Yahoo Autos So, There Will Be a 2020 Chevrolet Corvette C8 Convertible!
Though not confirmed yet, a convertible based on the mid-engined Chevrolet C8 Corvette is almost a certainty.
A Chevrolet representative hinted that a droptop C8 is in the works but didn't debut alongside the targa-topped coupe on July 17.
Every generation of the Corvette has offered a convertible since 1953.
UPDATE 7/30/19: We spotted a camo'd prototype of the upcoming C8 convertible as we were leaving the Concours d'Elegance of America. It revealed new details like the design of the folding hardtop and the retractable rear window.
With a few exceptions, Chevrolet's Corvette has been sold as a convertible continuously since 1953. The original Vette, in fact, was only offered as a droptop—so logic holds that the new mid-engined Corvette C8 will gain a convertible variant sometime after the targa-topped coupe goes on sale late this year. Right?
Well, of course! It's certainly easy to imagine one—as we've done with this rendering of one in green that we did before the Corvette reveal event where Chevy showed the actual car, however briefly (pictured in gray).
The sneak reveal of the convertible jibes with our pre-reveal chats with the Corvette design and engineering teams. In those interactions, a confirmation proved elusive. The closest we got to one was a wink-wink, nod-nod sort of hint: "Stay tuned." And then Chevy went ahead and showed the car in a video at the C8 Corvette reveal event. So we know it's happening.
There is a solid business case for the droptop, so it's little surprise it's a real thing. Among many high-priced sports cars, the roofless versions tend to outsell their coupe counterparts. Convenience is another factor. Have you ever tried removing a Corvette's targa roof panel? Unlatching it and lifting it off the car before setting it down in the trunk—as owners will be able to do with the regular C8's lids—is a process more easily done with two dextrous people. The convertible C7's power-operated top stows (and raises) on its own. So, too, would the droptop C8's roof.
Although details are elusive at this point (the car was merely flashed across the screen at the debut event), it appears as though Chevrolet is switching from the C7's cloth top to a folding hardtop like those used by most mid-engined sports cars. There simply has to be a solid folding roof to span from those dual humps on the rear deck to the windshield header. As for when the droptop C8 will appear in production form and go on sale—stay tuned.
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