2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible Tested: Pretty Much a Droptop Z06

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: Supporting its carbon-fiber and balsa-wood sandwich floor panels—same as the Z06's—is the hydroformed steel frame from the base Corvette rather than the aluminum structural 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-reinforced roof panel simply removed. READ MORE ›› Read full story » from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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