soetekouw

the convertible comes with a retractable hard top. I WILL PAY EXTRA.

Chevy and Bowling Green are you listening??

There are others on this board that want one. If nothing else, maybe we can do a 'group' buy.

Chevy and Bowling Green are you listening??

It is time that you made a sports car with a retractable hard top. Don't get caught behind BMW, Mercedes, Lexus, Ferrari, etc

Chevy and Bowling Green are you listening??

proexpert

Bowling Green did build a sports car with a retractable hardtop, but it had a Cadillac engine and they called it a Cadillac XLR. Does that count?

RJRSW

You forgot Pontiac G6, Miata and some other not so exotics with convertible hardtops. I think that they hopefully will come up with some more ground breaking advancements than the already common hard top convert.

I have been driving corvette convertibles since 1959 and I personally hope that they keep the soft top drop tops when the C7 comes out.

My son is with Mercedes and he has told me about all the service problems and noise complaints on the Sl's and SLK's when the seals are not kept perfectly clean and treated often and start squeaking and popping when the road is a little uneven.

Remember GM already tried a retractable hard top in 1958 to gauge interest and it bombed with the public.

I snapped these two pics of one at Barrett-Jackson in 2005:

BobRBob

Keep the soft top if you want but an optional retractable hard top would be an huge draw.
Corvette needs these things to catch up.

CRABBYJ

I'm with you. To make everyone happy can't Chevy build both type verts? Is the old XLR line still available? Just build it there. Sold my '05 C6 and bought an '11 BMW Z4 and love the drop hard top and have absolutely no problems with it. It is a smaller sports car than the vette with a lot less power but good enough to cruise around. I'll be 70 the end of 2013, just in time to treat myself to a new C7, after the craze dies down. Mid winter 2014 maybe? The extra cost will not be a problem especially ordering it starting from a base C7.

2K14C7

The problem I see with the retractable hardtop is the inherent complexity and ineviatable problems.

Personally, I'd like to see a removable hardtop as an option.

RJRSW

The removable hardtop is already available for the C6 convert and looks pretty good on it:



Link to website showing all the options:

http://smoothline.com/corvette_c6.php

z edge

thats awesome!

CRABBYJ

That removable hard top in the pictures above is okay but does limit your options when on the go, such what do you do with it if you get the urge to go topless. Plus, I got rid of my C6 Coupe because the top was too unwieldy for me as I'm getting older, hence the solution to me was the Z4.

Also that design is for the existing two window design of the C6 whereas the XLR, Z4 and SLK 350 have 4 windows. Those extra two small windows behind the door opening is what makes the retractable hard top On the above mentioned cars look much better than either a C6 convertible top or the removable one pictured above. It could be made to flow with the design of the C7.

If I priced it right that removable top with glass window and interior upgrade liner would be at least $2649 and they suggest professional installation. Did you take a look at that and how many hours labor would that be? Oh, and it needs a paint job too! And a rack to store it inside.

As I see it, there are two retractable hard top choices. One with 4 windows like the XLR had or to design a cheaper version based on the 2 window concept. I like the 4 windows best and would pay the difference.

Jinx

We've heard that C7 will have four windows, Ferrari style.

CRABBYJ

Jinx, is that true? Hmmmmm..... Got a link to a source? I'm all ears.

Or, did I bite?

Kelly100

I don't think you are going to be getting a C7

C6-Stingray

The Mazda Miata has a soft top and an optional retractable power hardtop please GM don't let them beat you with the cheapest roadster on the market

Jinx

It's around here somewhere. A lot of talk/repetition about drawing styling cues from Ferrari, but the only specific part mentioned was the windows.

Z_Rocks

Not gonna happen. Too much extra weight.

KevinK

T-Tops? Or is that too 80's?

HarryWild

That is reserved for the 2016 Cadillac XLR!

rjwz28

Too 80s

C6-Stingray

Is that official that they will release a new XLR in 2016?
That's great

travisnd

I'll take the simplicity of a manual folding soft top over the craziness of the power soft top let alone a power hard top. Less stuff to break and get out of adjustment.