2013 Chevrolet Corvette 427 Convertible
A Z06 engine for the droptop, and a 60th Anniversary pack for all Vettes.
Chevy has confirmed that the 2014 model year will bring an all-new, seventh-generation Corvette. Until then, though, the bow-tie brand has put together a special Vette with a big-ass engine, as well as a paint-and-tape package to celebrate the nameplate's 60th birthday.
Big Engine, Big Sky
The number in the Corvette 427 convertible's name pretty well sums up the car. It's a Corvette convertible with a 427-cubic-inchor 7.0-liter, in modern parlanceengine under the hood. Actually, the engine's massive 7008-cubic-centimeter displacement converts to 427.7 cubic inches. While that rounds up to 428 cubes, Chevrolet calls it a 427 for nostalgic purposes to pay homage to the 427 big block that powered Vettes back in the day. Today's "427," called the LS7, has until now only been available in the Corvette Z06 coupe. It loses no power for its installation in the 427 convertible, meaning it'll offer 505 hp and 470 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is the only available gearbox, and the driveline and rear axle are borrowed from the Z06, too. We hope the company has beefed up the rest of the convertible to handle the extra power, but the truth is that the regular 426- and 436-hp Vette convertibles have to be pretty sturdy already.
Many of the features that are either standard or available as options on the Z06 will be included on all 427 convertibles: Magnetic Ride Control, a trunk-mounted battery, special wheels (19-inchers up front, 20s in the rear), and Michelin PS2 tires. Carbon fiber is employed throughout the 427 convertible, including for the hood, fenders, and floor panels. As a result, Chevy says the Corvette 427 convertible weighs in at 3355 poundsjust 156 pounds more than a Z06 coupe.
The Paint and the Tape
The car you see in the pictures above also includes an optional 60th Anniversary package, celebrating the completion of yet another decade in the Corvette's life. That package will be available on all 2013 Corvettes. This scintillating cornucopia of options brings special "Arctic White" paint and a blue leather interior. From Chevy's description, it seems that designers have stuck "60th" logos anywhere they could. For further adventures in decoration, 60th Anniversary Vettes will be available with blue stripes running the length of the caron convertibles, they'll travel up the hood and continue in stitched fabric over the roof. Seriously.
We'd caution you not to confuse the 2013 Corvette 60th Anniversary package with the 2012 Corvette Centennial Edition, which celebrated the 100th anniversary of Chevrolet. Commemorative editions are nice and all, but we'll admit to being more interested in the C7.
