Optional equipment, the Corvette roadster still comes standard with a lighter, do-it-yourself fabric cover; a power-operated soft top
hasn't been seen on a Corvette since 1962. It has been designed and is now manufactured in partnership between GM and Car Top Systems, Gmbh, in Germany, and only requires a tug and twist of a roof-mounted handle and the push of a single (albeit a little hard to locate) button, situated on the dash to the left of the steering column, lowering or raising it in a mere 18 seconds.
As important as how it works, the new canvas top, that is available in black, like my tester, or beige and grey, looks fabulous up, whether outside watching it drive by or inside keeping dry from the rain. It shields the underlying framework better than the previous C5 roadster as well as some of its premium rivals, plus, according to Chevy, provides improved aerodynamics.
Like
most premium ragtops the Corvette convertible now features indexing side glass, a wind noise reducing feature that causes the side window to drop about half an inch when the door opens, and then pop back into place upon closure, sealing out wind, moisture and noise.
And on that note the roadster is pretty quiet when the roof's up, thanks to a variety of computer airflow models that were used to improve aerodynamic characteristics even before the first designs hit the wind tunnel. The new Corvette roadster features an aluminum windshield frame, designed with this method to promote conversation level quietness even when the top is down at highway speeds. When the top is up the car's thick, five-layer Twillfast fabric acts as an effective insulator while reportedly improving durability.
 |
| The soft top only requires a tug and twist of a roof-mounted handle and the push of a single button, situated on the dash to the left of the steering column, lowering or raising it in a mere 18 seconds. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
As important as how it works, the new canvas top, that is available in black, like my tester, or beige and grey, looks fabulous up, whether outside watching it drive by or inside keeping dry from the rain. It shields the underlying framework better than the previous C5 roadster as well as some of its premium rivals, plus, according to Chevy, provides improved aerodynamics.
Like
 |
| The C6 roadster is pretty quiet when the roof's up, thanks to a variety of computer airflow models that were used to improve aerodynamic characteristics even before the first designs hit the wind tunnel. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, Canadian Auto Press) |
And on that note the roadster is pretty quiet when the roof's up, thanks to a variety of computer airflow models that were used to improve aerodynamic characteristics even before the first designs hit the wind tunnel. The new Corvette roadster features an aluminum windshield frame, designed with this method to promote conversation level quietness even when the top is down at highway speeds. When the top is up the car's thick, five-layer Twillfast fabric acts as an effective insulator while reportedly improving durability.