Chevrolet has already confirmed that the C8 Corvette will spawn a drop-top version, but it might not be available before the 2021 model year. Yes, you guessed it, it has to do with the COVID-19 pandemic and the fact that it forced GM to shut down production at its Bowling Green plant.
The 2020 C8 Corvette is now a limited-edition model
Production of the C8 Corvette was hit really hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Brand-new cars, especially popular nameplates like the Corvette, sell like hotcakes in their first year on the market, but the C8 saw less than two months on the assembly line.
That's obviously not enough to meet demand. Considering that GM has no idea when production will restart, Chevy might build only a few more Corvettes for the 2020 model year. This will result in the 2020 C8 Corvette becoming a limited-edition model with less than 10,000 units sold. That's a massive drop from the C7 Corvette's first year on the market, which saw deliveries of almost 35,000 examples.
The C8 Corvette Convertible won't arrive until 2021
Chevrolet has confirmed that the 2020 model year Corvette would only be produced for seven months. This announcement came before production was halted because of the novel coronavirus. This means that the coupe will remain in production more than planned in order to meet demand. This also means that production of the convertible model, originally scheduled to arrive toward the end of the 2020 model year, will be delayed for 2021.
In an interview he did with Rick Conti, Bowling Green plant manager Kai Spande said he didn't know for sure when production could begin again for the C8 Corvette. With the United States now the epicenter of the pandemic with almost 600,000 cases as of April 14, it's pretty obvious that life won't get back to normal until this summer.
What's more, Spande said that GM will need to check with around 400 suppliers before restarting production and that Bowling Green workers will be retrained. Needless to say, it will take a while before the plant will work at full capacity.
The good news
Yes, there's good news in the convertible's delay for the 2021 model year. Chevrolet has already announced a few important updates for the Corvette for 2021 and the convertible will benefit from them. Updates include the magnetic ride control suspension as a standalone option, wireless Apple CarPlay, new paint colors, and new stripe patterns. If you're excited by any of these new additions, maybe waiting for the 2021 Corvette Convertible isn't such a bad idea.