Few things get my heart and adrenaline pumping, let alone a set of photos. But my ventricles are surging away right now, looking at the photos of the 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 that General Motors just sent to the web ahead of the scheduled debut at the 2014 New York Auto Show next week.
Frankly, we weren’t expecting a convertible version of the all-new, high-torque performance Z06 to be offered in Convertible form … at least, not so soon. Delightfully, Chevrolet is keen to go full-bore with this track-taming drop-top beauty.
Just like the hardtop Z06, the convertible features a supercharged LT4 6.2-liter V8 that produces at least 625 horsepower and 635 pound-feet of torque. No only does this make it one of the most capable convertibles on the planet, it is also now the most powerful drop-top Chevrolet has ever produced.
Amazingly, the chassis of the Convertible didn’t have to be reinforced, when designers ripped the roof off the Z06. Accordingly, the curb weight of the ‘Vert ‘Vette is nearly identical to the Z06 Coupe
“Until recently it was not possible to create a lightweight, open-roof structure strong enough to cope with the braking, cornering, and acceleration of Corvette’s top performance models,” Corvette chief engineer Tadge Juechter said in a prepared statement. “The frame for the Z06 convertible leverages advancements in computer-aided engineering, metallurgy, and manufacturing techniques – many of which were not available just five years ago.”
The new electronic cloth top of the Z06 Convertible, which can be ordered in one of four colors, can be lowered by key fob or while on the road, up to speeds of 30 mph.
When the fabric roof and glass rear window are stored, they’re covered by a mechanical tonneau cover, which is finished in either Carbon Flash-paint or carbon fiber.
The placement of the tonneau cover required “moving the air intakes for the differential and transmission coolers from the rear quarter panels on the Z06 Coupe to the underbody of the Z06 Convertible … otherwise, both models share the same, performance-driven aesthetic.”
If you’d like to know more of the Z06 Convertible, check back soon for our coverage from the show floor of the New York Auto Show next week. Or – if you need a refresher on the Z06’s performance figures and features – read our coverage of the hardtop Z06 from the Detroit Auto Show.
