2020 Corvette Convertible Will Debut At Kennedy Space Center Tomorrow
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October is here, which means we’re rapidly closing in on the official debut of the 2020 Corvette Convertible. Slated to take place tomorrow afternoon at the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex in Florida, we’ll be on the scene to cover it as it happens. However, before the big sheet pull, we’re summing up what we know about the droptop C8 thus far.
Critically, most of the important stuff is a direct carryover from the 2020 Corvette C8 Coupe. For example, mechanical specs should be identical, with the mid-mounted, naturally aspirated 6.2L LT2 V8 engine once again producing 495 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque when equipped with the optional performance exhaust. The new M1L eight-speed automatic transmission routes output to the rear wheels.
That said, there are a few noteworthy deviations that are unique to the 2020 Corvette Convertible, the most obvious one being the roof. Unlike the soft-top roofs seen on previous Corvette Convertible models, the new droptop C8 will feature a foldable hardtop.
We also know that the new 2020 Corvette Convertible will weigh in at 3,637 pounds, as confirmed in a leaked GM document, making it 60 pounds heavier than the Stingray Z51 Coupe and 102 pounds heavier than the base-model Stingray Coupe.
In terms of styling, the 2020 Corvette Convertible will feature a new rear end with reshaped rear buttresses behind the passenger headrests and the deletion of the C8 Coupe’s transparent engine cover. And, as GM teased previously, we may even see new cooling vents as well.
Operation of the convertible roof will be handled by a single button along the driver’s side door, while the GM Rear Camera Mirror feature will assist rear visibility.
It’s also worth noting that the 2020 Corvette Convertible should be right at home at the Kennedy Space Center, and not just because the C8 is basically a four-wheeled rocket ship. The Corvette nameplate has a long history of tie-ins with the U.S. space program, dating back to 1962 when Alan Shepard got a new Corvette after becoming the first American in space. Fellow astronauts in the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs also drove Corvettes, and former astronauts Mae Jemison and Scott Kelly both gave cameos at the C8 Coupe reveal in July.
All told, we can’t wait to see what’s in store.
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I’m curious what (if anything) this will do to trunk space. I’ve always liked the coups better (more trunk, better shape) and the targa top made it even easier. But with the move to mid-engine, I’m not sure that is the same. Trunk space shouldn’t change, and putting the roof down won’t use up the trunk (unlike with the targa). Sure I think the coupe looks a little better, but I think the pros outweigh the cons on this. I might be convinced the convertible is the way to go on the C8.
And all of this doesn’t matter, since I can’t afford the wheels off the C8.
Who’s going to build them ? UAW, not anytime soon.