2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 Convertible to Debut in NY

According to Khabar Khodro,Chevrolet wowed the automotive world when it unveiled the 2015 Z06 in Detroit last January, but it turns out the brand was only getting started.

Starting in the upcoming model year, the company’s most performance-oriented car ever will also be offered as an open-air model. Just like its hardtop sibling the supercharged 6.2-liter V8 will deliver “at least” 625 hp and 635 lb-ft of torque. It will also launch from 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds.

“Only a handful of convertibles in the world bring more than 600 horsepower and 600 pound-feet of torque. Even fewer can match the advanced technologies, aerodynamic design, and driving experience of the Z06 Convertible,” product development boss Mark Reuss said.

This is the first time Chevrolet has offered a convertible version of its higher-performing Corvette. At the end of the C6 life cycle, the brand did offer the limited edition 427, which is a convertible and uses the same 7.0-liter engine, but it isn’t nearly as performance focused as the Z06.

Chevrolet says the car’s aluminum structure is actually 20 percent stiffer than the old Z06, which means it’s strong enough not to need any structural reinforcement from a roof.

A cloth convertible top serves as a canopy and the brand says only minor structural differences take place as a result.

Just like the coupe, this car is mated to either a seven-speed manual transmission or an eight-speed automatic that will also be sold in the 2015 Stingray.