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New 2020 Corvette Convertible with Folding Hardtop
While MB no longer feels the folding hardtop is important for their upcoming new generation SL Class, Chevrolet thinks that definitely is the way to go for their new 2020 Corvette Convertible that was just announced today..
Today, Chevy announced a Roadster Convertible addition model of the 2020 Corvette with a folding hardtop that can be operated at speeds up to 30mph. When folded, the top sits just above the Corvette's mid-engine, and features a heat shield to protect it from the mid-engine's heat.
Can't ever see myself in a Corvette again, but it's good to see that GM and Chevy recognize just how appealing a folding hardtop convertible is to prospective buyers of Roadster Convertibles.
As previously stated, I think MB is making a horrible mistake by going to a soft top for the SL Class!
Good move and great timing by GM and Chevy however! Today's announcement ensures that at least there will be (1) Folding Hardtop Roadster Convertible still manufactured after 2020.. Such a shame that it won't be the Mercedes SL Class!...
I agree with you. Really like the folding hard top. Unfortunately have never liked the ride of the Corvette. I do not understand why the makers of exceptionally fast cars do not have a super duper soft ride setting for the 99% percent of the time most folks drive at normal speeds.
My neighbors 911 is so uncomfortable I can only stand about an hour driving it. Great car but really rough suspension.
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Originally Posted by Utopia Texas
I agree with you. Really like the folding hard top. Unfortunately have never liked the ride of the Corvette. I do not understand why the makers of exceptionally fast cars do not have a super duper soft ride setting for the 99% percent of the time most folks drive at normal speeds.
My neighbors 911 is so uncomfortable I can only stand about an hour driving it. Great car but really rough suspension.
You know how ride sensitive I am and I must disagree. I had a 2003 Corvette convertible. I also had a 2009 Carrera Coupe. My feeling is that both of those cars had better ride quality than my non-ABC equipped 2013 SL550. Of course, the Corvette did have Magnetic Selective Ride Control and my Porsche had 18” wheels. A lot has to do with exactly how these cars are optioned.
I have an older friend who bought a 2017 Corvette Coupe, online, “fully loaded,” but it included the Z51 suspension. He hates it.
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Well, with this folding hard top, it would appear that the boys in Bowling Green have really hit it out of the park. Now, if they can realize that there is a huge, older generation of potential Corvette buyers who would REALLY appreciate the OPTION of ordering a suite of electronic safety systems, like MB’s Driver’s Assistance Pkg., then that would be the icing on the cake, at least for me.
While the top cover splits for space savings, these are not really folding hardtops (only the roof top is stowed while the C-Pillars/rear section stays there). A la McLaren spider or worst, the Porsche Targa. I like to take the top down but for a convertible, the whole top should disappear. The C-pillars create quite a bit of wind turbulence which diminish the driving experience IMO.
I don't like the hard-edged look of the Corvette but the mid-engine layout, performance and pricing makes this a compelling car. Am just configuring a GLS for errands, etc, and that car costs more than a fully loaded top-trim Corvette. Crazy...
While the top cover splits for space savings, these are not really folding hardtops (only the roof top is stowed while the C-Pillars/rear section stays there). A la McLaren spider or worst, the Porsche Targa. I like to take the top down but for a convertible, the whole top should disappear. The C-pillars create quite a bit of wind turbulence which diminish the driving experience IMO.
I don't like the hard-edged look of the Corvette but the mid-engine layout, performance and pricing makes this a compelling car. Am just configuring a GLS for errands, etc, and that car costs more than a fully loaded top-trim Corvette. Crazy...
You seem to be describing the original model of the 2020 Corvette announced back in July which does has a stowable split top, ('T-Top'), rather than the new model Roadster Convertible which was just announced today. The newer Roadster Convertible does indeed have a true folding hardtop!
Suggest you take another look by clicking on the link below, and by playing the embedded video of the top's up and down operation when it comes up!
You seem to be describing the original model of the 2020 Corvette announced back in July which does has a stowable split top, ('T-Top'), rather than the new model Roadster Convertible which was just announced today. The newer Roadster Convertible does indeed have a true folding hardtop!
