2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible: First Look

The wraps have fallen off the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible today at the Geneva Motor Show, revealing a cloth power top that GM says will retain the structural rigidity of the Stingray coupe. Oh. It also looks drop-dead gorgeous.

At the push of a button, the power cloth top in the new 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Convertible retracts into the rear tonneau panel behind the seats, and is operational even at speeds up to 30 mph. Those tonneau panels serve an aesthetic purpose, too, glossed in black paint for a look that exudes the seductive nature associate with topless Vettes. 

In fact, the C7 Corvette Stingray may look better as the convertible than its coupe sibling. Clean lines that begin at the rear wing run unobstructed across the profile of the car and dip into the side intakes to enhance its aggressive stance. It gives the Stingray a more gentle and lovely look than the Eat-Your-Face-Off coupe.

But that doesn't mean it’s soft. The Stingray Convertible sports the same 450-horsepower LT1 V8 engine as the coupe, and both models share nearly identical power-to-weight ratios and front-to-rear weight balance figures. The new aluminum structure in the C7 Corvette Stingray pays extra dividends here, as well, because it maintains frame stiffness for the convertible that would normally be lost with the additional of a soft top.

Time will tell whether these steps have negated the performance benefits of a coupe, but it seems clear that driving the Corvette Stingray Convertible will be an experience all its own. With that much power, that little weight and no roof to play with, get ready to have a truly unique topless experience.

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