You may have noticed that we’ve spilled a bit of ink on the
new Corvette already. Yes, the C7 appeared on five of our covers in 2013 and
two of three this year. Yet, in all our witty musings, we’ve failed to mention
just how badly GM needs this new Vette to turn the numbers around. Because
since the global financial meltdown, Corvette sales have been off.
The Stingray’s
taillights look like the eyes of a cheetah with their black “tear marks.”
When auto sales collapsed in 2009, GM slashed Corvette
production from more than 35,000 units in 2008 to less than half that number.
The skid continued for the duration of the C6, with fewer than 14,000 units
built per model year, despite the introduction of specials such as the ZR1,
Grand Sport, and 427 Convertible. How bad was it? In a word: historic. It was
the worst Corvette slump of the modern era. Since the dawn of the C4 in 1984,
annual Corvette production had averaged more than 30,000.
So, as the rest of the industry bounced back to pre-meltdown
levels in 2013, Chevrolet got busy launching the seventh-generation Corvette,
the Stingray. In fact, it was two launched. In December, just four months after
the debut of the coupe, the first convertibles rolled out of Bowling Green
Assembly. Chevrolet even went ahead and announced the Z06 in January, though
deliveries don’t start until early 2015. If sales don’t return to the
30,000-unit level, it won’t be for lack of product.
With it shorn, the
convertible looks in profile even more like the C6, especially when you notice
its body-colored “waterfall” panel between the seats, a retro rerun from the
previous car
If your dogma says a vehicle with a folding roof is less of
one due to diminished structure, increased mass, a Barbie’s-car image, and so
forth, then we won’t argue. But it’s not so in this case. As the Porsche
Boxster is to the Cayman, the difference in stiffness of the Corvette convertible
to the coupe is nominal, says Chevrolet, and nothing in our initial drive gave
us reason to disbelieve. Even over broken pavement, the rearview mirror is like
a rock.
That’s because there’s so little difference in structure
between the cars that Chevy doesn’t even change the suspension calibration. The
convertible deviates only in some A-pillar details, side-window size, and, of
course, by its missing targa roof and hatchback. What makes the new Corvette
coupe look young is its new roofline, which is where most of the daring in the
design went. With it shorn, the convertible looks in profile even more like the
C6, especially when you notice its body-colored “waterfall” panel between the
seats, a retro rerun from the previous car.
The engine is so
powerful and tractable that you can leave the car in third gear pretty much all
the time if you like
Convertible Stingrays use body panels identical to the
coupe’s, with the exception of the rear fenders that have a cut-line for the
trunk. The cargo hold is 10 cubic feet, about 5 less than the coupe’s, and is
notable for occupying the same place within the structure as the tin-top’s
behind-the-seats trunk, meaning the rear fascia is also common. The A-pillars
are reportedly strong enough that roll hoops aren’t necessary. While a wind
blocker is not really needed, we are told that one will be available as a
dealer-installed accessory. And yes, you will need to have it installed, as the
clear plastic piece gets bolted into the car and is designed so that it stays
in place whether the top is up or down.
What makes the new
Corvette coupe look young is its new roofline, which is where most of the
daring in the design went
With its top up, the convertible is actually more hushed
than the coupe, as you can’t hear the resonance from the latter’s open cargo
space. The convertible’s side-window glass is shorter to match the slightly
smaller apertures created by the folding top, which contributes to a
claustrophobic feel when the roof is raised. Putting it down takes 21 seconds
of pushing a rocker switch to the left of the steering wheel, and the top
operates with the car moving at up to 30 mph, at which speed 21 seconds feels
like an eternity, especially for everyone behind you. Maybe it’s better to just
pull over or use the key fob before getting in. It can lower the top as you
walk up to the car.
