Chevrolet: Corvette News
that is amazing.
04-11-2014 | 03:48 PM
#2443
Azine Jabroni
Joined: May 2013
Posts: 9,156
Likes: 2,159
From: Austin, TX
Oh. My. God.
2015 Corvette Z06 Convertible Debuts
You had to see this coming. You just had to: Chevrolet scalped its hardest-core Corvette model ever, the 2015 Z06. The automaker is debuting the topless heathen at the 2014 New York auto show. “But the C7.R race car isn’t a convertible,” we can already hear you muttering under your breath, followed by, “droptops are for conceited extroverts who don’t care about driving.” Except the 2015 Corvette Z06 convertible isn’t an affront to Z06dom or the track-car universe, where the structural rigidity afforded by coupe bodies is traditionally favored over supposedly floppy, style-conscious ragtops.
That’s because it not only gets the hardtop’s full complement of road-burning hardware, but also features a chassis every bit as stiff as the Z06 coupe’s sans its removable targa roof panel. The coupe and convertible’s shared aluminum chassis is a claimed 20 percent stiffer than the that of the outgoing, fixed-roof Z06’—60 percent more rigid with the coupe’s roof panel in place—and Chevrolet claims the topless car weighs nearly the same as the coupe. Need we even bring up other great rides like the Miata or the Boxster?
So, there shouldn’t be a single non-aesthetic reason why the Z06 convertible can’t share track time—or the Z06 name—with the coupe. Besides, Chevy came close with 2013’s 427 droptop, and it sold one Z06 racing package–equipped Corvette convertible way back in 1963, so the seal has been broken. (Never mind that the automaker hasn’t offered a topless Z06 of any kind since, and the other estimated 198 ’63 Z06s were coupes.) We say that if you want your Z06 cake and want wind to whip your face while you eat it, too, that’s your business.
Damn, That Corvette Sure Is Z06-y
As far as appearances go, the Corvette Z06 convertible is crushingly predictable: It looks exactly like the coupe, minus the roof. This is more than okay, however, given how ridiculously awesome the car looks top-down; with the lined and padded cloth top raised, the Z06 looks slightly less fantastic, thanks to the roof’s helmet-like appearance. That top has a glass rear window and can motor itself up or down at speeds up to 30 mph, and can be operated via the key fob from outside the car. This is one area where the coupe really succeeds, thanks to its sweeping, steeply raked roofline. Otherwise, the convertible gets the coupe’s plethora of body addenda, scoops, vents, spoilers, and more.
Similar to the regular, non-Z06 Corvette convertible, the top mechanism requires the transmission and differential cooling ducts to be moved from the tops of each rear fender to underneath the Z06 droptop. Alfresco-seeking buyers can opt for one of the same three aerodynamic packages—ranging from wild to pure, adjustable bad-assery—found on the hardtop, as well as the optional Z07 group. The latter option brings 15.5-inch front and 15.3-inch rear Brembo carbon-ceramic brake rotors (0.9 inch larger in diameter than the base Z06’s two-piece cast-iron units), as well as Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires and the most extreme of the three aerodynamic packages. Lightweight 19-inch front and 20-inch rear spin-cast aluminum wheels are standard.
The only thing wrong with two cars sharing GM’s jaw-dropping new supercharged, 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 engine is that three cars aren’t sharing the mill. Final output figures are forthcoming—as they are for the coupe—but Chevrolet says to expect numbers on the fun side of 625 horsepower and 635 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed manual transmission is standard, and the new 8L90 eight-speed automatic with manual shift control is optional. Power is transferred from the engine to the rear transaxle via a carbon-fiber torque tube—again, the same as in the coupe—and the hardtop’s efficiency-boosting direct fuel injection, Active Fuel Management, and continuously variable valve timing carry over as well.
Chevrolet will offer buyers the choice of four top colors, five interior colors, and we assume the brand’s trick GPS- and camera-based Performance Data Recorder will live on the options list, too. With the Z06 convertible, Chevrolet joins Porsche, Jaguar, Audi, BMW, McLaren, and other automakers hawking high-performance sports cars in topless form. We can’t imagine a better way to enjoy the Z06’s sure-to-be-mean exhaust note (we got a brief preview of the aural insanity when Chevy idled the coupe on stage at the 2014 Detroit auto show) than in a Z06 without a rear hatch or roof section. And to all those who remain unconvinced, how can you argue with a Z06 model that’s sure to garner the nameplate even more appeal? If we do say so ourselves, that’s a reason to love the Z06 convertible that’s nearly as stiff and unyielding as the car’s chassis.
That’s because it not only gets the hardtop’s full complement of road-burning hardware, but also features a chassis every bit as stiff as the Z06 coupe’s sans its removable targa roof panel. The coupe and convertible’s shared aluminum chassis is a claimed 20 percent stiffer than the that of the outgoing, fixed-roof Z06’—60 percent more rigid with the coupe’s roof panel in place—and Chevrolet claims the topless car weighs nearly the same as the coupe. Need we even bring up other great rides like the Miata or the Boxster?
