Here’s Why the C8 Corvette Convertible Retracting Hard Top Is an Engineering Marvel

C8 Corvette convertible features an attention-grabbing and practical hard top design that’s truly amazing to behold.

The C8 Corvette is a groundbreaking machine in a variety of ways, most of which we’ve covered in extreme detail already. Now that the C8 Corvette convertible has gone on sale, it too deserves its own accolades, mostly due to that Corvette-first retractable hard top. This is the sort of thing that was once reserved for high-dollar hypercars (though it’s been found on some “normal” models before), and it’s truly a sight to behold.

But while we’ve seen the top in action quite a bit already, it’s worth noting that General Motors didn’t come up with this engineering marvel all by itself – a German company named Webasto helped in that regard. Webasto designs all sorts of automotive convertible tops and sunroofs, including a few for GM, but the C8 Corvette convertible retracting hard top might just be their finest piece of work yet.

The two-part top uses a total of six electric motors fitted inside the roof to raise and lower it, in place of the typical hydraulic system you might expect to see. The main benefit of such a change is reduced weight, of course, but the motors also provide a more compact package. Four of those motors utilize advanced integrated controllers as well, which eliminates the need for a central unit.

Working together, these motors allow the C8 convertible’s top to be raised and lowered in just 16 seconds, either way. This can also be completed at speeds up to 30 miles-per-hour, which makes it quite handy if you’re cruising along and happen upon a surprise rain storm.

The top is constructed from a mixture of lightweight materials including composite plastic panels and aluminum, which helps it weigh in at just 141 pounds. It’s also designed to fit neatly above the mid-mounted LT2 V8, so it doesn’t take away any trunk space.

If all of those benefits weren’t enough, Webasto also designed the hard top so that wind noise and turbulence are minimized when it’s down, thanks to the transparent backlight module located between the two air domes. And since visibility is always a concern with cars like this, there’s also a 360-degree camera system integrated into the roof.

The end result of all these components is an exotic-looking drop top that will serve as an attention grabber every time the roof is raised or lowered, but also a very usable and practical vehicle for its owners. And in the automotive world, that’s a combination we rarely see with exotic and/or sports cars like the C8.

Photos: Chevrolet

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