For the second time this year, the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette makes history. The first time was obviously the mid-engined supercar’s debut in July. This evening at Cape Canaveral – where fortunately it wasn’t raining – the first hardtop convertible ‘Vette made its grand entrance. We cover all the details in our 2020 Corvette Convertible debut feature, but it’s one thing to talk about the new droptop. Seeing it in action is a completely different story.
The C8 Convertible is here:
We were on-hand for the event and grabbed a quick clip of the show cars as they entered the scene. The Corvette's new top is a two-piece affair that folds neatly and quicky behind the driver. Previous renderings imagined the top folding and sliding vertically in front of the engine, but in fact, Chevrolet brings the top down horizontally above the engine. It sits in a composite compartment that’s shielded from the heat; it can be raised or lowered at speeds up to 30 miles per hours and the whole process takes about 16 seconds.
Gallery: Corvette C8 Stingray Cabrio 2020
As the video shows, it’s a surprisingly simple solution though it did require a complete reworking of the Corvette’s engine cover. The convertible no longer gets the cool see-through glass lid, but it does gain a very cool nacelle-topped tonneau cover that can be trimmed in Carbon Flash, just like the top. From our eyes, this car looks considerably better both with the top up and down as compared to the standard model. And with the roof folded, none of the Corvette's rear cargo area is affected.
The C8.R is here, too:
Expect to pay around $67,500 (approx. £55,000 at the current exchange rate) for a base model C8 Corvette Convertible when it goes on sale early next year. From our perspective, it certainly looks worthy of the extra cost.
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