So, there shouldn’t be a single non-aesthetic reason why the Z06 convertible can’t share track time—or the Z06 name—with the coupe. Besides, Chevy came close with 2013’s 427 droptop, and it sold one Z06 racing package–equipped Corvette convertible way back in 1963, so the seal has been broken. (Never mind that the automaker hasn’t offered a topless Z06 of any kind since, and the other estimated 198 ’63 Z06s were coupes.) We say that if you want your Z06 cake and want wind to whip your face while you eat it, too, that’s your business.
Damn, That Corvette Sure Is Z06-y
As far as appearances go, the Corvette Z06 convertible is crushingly predictable: It looks exactly like the coupe, minus the roof. This is more than okay, however, given how ridiculously awesome the car looks top-down; with the lined and padded cloth top raised, the Z06 looks slightly less fantastic, thanks to the roof’s helmet-like appearance. That top has a glass rear window and can motor itself up or down at speeds up to 30 mph, and can be operated via the key fob from outside the car. This is one area where the coupe really succeeds, thanks to its sweeping, steeply raked roofline. Otherwise, the convertible gets the coupe’s plethora of body addenda, scoops, vents, spoilers, and more.
Similar to the regular, non-Z06 Corvette convertible, the top mechanism requires the transmission and differential cooling ducts to be moved from the tops of each rear fender to underneath the Z06 droptop. Alfresco-seeking buyers can opt for one of the same three aerodynamic packages—ranging from wild to pure, adjustable bad-assery—found on the hardtop, as well as the optional Z07 group. The latter option brings 15.5-inch front and 15.3-inch rear Brembo carbon-ceramic brake rotors (0.9 inch larger in diameter than the base Z06’s two-piece cast-iron units), as well as Michelin Pilot Sport Cup tires and the most extreme of the three aerodynamic packages. Lightweight 19-inch front and 20-inch rear spin-cast aluminum wheels are standard.
The only thing wrong with two cars sharing GM’s jaw-dropping new supercharged, 6.2-liter LT4 V-8 engine is that three cars aren’t sharing the mill. Final output figures are forthcoming—as they are for the coupe—but Chevrolet says to expect numbers on the fun side of 625 horsepower and 635 lb-ft of torque. A seven-speed manual transmission is standard, and the new 8L90 eight-speed automatic with manual shift control is optional. Power is transferred from the engine to the rear transaxle via a carbon-fiber torque tube—again, the same as in the coupe—and the hardtop’s efficiency-boosting direct fuel injection, Active Fuel Management, and continuously variable valve timing carry over as well.
Chevrolet will offer buyers the choice of four top colors, five interior colors, and we assume the brand’s trick GPS- and camera-based Performance Data Recorder will live on the options list, too. With the Z06 convertible, Chevrolet joins Porsche, Jaguar, Audi, BMW, McLaren, and other automakers hawking high-performance sports cars in topless form. We can’t imagine a better way to enjoy the Z06’s sure-to-be-mean exhaust note (we got a brief preview of the aural insanity when Chevy idled the coupe on stage at the 2014 Detroit auto show) than in a Z06 without a rear hatch or roof section. And to all those who remain unconvinced, how can you argue with a Z06 model that’s sure to garner the nameplate even more appeal? If we do say so ourselves, that’s a reason to love the Z06 convertible that’s nearly as stiff and unyielding as the car’s chassis.
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ttribe (04-11-2014)
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fsttyms1 (04-11-2014)
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fsttyms1 (04-11-2014)
Sex on wheels. (just imagine what a red one will do to the ladies 
04-14-2014 | 11:11 AM
#2461
Senior Moderator
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 167,734
Likes: 23,026
Saw the Corvette in person over the weekend at the car show here in town; they had the C7 on display and I was able to sit in it...close my eyes and dream of driving it.
Would've sat in it longer if some inconsiderate jerk didn't go "ahem" because he thought I was in it for too long.
Would've sat in it longer if some inconsiderate jerk didn't go "ahem" because he thought I was in it for too long.
04-14-2014 | 11:16 AM
#2462
Senior Moderator
iTrader: (2)
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 27,921
Likes: 1,080
From: where the weather suits my clothes
Saw the Corvette in person over the weekend at the car show here in town; they had the C7 on display and I was able to sit in it...close my eyes and dream of driving it.
Would've sat in it longer if some inconsiderate jerk didn't go "ahem" because I had my pants down around my ankles.
Would've sat in it longer if some inconsiderate jerk didn't go "ahem" because I had my pants down around my ankles.
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kurtatx (04-14-2014)
04-14-2014 | 11:53 AM
#2464
Senior Moderator
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 59,071
Likes: 11,069
From: Chicago
04-14-2014 | 12:35 PM
#2466
Moderator
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,869
Likes: 3,489
04-14-2014 | 12:37 PM
#2467
Fahrvergnügen'd
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,494
Likes: 1,569
From: Maryland
04-14-2014 | 12:44 PM
#2468
AZ Community Team
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 18,226
Likes: 4,325
From: Maryland
04-16-2014 | 12:51 AM
#2471
Senior Moderator
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 59,071
Likes: 11,069
From: Chicago
Chevy has now released all of the official details of the new Z06 Convertible, and they are largely the same as the coupe that we saw in Detroit, even in the weight department. The Z06 Convertible is 20 percent stiffer than the last Z06 with the fixed roof. Curb weight is basically identical.
I would get the regular model though, the targa is sufficient for me. But this is still cool as hell.
http://jalopnik.com/2015-chevrolet-c...-it-1562295097
