TEST DRIVE: Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible

Convertibles have been a part of the Corvette lineup since the very beginning. The first C1 Corvette in the 1950s was only offered as a convertible and the drop-top model has been offered in every generation since.

The current C8 generation is not only the first mid-engined Corvette, but also the first to have a retractable hardtop in the convertible. A week spent driving one shows it has a lot of appeal while giving up nothing in terms of performance to the coupe.

A convertible is available in every Corvette iteration offered today, from the base model Stingray to the E-Ray hybrid and the more hardcore Z06 and ZR1 models.

The car we drove was the Stingray LT3 convertible, which has some added features over the LT1 and LT2 models, including the more performance-oriented GT2 seats.

All Corvette Stingray models, coupe or convertible, come with a naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 that produces 490 hp and 465 lb.-ft. of torque, which gets bumped up to 495 hp and 470 lb.-ft of torque if you opt for the Z51 Performance Package.

The engine itself is a standout in today’s market, where more manufacturers focus on six-cylinder engines and turbocharging in their performance models.

The V8 is mated to an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and all Corvettes except for the E-Ray hybrid are rear-wheel drive only.

Visually, there’s little to distinguish the convertible model from the coupe when the top is up. The only obvious signs of the convertible is the design of the rear window and the buttresses that are off the trailing rear edge of the roofline, which are more obvious when the top is down.

With the top up, the convertible may not be quite as sleek as the coupe, but it’s still an attractive design.

Unlike some convertibles that come with a significant weight penalty, the Corvette convertible only weighs around 105 pounds more than the coupe, and 0-60 times are nearly identical at around 3 seconds, with the convertible only losing a tenth or two of a second to the coupe.

When you want to lower the roof, the retractable hardtop can lower in sixteen seconds by using either a button on the key or a switch inside the cockpit and can be done at speeds up to 30 mph.

Cargo space is not reduced with the top down, and there are still trunks located at both the front and rear of the car.

Inside the cockpit, the Corvette has well laid out controls that are focused on the driver. In fact, with the raised partition with the long row of buttons on it, the passenger may feel a bit isolated on their side of the car.

I really liked the Alcantara trim with yellow stitching that was on our test car but could take or leave the squared off steering wheel. The GT2 seats on our test car were also excellent in both comfort and support.

The controls and infotainment display are intuitive and easy to use, and there’s a lot of information given to the driver.

The display and the information provided changes depending on the driving mode you’re in, and the driver can also use the Z mode (which has a dedicated button on the steering wheel) to customize settings such as steering and throttle response and transmission shift speed.

A key selling point of the Corvette Stingray Convertible is how easy it is to live with on a daily basis, despite having the high level of performance that it does along with supercar looks.

The goodness of the car was evident on a weekend drive from northern New Jersey to Albany, N.Y., a distance of around 300 miles roundtrip.

Much of that trip was on the interstate, and the car proved to be comfortable and quiet enough for a long highway drive in Tour mode.

When driving with the top up, you won’t be able to tell hardly any difference from the coupe in either fit and finish or wind noise, and another cool feature of the car is that you can lower the rear window with the top up to let in more of that V8 engine sound, something you can’t do with the coupe.

The ride quality of the standard suspension setup (our car didn’t have the adaptable suspension) is surprisingly compliant and comfortable on the highway and the car is easy to get in and out of at rest stops.

It’s also surprisingly efficient for having a big V8 under the hood, delivering around 25 mph on the highway.

Once away from the highway and backroads, the Corvette Convertible shows it still has the prowess and performance to provide a great driving experience.

A drive on the twisty roads around the Tomhannock Reservoir outside of Albany showed that the car has a high level of grip through the corners, good feel through the steering and seat and a quick and responsive transmission.

The brakes also had good pedal feel and, of course, the V8 sounds great with the top down.

The Corvette Stingray Convertible is a fun and exciting car to drive and with a price starting at $77,195 USD, it’s also a good value, and you can move up to the 3LT package for $88,945.

Another high-performance convertible, the BMW M4 Competition xDrive, starts at $97,500 and the Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet is $146,000. You could move up to the Corvette Z06 Convertible ($120,995) and still be well below the cost of the Porsche.

The biggest competitor to the Corvette Convertible may, in fact, be the Corvette Coupe. The Stingray Coupe starts at $70,195 and has a removable T-top that still gives you some of that open air experience, though you do have to take it off and stow it yourself rather than just pushing a button.

In either case, you can’t really go wrong with this model if you’re looking for a droptop sports car that delivers a great driving experience and has supercar looks.