The 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible is billed as the fastest drop-top Vette ever.
Look fast or you might miss it. Here’s a first look at the 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible that will make its formal debut, tonight, during a special break in the action at the annual Barrett-Jackson Auction, in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The 7.0-liter, 505-horsepower monster is being billed as the fastest drop-top that Chevy has ever offered – and a good way to celebrate both the 60th anniversary of “America’s sports car,” and the likelihood this will be the last major variant off the soon-to-be-replaced C6 version of the Corvette.
Some lucky bidder at the Barrett will have the opportunity to be the first on his (or her) block to drive home in the Corvette 427 Convertible, one sporting a special 60th Anniversary Package that boasts Arctic White paint and Pearl Silver Blue stripes, with a Diamond Blue leather-wrapped interior. It will be auctioned off for charity over the weekend.
A 2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible with an original Vette droptop.
The rest of us will have to wait until summer to take delivery. But for the privilege of taking home the number-one VIN, the Barrett auction is likely to command a premium that could run several times the 427’s MSRP.
Under the striped hood, that 7.0-liter V-8 – for the metrically challenged, that’s 427 cubic inches — mated to a 6-speed stick is the same basic drivetrain found in the Corvette Z06 Coupe. But Chevy has incorporated some carbon fiber and other weight-saving measures to maximize the power-to-weight ratio. That translates into a claimed 3.8 seconds 0 to 60, and a rated top speed of 190 mph. To save you the effort of looking it up, the 427 is faster off the line than a Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet, the Audi R8 cabrio, a Ferrari California or an Aston Martin DBS.
Among other features, the 427 will share the rear- mounted battery and Magnetic Selective Ride Control system offered with the Corvette Z06, while ZR1-style wheels are standard gear.
The sixth-generation Corvette – C6 in Vette lingo – may be there to celebrate the 60th anniversary, but it won’t be around much longer. Chevrolet is already in the final stages of development with the C7, a model that it hopes will take it even closer to its goal of being seen as a truly world-competitive sports car.
As TheDetroitBureau.com has previously reported, GM engineers are taking an unusual approach to powering the C7, and barring any late changes they are expected to offer both a classic V-8, like the 427, while also introducing a more modern, downsized powertrain that will use forced induction into a small block to deliver an enormous specific output, likely well in excess of 150 hp per liter.