2020 Corvette Convertible Reveal
The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette convertible reveal continued to pile-on impressive stats for the eighth generation iconic, soon to be, mid-engine sports coupe.
Chevy pulled the cover off the C8 convertible in simultaneous events held on both coasts of the US. And, we were on hand for the left coast shindig held at the newly opened Motoring Club in Marina del Rey, CA.
Of course, all of the 2020 Corvette reveal details shared by my friend Lewis Cook from Martin Chevrolet remain entirely relevant. But here’s what we found out during the 2020 Corvette convertible reveal:
- First-ever hardtop Corvette convertible.
- Two-piece hardtop retracts while driving!
- Identical drag between the coupe and convertible.
Continue reading for more info and specifics.
–>Continue reading or click play below to listen.<–
2020 Corvette Convertible Reveal Event
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How much is the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible?
First, let’s get this question out of the way. Because how much the 2020 Corvette Convertible costs was at the top of everyone’s list of question during the revel as well.
Inviting driver-focused cockpit.And here’s what Chevrolet is telling us. The 2020 Corvette Convertible MSRP will be $67,495 for the entry-level 1LT trim. But what’s perhaps more impressive is that the key stats of the vehicle pretty much stay intact from its non-convertible sibling.
2020 Corvette Convertible Reveal
So, if the first-ever hardtop convertible Corvette isn’t exciting enough, then consider this.
The two-piece hardtop activates at speeds up to 30 mph. And to be perfectly clear, that’s not while you’re sitting in gusts of wind up to 30 mph.
That’s while you’re driving at speeds up to 30 mph!
The convertible hardtop stows in a compartment just above the mid-engine of the Corvette C8.
Chevy states that it’s made of lightweight composite panels and heat shields to manage the heat generated by the mid-engine.
So, pretty cool feature there. Additionally, the 2020 Corvette convertible revealed shared that the hardtop retracts in as little as 16-seconds.
Corvette Convertible Performance Engineering Revealed
With the convertible hardtop up, the 2020 Chevrolet Corvette convertible delivers exactly the same drag as it’s coupe sibling.
Looks like a coupe w/ the top-up.
Plus, C8 engineers adjusted the convertible chassis with springs and dampers to deliver nearly the same performance as the coupe.
2020 C8 Convertible Engine
So Chevrolet has been trumpeting the naturally aspirated aspect of the Stingray’s 6.2L Small Block V8 LT2 engine so much that I have a theory. And, if you’re an enthusiast you’d probably agree.
That is that they’re setting us up for some crazy performance out of engines that will be in C8 trims above the base-model Stingray.
5-spokes of fury. ;0)
Now, do not get me wrong for a second. Because the Stingray’s 495-horsepower and 470-pound feet of torque is going to deliver awesome performance as is.
As reported in the C8 reveal podcast that’s 0 to 60 mph in just above 3-seconds!
C8 Transmission
Also, previously reported in that post is the double-edged-news of Chevrolet’s super-quick new dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Frunky!
The good news is that it’s eight-speeds and shifts faster than any human will ever be capable of.
And perhaps, what might be a bummer to the hardcore purist, is that the C8 will not be built with a manual transmission of any kind. That includes both the coupe and the convertible.
Hardtop Convertible C8
During the 2020 Corvette convertible reveal Chevy announced that the hardtop does have an option. And that’s to have the standard body-colored roof switched to a ‘carbon flash metallic-painted nacelles and roof.’
Sounds cool – but what the heck is a nacelle? I had to look it up myself.
Retracts while going up to 30 MPH!
A nacelle is a streamlined enclosure for an engine. And it’s often in relation to an aircraft engine. So, check-check, Chevy is definitely engineering the C8 with speed and performance in mind. (In case that was ever in question.)
When Will The 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Be Available?
So next to how much will it cost the other top question rattled off at the 2020 Corvette convertible reveal was this: When will the 2020 Corvette convertible be available for buyers?
We all know that these matters are an entirely moving target. And my recommendation is to contact my friend Lewis Cook and his team at Martin Chevrolet to stay abreast of the latest developments. (Or email me and I’ll connect you personally – Tom [at] iDriveSoCal [dot] com.
The original Corvette was on display too!
But what Chevrolet is maintaining is the following regarding availability for the 2020 Corvette C8:
- Coupe – production begins in late 2019.
- Convertible – production follows in late Q1 of 2020.
And one parting shot Chevrolet shared with us about its iconic American sports car is this: A right-hand-drive version of the convertible will be available ‘at a later date.’
So, to our European friends dying to get their hands on a slice of Americana’s finest automotive engineering, it’s coming. Just wait. :0)
Martin Chevrolet is on Hawthorne Boulevard in Torrance, California and at MartinChevrolet.com. Chevrolet! Find New Roads!
