First Drive Review
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Chevrolet finally builds a Z06 convertible. Almost.
Whatever you do, don’t call the Chevrolet Corvette 427 convertible a Z06 convertible.
Never mind that beneath its carbon-fiber Z06 hood and between what look like the Z06’s carbon-fiber fenders sits the Z06’s dry-sump 7.0-liter V-8 spinning the Z06’s six-speed manual—the only transmission available, just as in the Z06—and directing power to the Z06’s rear axle, which is equipped with the Z06’s available magnetorheological shock absorbers. Chevy refuses to call the 427 droptop a Z06 for a much simpler reason: Beneath its carbon-fiber/balsa-wood-sandwich floor panels—same as the Z06’s—are the steel frame rails of the base Corvette, rather than the aluminum pieces at the core of the Z06 and ZR1. Also, engineers insist that the Z06 was designed from the ground up to be a coupe, and that it wouldn’t take kindly to having its magnesium roof panel simply removed.
But if you consider the 427 to be in every other way a Z06, you’re correct. With the exception of those frame rails, most of the stuff that makes a Z06 is here.
Drives Like One, Too
Not surprisingly, all that Z06 equipment makes the 427 drive a lot like the Z06. First of all, it’s got the same steering. Immediate doesn’t do it justice. It’s almost twitchy, and demands absolute attention—as do the car’s tremendous limits. We recorded 1.06 on the skidpad in a Grand Sport convertible, which hangs one rung below the 427 on the topless-Vette ladder. With the Z06’s brakes also aboard, the 427 stops like it’s grabbing an arresting cable. The last Z06 we tested screeched from 70 mph to a stop in just 146 feet.
Much of the 427 convertible’s equipment is available on the mid-level Grand Sport roadster, but the one thing that defines the Z06—its 428-cubic-inch LS7 V-8—is the 427’s main draw. (Since you can’t use Z06, you may feel free to call this car the 428.) It’s a near faultless mill, brutal and ferocious, with a spine-tingling scream that will make anyone pine for a big-inch V-8 of their own. The LS7’s 505 hp and 470 lb-ft seem to all manifest at every point in its rev range, and we figure it’ll sling the 427 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and through the quarter in 12.1. A quarter-mile that quick places any car in elite company, but this is one of an even shorter list of convertibles on the list. Chevrolet claims a top speed in excess of 190 mph.
From One Perspective, It’s Basically Free
Chevy also quotes a sticker price starting at just $76,900—that’s only $325 more than a Z06. In terms of typical convertible premiums, Chevy might as well be paying customers to take the 427 instead of the Z06.
All Corvette convertibles have their faults—seats that, although improved for 2012, still aren’t up to the performance of the car; a structure that isn’t quite as rigid as the coupe’s; scary breakaway behavior—but one thing you’ll never hear us complain about is the LS7. It is a great engine, and we’re still surprised it has taken Chevrolet this long to install it in the convertible body. The next-generation C7 Corvette is just around the corner; hopefully, droptop customers will be able to get more-powerful engines earlier in the model run the next time around.
Specifications
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door roadster
BASE PRICE: $76,900
ENGINE TYPE: pushrod 16-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection
Displacement: 428 cu in, 7008 cc
Power: 505 hp @ 6300 rpm
Torque: 470 lb-ft @ 4800 rpm
TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 105.7 in
Length: 175.6 in
Width: 75.9 in Height: 48.7 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3400 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 3.8 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 8.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 12.1 sec
Top speed (drag limited, mfr’s est): 190 mph
FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway driving: 15/24 mpg
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