013, 08:45 AM
#14
Part of the reason I am buying a Corvette is that it IS a soft-top. Looked at all the hard tops and none of them had any useful space in the trunk with the top down. It rules out using the car as a daily driver if you can't even secure your laptop bag in the trunk, much less carry your gym bag, golf clubs, and a softball bag.
I would imagine somebody will build an after-market non-folding hardtop for the convertible. Something you would bolt on for the winter, or to increase safety for motorsports. Might be really sweat looking in exposed carbon fiber.
There is another thread where C6 owners were discussing that the soft top convertible may actually have less road and exhaust noise than the coupe with its echo chamber of the hatch area floor resonating to the rear axle and exhaust.
I would imagine somebody will build an after-market non-folding hardtop for the convertible. Something you would bolt on for the winter, or to increase safety for motorsports. Might be really sweat looking in exposed carbon fiber.
There is another thread where C6 owners were discussing that the soft top convertible may actually have less road and exhaust noise than the coupe with its echo chamber of the hatch area floor resonating to the rear axle and exhaust.
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Parker25 (11-29-2022)
11-04-2013, 08:47 AM
#15
Burning Brakes
Part of the reason I am buying a Corvette is that it IS a soft-top. Looked at all the hard tops and none of them had any useful space in the trunk with the top down. It rules out using the car as a daily driver if you can't even secure your laptop bag in the trunk, much less carry your gym bag, golf clubs, and a softball bag.
I would imagine somebody will build an after-market non-folding hardtop for the convertible. Something you would bolt on for the winter, or to increase safety for motorsports. Might be really sweat looking in exposed carbon fiber.
There is another thread where C6 owners were discussing that the soft top convertible may actually have less road and exhaust noise than the coupe with its echo chamber of the hatch area floor resonating to the rear axle and exhaust.
I would imagine somebody will build an after-market non-folding hardtop for the convertible. Something you would bolt on for the winter, or to increase safety for motorsports. Might be really sweat looking in exposed carbon fiber.
There is another thread where C6 owners were discussing that the soft top convertible may actually have less road and exhaust noise than the coupe with its echo chamber of the hatch area floor resonating to the rear axle and exhaust.
11-04-2013, 09:04 AM
#16
Cost, weight, loss of space, complexity, leaks are all good reasons not to go with retractable hardtops. The pluses are that they generally look better and some believe they provide more security...which I don't buy. If someone wants to break into your car, they'll find a way.
Having owned a retractable hard top, I did like the look but didn't like the volume of trunk space I had to give up for it. Cloth tops are fine with me.
Having owned a retractable hard top, I did like the look but didn't like the volume of trunk space I had to give up for it. Cloth tops are fine with me.
11-04-2013, 11:30 AM
#17
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I don't see it for several reasons
1) It costs a lot to develop
2) It costs a lot to manufacture
3) It really restricts the shape of the car. As 75% of all cars are coupes, they will not make the coupe look worse for the hard top convertible.
4) There's no real demand for it. Yes, its nicer but it's not like people won't buy soft top convertibles.
As someone who has had both the Ferrari F430 spider and the 458 spider, I actually prefer the soft top of the F430. It looks better when down and gives more of an open air feeling. And, there is something classic and sporty about it.
1) It costs a lot to develop
2) It costs a lot to manufacture
3) It really restricts the shape of the car. As 75% of all cars are coupes, they will not make the coupe look worse for the hard top convertible.
4) There's no real demand for it. Yes, its nicer but it's not like people won't buy soft top convertibles.
As someone who has had both the Ferrari F430 spider and the 458 spider, I actually prefer the soft top of the F430. It looks better when down and gives more of an open air feeling. And, there is something classic and sporty about it.
11-04-2013, 12:05 PM
#18
Melting Slicks
Doubtful, despite some speculation of the same from Autoblog which the following photo is attributed.
"Our spy shooter also speculates that the convertible top on this car might not be entirely that which it seems. Noting that when the original Z06 debuted it did so with a smaller, weight-saving hardtop that resembled the size and shape of a convertible top, our master of the long lens postulates that some trickery could be at the heart of this seemingly soft-topped tester. The convertible top seems very convincing to our eyes, however, so it's possible that the simplest answer is the true one here as well."
"Our spy shooter also speculates that the convertible top on this car might not be entirely that which it seems. Noting that when the original Z06 debuted it did so with a smaller, weight-saving hardtop that resembled the size and shape of a convertible top, our master of the long lens postulates that some trickery could be at the heart of this seemingly soft-topped tester. The convertible top seems very convincing to our eyes, however, so it's possible that the simplest answer is the true one here as well."
11-04-2013, 12:17 PM
#19
Safety Car
Do you think corvettes will ever have convertible hard tops? As in some mercedez and BMWs? {b}I think soft top convertibles are looking a little behind.[/b} I know it would probably add 10 grand to the cost. I love my c7 but I would've definitely paid the extra cost for a hard top convertible. Coupe when you want it, convertible when you don't.
11-04-2013, 12:27 PM
#20
Team Owner
Doubtful, despite some speculation of the same from Autoblog which the following photo is attributed.
"Our spy shooter also speculates that the convertible top on this car might not be entirely that which it seems. Noting that when the original Z06 debuted it did so with a smaller, weight-saving hardtop that resembled the size and shape of a convertible top, our master of the long lens postulates that some trickery could be at the heart of this seemingly soft-topped tester. The convertible top seems very convincing to our eyes, however, so it's possible that the simplest answer is the true one here as well."
"Our spy shooter also speculates that the convertible top on this car might not be entirely that which it seems. Noting that when the original Z06 debuted it did so with a smaller, weight-saving hardtop that resembled the size and shape of a convertible top, our master of the long lens postulates that some trickery could be at the heart of this seemingly soft-topped tester. The convertible top seems very convincing to our eyes, however, so it's possible that the simplest answer is the true one here as well."
Even if that's true, it won't be a hard top convertible like the other "Corvette", the XLR.