Hot on the heels of revealing the most powerful Corvette ever made, Chevrolet has whipped the covers of its topless sibling, the Corvette ZR1 convertible. With minimal structural changes, the open-topped ZR1 promises the 200-plus mph thrills of its enclosed stablemate, though buyers will have to shell out a little extra to feel the wind in their hair.
The 2019 Corvette ZR1 convertible is the first ZR1 drop-top Chevrolet has made since the original in 1970, and a lot has changed since then. The updated model (and the coupe for that matter), features GM's first ever dual fuel injection system, with a LT5 6.2-liter V8 using an intercooled supercharger to pump out 755 hp (563 kW) and 715 lb-ft (969 Nm) of torque.
With structural tweaks only made to accommodate the folding top and repositioned safety belt mounts, the convertible weighs just 60 lb (27 kg) more than the coupe, most of which is due to the folding top's hardware. This means a slight drop in top speed, from 212 mph (341 km/h) to "over 200 mph (322 km/h)," but let's be honest, that's unlikely to matter to most.
"The ZR1 convertible is a no-compromise supercar," says Corvette Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter. "Thanks to the strong structure, the suspension tuning between coupe and convertible models is identical, meaning the ZR1 convertible offers the same benchmark performance, including a top speed of over 200 mph."
Other noteworthy features of both the ZR1 coupe and convertible include a seven-speed manual gearbox, with an eight-speed paddle shift automatic available as an option. On the inside are regular leather seats with a choice of heated/vented or competition options and an optional high-end Bose sound system.
Both the coupe and convertible ZR1s are on display at the LA Auto Show this week, where New Atlas is on the ground bringing you the latest. Both go on sale next spring (US), with the coupe carrying a price tag of US$119,995 and the convertible going for $123,995.
Source: Chevrolet