As any proper, card-carrying automotive enthusiast will tell you, when buying a sports car, you have to get one with a fixed roof. It's one of life's widely accepted unspoken rules, like not going Number 2 on a long-haul flight.
It seems the rules are changing, however. According to Chevrolet's figures, the C8 Convertible accounts for 42% of all production. Chevrolet will produce 26,216 Corvettes in 2021, and 15,206 of them will be Coupes, while the remaining 11,010 will obviously be of the drop-top variety. Harlan Charles, Corvette Product Manager, believes this figure will grow even higher in the future. The market is completely upside down at the moment due to the semiconductor shortage. There are people out there willing to pay over $120,000 for a base model.
We're quite stumped by the coupe to convertible ratio. After an unfortunate spitting incident involving a drunk vagrant, our love of convertibles sort of faded away. We prefer a spit-free interior with a fixed roof on top of it.
But what are the main differences between the coupe and convertible, and why is the latter selling so well?
The Convertible costs more and not by a small amount. Going topless costs an additional $7,500, or, in other words, around 11% of the asking price. In the Convertible, you also can't see the 6.2-liter V8 engine through the rear window.
On the plus side, the C8 was developed to have a folding hardtop from the very beginning. That means Chevrolet could engineer it properly so the average driver wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the cars. The convertible gets a different rear suspension tune, and the weight penalty is just 80 lbs. That's why the performance figures for both cars are identical. Both Vettes get to 60 mph in around three seconds and top out at 194 mph.
The main reason to buy the Convertible is to get unfiltered access to the V8 soundtrack. It may not have a high-revving engine, but it sounds glorious. It's the sound of American muscle. And let's not forget that it's a highly tunable engine. A turbocharged C8 Corvette Stingray recently set a quarter-mile world record.
In addition to the split between coupe and convertible sales, Chevrolet also revealed a few other figures.
A total of 52% of convertible buyers go for the 3LT trim, while 40% opt for the 2LT. Only 8% of buyers go for the base model. When it comes to the coupe, the 2LT is the favorite at 47%, followed by 3LT with 33%. Only 20% of buyers go for the 1LT.
Demand is fairly high for the C8 Corvette at the moment. With the 2021 consignment already sold out, you might want to get your name on a list as soon as possible. Or steal one straight from the dealer floor.