The C7 Corvette continues to expand with nearly every model year. What started with a revival of the Stingray name quickly brought a Z06 and Grand Sport variant, both available as a convertible to boot.
But, here’s an interesting question we want to ask you all: should Chevrolet offer a hard top convertible variant for the Corvette? That’s today’s Community Question.
It’s an age-old scenario of pros vs. cons. Hard tops offer greater safety and noise reduction in regular operation and can sometimes give a vehicle a unique exterior design. There’s also a theft variable since hard tops are much more secure than a soft top. Breaking glass and making a scene is not something a thief desires when casing a car out.
But, they can also grace a vehicle with the ugly stick. Hard tops bring massive rear ends where the folded roof is stored. Not to mention, in a performance vehicle like the Corvette, the added weight is probably not something engineers desire. Ditto for a higher center of gravity, something we’d imagine engineers would also like to avoid with a Corvette.
We’ll leave it up to you now. Go ahead and vote in our poll below and strike up a conversation in the comment section.
Comments
Absolutely they should
With more headroom.
I retract this. Thought it was a lightweight fixed roof. No, this makes no sense in a (real) sports car.
Yes, as an additional model. Retain the current hatch-back and soft-top adding the hard-top convertible giving more choices.
Remember the Cadillac XLR…neat concept but was expensive to produce and even more expensive to repair. Others have tried this design but don’t seem to last very long in the marketplace. Keep the Corvette a Corvette and let a Cadillac variant have a hide-a-way hard top.
I wouldn’t really be interested in a hard top on the current Corvette. I was interested when they said they may possibly make a range of different Corvettes. I can see the Mid-Engined Corvette at the top, followed by an evolution of the current Corvette in the middle and rounded out by a traditional small sports car as entry level (American-size interior Miata-Fighter) with an homage in design to the original Corvette. That last one should have a removable hard-top.
My first Corvette was a coupe; the next two convertibles, and removing that top got to be a pain. So playing around with a removable hardtop is just another problem i.e. storing. I enjoy the standard convertible top.
As it stands now it is not going to happen to the C8.
The C8 will be all about performance and really needs to watch the weight. You will have a targa and and a soft top.
As for folding hard top where would you put it on the C8 with the engine in the back?
The top is a nice feature on cars that are not worried about weight or total overall performance.
Do a Alpha platform Convertible for Cadillac and use the folding hard top there where it belongs.
Just ask this question WWZD. What Would Zora Do? You can bet it would not be a folding hard top. He vetoed that in the 50’s already.
The corvette is about performance and adding something that will slow the car down is not something the corvette team should be doing!
People who buy corvette’s just to drive around slowly threw the neighborhood make me just scratch my head and say what a waste!
So buy a coupe instead. I guess you’re in favor of eliminating the air conditioner to save weight.
A hard top convertible would add a extensive amount of weight to the corvette. Much more then even a convertible.
To compare that to A/C is ridiculous!
Yes, especially since BMW and Mercedes are phasing out their hardtop convertibles by 2020. I have one of each.
Thin graphite interlocking sleeves comes to mind, space skin. Stronger lighter and less room.