Suggest you take another look by clicking on the link below, and by playing the embedded video of the top's up and down operation when it comes up!
No, I am talking about that one. If you watch the video and read my comments you see that only the actual roof top is stowed. The two C-pillars are still there. The SL folds the whole top (roof and C-pillars). Folding roofs like the Corvette are no rarity. A full folding hardtop like the SL only exists on the Ferrari Portofino (and Cali T)
Wolf....The video below provides much more detail on the new Corvette Roadster Convertible's folding hardtop and should help you understand it better. What you are referring to as 'pillars' are actually two very stylish containers for the folding roof's motorized mechanisms..
Just click below to see more of the folding hardtop's design details!
Wolf....The video below provides much more detail on the new Corvette Roadster Convertible's folding hardtop and should help you understand it better. What you are referring to as 'pillars' are actually two very stylish containers for the folding roof's motorized mechanisms..
Just click below to see more of the folding hardtop's design details!
There is nothing I need to understand better
These are not stylish containers they are an integral part of the roof design and required for roll-over protection on these cars. This is a run of the mill mid-engine hardtop. The only thing special is that they have it on a cheap car like the Corvette.
My point is that there is a difference between a folding top and folding roof. Full folding roofs fold every part into the trunk partition.
The SL is a supreme cruiser and has sufficient power to move without being the focus. The Corvette on the other hand has performance front/center and it can get tiresome if quality and comfort isn't there. I like the C8's mid-engine design which will improve the handling greatly and the interiors seem to have stepped with the 3LT trim. That said, I could never get my wife to consider even sitting in a Corvette...
2020 S560 Sedan, 2019 SL450, 2019 E450 Luxury Trim Wagon, '24 BMW I7 on order...
Originally Posted by Wolfman
..........That said, I could never get my wife to consider even sitting in a Corvette...
Yeah, I keep forgetting about that. My wife didn’t like my Corvettes either! Many women associate Vettes with older guys “on the make.” You know, gold chains, shirts unbuttoned to their navel, tight pants, comb-overs, hair dye, etc. That is a stigma that may never go away. The SL, on the other hand, is a car that most women, with any class would just LOVE to be seen in.
Last summer I took a friend who flew fighters with me for 20 years, from West Hartford, Ct to Great Barrington, Mass, for lunch. We took my '68 Porsche 912 Soft Window Targa on the 120 mile round trip. He absolutely loved the drive and the car. Last month he called me up and said he'd like to take me on the same drive, but in his brand new, slightly used 2013 Corvette convertible. He picked me up and off we went. Almost from the first moment I disliked the vette. The seats didn't adjust well, the engine was too noisy, but in fairness, it did have a lot of get up and go. As we drove, I became aware of the up and down shifting which the transmission was going through. I could both feel the changing of the gears, and hear the pitch of the engine changing. As well, the ride was very rough, although we determined that he had run flats, and I mentioned to him that that was part of the reason for the rough ride. By the end of the 4 hour day, I was exhausted, but before he left my house, I took him on a 20 minute ride in the SL. He absolutely loved it and said he was so impressed that he's going to talk with his wife and try to trade his vette in on a used SL. You couldn't give me one of those Corvette things. As everyone who owns one is aware, they're for riding around town. On a trip of any distance, give me a Mercedes, and more specifically my 450SL.
My only problem with the C8 is that it LOOKS like a race car- I personally bought the SL over
'sports looking" cars- 911, Jag F type and Corvette. I like the NON race car look of the SL all day long...
To each their own...
The Corvette has always been a performance oriented car where the SL is what I call more sport touring. Similar but yet different.
So true, and I certainly can't see myself ever buying another Vette, but liked them in my youth, so 'different stokes for different folks' applies! I have no doubt this new model will be an excellent seller for Chevy, and. I also have to give the designers of the new generation Corvette Roadster a lot of credit for equipping it with a folding hardtop rather than a 'soft top' like the upcoming new generation SL Class is going to have!..No way would I ever buy any convertible with a 'soft top'. ...
The new Corvette Roadster Convertible's folding hardtop alone may be enough to at leat 'tempt' some former SL Owners who can't see themselves ever buying any Roadster Convertible, (even an MB SL Class), if only offered with a soft top!...
