The expected release of the 2014 Corvette Stingray convertible at the Geneva Motor Show brought a few unexpected features.
The Vette’s top is now fully electronic and can be lowered at the push of a button, either on the dash or on the driver’s key fob. The top can also operate while driving at speeds up to 30 mph.
The previous soft top required the driver to manually unlock the windshield header release in order for the top to retract.
Design wise, the C7 hasn’t changed that much. Gone are the vents atop the rear wheels for cooling the rear-mounted transmission and differential. Those were moved to the underside of the car, making room for the top’s mechanical moving parts. All the other vents (all of which are completely functional) still remain in place.
Designers worked to hide the support bows underneath the canvas top helping to smooth the side profile image while Chevy’s engineers incorporated sound-absorbing padding within the three-ply material, along with a glass rear window. The convertible also loses the rear quarter windows found on the coupe – perhaps appealing to those who find the coupe’s new green house a little too edgy.
Covering that new top is a sculpted tonneau cover that incorporates Corvette’s signature “waterfall” design that prominently displays the updated C7 Corvette logo. The cover slides back to allow the top to operate verses hinging open like a clamshell.
Everything remains the same under the Stingray’s hood. The all-new 6.2-liter V-8 is estimated to make 450 hp and 450 lb-ft. of torque while netting better EPA numbers. 0-60 times are expected to be in the sub- four-second range. The 6-speed automatic and 7-speed manual transmissions remain as options on the convertible.
There’s no word on what effects chopping the top will do to weight and structural rigidity numbers. That information hasn’t been released for either C7 variant.
