2014 Chevy Corvette Stingray Z51 Convertible First Drive and Walkaround Video

Chevrolet’s Corvette Stingray is all new for the 2014 model year, and it’s available in both coupe and convertible forms. T.J. Keon, Autobytel’s Road Test Editor, got an early peek at the new Stingray and also talked to the Chief Engineer for Corvette, Tadge Juechter. The new track-ready seven-speed manual Stingray Convertible is worth taking a look at because unlike a lot of sports convertibles, the open air option doesn’t sacrifice any of the benefits of the coupe version of the Stingray. Since this generation of the Corvette was designed with a convertible version in mind, its structure and resulting stiffness didn’t need any modifications from the coupe version. In fact, the current C7 generation of the Corvette boasts a 60% improvement in stiffness over the C6 generation. This enables the 2014 Corvette Stingray Convertible to provide an open air driving experience without any sort of overhead structural support. The convertible top on the 2014 Corvette Stingray has been revised since the last Corvette drop-top was on the market, and it’s a much higher quality design. It can open or close in about 20 seconds, while the car is operating at speeds up to 30 miles per hour.