Also, based on a recent Streamliner post I read, there is now a 'Magic Ride Control' (Active suspension) option for Corvettes now, (perhaps somewhat similar to ABC), and according to Streamliner, that softens the Corvette's ride significantly!
Having said all that, I must also say this: Despite some very nice improvements to the Corvette for 2020, I'm pretty sure the wives still won't like it!...
The Vette's folding hardtop alone may be enough to tempt some former SL Owners who just can't see themselves ever buying any brand's Roadster Convertible if only offered with a soft top
A lot of traditional Vette buyers will likely choke on the $7500 premium for the folding top but I believe the mid-engine layout will attract other customers that normally would not have picked a Corvette. Away from SL's; very doubtful.
me: 2015 SL400 & 2015 ML400; wife: 2022 GLC Coupe kid: 2017 GLC SUV
I'm with Wolf: not enough sky either way. And looks are subjective, but our SL's are like smart, sexy, sophisticated ladies with rockin' curves stuffed into haute couture. That vette is a Vegas escort or San Fernando Valley **** star.....
Originally Posted by Wolfman
While the top cover splits for space savings, these are not really folding hardtops (only the roof top is stowed while the C-Pillars/rear section stays there). A la McLaren spider or worst, the Porsche Targa. I like to take the top down but for a convertible, the whole top should disappear. The C-pillars create quite a bit of wind turbulence which diminish the driving experience IMO.
I don't like the hard-edged look of the Corvette but the mid-engine layout, performance and pricing makes this a compelling car. Am just configuring a GLS for errands, etc, and that car costs more than a fully loaded top-trim Corvette. Crazy...
Yeah, I keep forgetting about that. My wife didn’t like my Corvettes either! Many women associate Vettes with older guys “on the make.” You know, gold chains, shirts unbuttoned to their navel, tight pants, comb-overs, hair dye, etc. That is a stigma that may never go away. The SL, on the other hand, is a car that most women, with any class would just LOVE to be seen in.
You really hit the nail on the head with that one. You just described every Corvette driver I've ever seen! But don't forget the baseball cap and Oakley sunglasses!
I will check out the c8 convertible when it's ready. I do kind of generally like a more low-key looking car, but I think it looks really nice. I'm interested in what hp a z06 version will have.
Sold 06 CLS500. SL550 09. SL550 2013. Own C6 Corvette heavily customized garage queen 2005.
Originally Posted by bob55
While MB no longer feels the folding hardtop is important for their upcoming new generation SL Class, Chevrolet thinks that definitely is the way to go for their new 2020 Corvette Convertible that was just announced today..
Today, Chevy announced a Roadster Convertible addition model of the 2020 Corvette with a folding hardtop that can be operated at speeds up to 30mph. When folded, the top sits just above the Corvette's mid-engine, and features a heat shield to protect it from the mid-engine's heat.
Can't ever see myself in a Corvette again, but it's good to see that GM and Chevy recognize just how appealing a folding hardtop convertible is to prospective buyers of Roadster Convertibles.
As previously stated, I think MB is making a horrible mistake by going to a soft top for the SL Class!
Good move and great timing by GM and Chevy however! Today's announcement ensures that at least there will be (1) Folding Hardtop Roadster Convertible still manufactured after 2020.. Such a shame that it won't be the Mercedes SL Class!...
Well I think I originally brought to this board my feeling on the new Vette and this time GM have hit it out of the park. I have not got involved in placing a deposit and getting the first one on the block as want to see it in person and test drive it. But having now run MB's and Vettes for 20 plus years, my hardtop retractable will at least cover me if MB do only have the new soft top. I will therefore treat myself to both when the time is right and unless the new SL 550 2020/21 is a stinker, I will have the choice of 2 different cars with one giving me all the refinements I have come to accept(hope MB have a decent large Nav system that is somehow in-built into the dash and not a separate ugly display placed on top of the dash that I see in so many cars).
MB, get on with it!!!
10-03-2019, 11:06 AM
The SL, on the other hand, is a car that most women, with any class would just LOVE to be seen in.
