Corvette Stingray Convertible

Make
Chevrolet
Segment
Compact

The all-new 2020 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible is here and it's very impressive. Although we have yet to get behind the wheel, the performance specs and power output Chevy has provided are extremely impressive. At the same time, Chevy has gone to great lengths to improve the Vette's overall refinement by moving it even further upmarket with lots of new technologies and features.

One of those is the GM Rear Camera Mirror. This actually replaces the typical rear-view mirror with a high-resolution video feed from a camera at the rear of the vehicle. The automaker claims this setup offers a better view of what's happening out back. The video is then displayed to the driver in the familiar rearview mirror as opposed to broadcasting it on the center display screen. How does this relate to the new Corvette Convertible?

It won't work when the roof is lowered, as GM Authority discovered, and here's the reason why: the Rear Camera Mirror is located on the roof panel. Once that panel is folded down, the camera obviously can't do its thing, rendering it useless whenever the driver has the roof folded. The obvious good news is that the driver should have far clearer rear visibility with the roof down, but this does require using the regular rearview mirror and side mirrors. There's really nothing the automaker could have done to prevent this because it's simply a design feature. Once the roof is lowered and stored, the camera goes with it, plain and simple.

Should this be considered as a serious drawback for potential buyers? We don't think so, but it's something they would probably like to know before making a nearly $70,000 purchase, at the very least. And because the new Corvette's V8 is located behind the driver instead of up front, having an advanced rearview camera like this for improved visibility will be particularly useful – except for when the roof is down.