C8 Corvette Stingray comes with a removable center roof panel, but a true convertible will eventually arrive.
Prior to the debut of the all-new C8 Chevrolet Corvette, we brought you renderings of what the next generation Stingray might look like. Next, we brought you detailed coverage of the C8 debut from Southern California with a look at the car from every angle coupled with our views on the long-awaited shift to the mid-engine design. Although we got to see a hint of the convertible version of the C8 in Chevy’s official reveal video, the glimpse was so brief that it failed to satiate us.
So, today we bring you a look at what we expect to see when the C8 Corvette convertible arrives, and while we don’t have an arrival date, we would bet that one is coming sooner than later.
Proper Drop Top
The C8 Corvette, like the C7, comes with a removable top in coupe form. Of course, the C8 has the engine under the back glass, but in terms of the removable roof panel over the driver and passenger, the C8 design mimics that of the C7. The idea is to create the open air feel while offering the profile of a hard-top along with the interior sound levels of a fixed roof car.
However, in offering the removable roof panel, the chassis has to be reinforced to maintain the intended structural rigidity when the roof is removed. That is the key issue with the transition from a coupe or fastback to a convertible, as in many cases, removing the roof tends to weaken the chassis a bit. Since the C8 Corvette is obviously designed to operate without the reinforcement of the roof, there is no question that this chassis will support a proper drop-top.
C8 Corvette Convertible Rendering
As you can see in our rendering here, our artist has removed the roof and the glass over the engine of the new Corvette. Ultimately, it seems as though GM will have a hard time showing off the mid-mounted engine with a convertible, as the top has to fold down somewhere and having a small piece of glass between the roof storage compartment and the trunk seems unlikely, but for those who want a true convertible experience, the trade-off of not being able to view the engine through the backglass is a minor one.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
You must be logged in to post a comment.