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The car's chassis was designed to be a vert from the start was was the C5/6/7. That means there is no additional bracing added to facilitate the drop-top. I talked with head designer Kirk Bennion directly on facebook and he confirmed that the lines were added to allow a break line for the black nacelle option.
Yes he explains it well but this was all completed before the final design of the coupe.
Yes he explains it well but this was all completed before the final design of the coupe.
I don't think you're following what I'm saying. The coupe has very clean lines from the quarter glass back. The HTC has a bunch going on around the nacelles and the rear tonneau cover.
Actually, the numbers I've seen show the weight difference is 101#'s. Still like the HTC better. Love the looks from all angles. Along with the versatility.
Actually, the numbers I've seen show the weight difference is 101#'s. Still like the HTC better. Love the looks from all angles. Along with the versatility.
I agree!
The Jay Leno videos really nail that point home.
i can't wait to see the HTC in person - make mine rapid blue
I am having the same debate now coupe or HTC.... 3 questions how do you get to the engine bay in the HTC, is the rear view mirror camera gone and is there more more behind the seats in the HTC..... i am tall and need all the room possible
I am having the same debate now coupe or HTC.... 3 questions how do you get to the engine bay in the HTC, is the rear view mirror camera gone and is there more more behind the seats in the HTC..... i am tall and need all the room possible
@Billy20 my $0.02 as someone who is 6'4" with a 34" inseam (longer torso):
1. Engine bay is accessed via a key fob button press sequence to activate "service mode" the tonneau goes up and there is an insulated engine cover you remove. You do not have to remove this cover to access the oil fill and dipstick.
2. The rear view mirror camera is gone with the top down, but the mirror reverts to a normal mirror and you don't have anything behind you other than the nacelles. Properly adjusted side mirrors will cover any blind spots.
3. There isn't any more room behind the seat, both have the same recline max of 17 degrees. However, this is where it gets tricky.... the HTC doesn't have a thick b-pillar roll bar so for some folks you'll be able to recline further and not hit anything. The rub, is that the headliner is thicker so if you need to sit upright on track or wear a helmet it appears worse. Personally, I sit in front of the b-pillar in my C7 and the C8s I've tested. If I recline too far my hair brushes the b-pillar interior trim.
Some questions:
Do verts do better resale wise? I realize classic vert vettes do just wondering how it may affect the C8 version.
Since the vert is not a traditional soft top will it still be hit with higher insurance rates (over and above what comes from the higher msrp)?
Purely a subjective choice. For me, it's a sports car coupe EVERY time. My mom always had to have verts and early-on I grew to hate the things, never wanting them myself. ENJOY whatever you opt for!
@Billy20 my $0.02 as someone who is 6'4" with a 34" inseam (longer torso):
1. Engine bay is accessed via a key fob button press sequence to activate "service mode" the tonneau goes up and there is an insulated engine cover you remove. You do not have to remove this cover to access the oil fill and dipstick.
2. The rear view mirror camera is gone with the top down, but the mirror reverts to a normal mirror and you don't have anything behind you other than the nacelles. Properly adjusted side mirrors will cover any blind spots.
3. There isn't any more room behind the seat, both have the same recline max of 17 degrees. However, this is where it gets tricky.... the HTC doesn't have a thick b-pillar roll bar so for some folks you'll be able to recline further and not hit anything. The rub, is that the headliner is thicker so if you need to sit upright on track or wear a helmet it appears worse. Personally, I sit in front of the b-pillar in my C7 and the C8s I've tested. If I recline too far my hair brushes the b-pillar interior trim.
Here you can see the HTC headliner is much thicker overhead vs. the inset targa panel in the coupe but as you recline there's no b-pillar trim.
The HTC looks to have more headroom towards the back where the seat headrest is, no plastic frame like the coupe has. This might make a difference for tall folks who sit back in their cars. I believe I read a GM rep mentioning this when the HTC was revealed. Just depends how you sit in the car, the coupe can provide more headroom if you’re more up front, the HTC if you’re seated all the way back.
I wonder if they have a speed limiter for the time when the top is going down. Of course the computer will reject you trying to start the process at above 30 mph. But I can imagine someone starting it while going 20 MPH and then hit the gas as it starts to become a giant sail in the rear. Poof! No more top.
The biggest question I have about the Vert is how open will it feel with the toneau & Nacenes raised up high enough for engine clearance?. I haven't seen nor sat in the C8 vert, but I sense that it may not be much if any difference than the coupe with the top removed. I'm waiting to see and sit in one before making a decision.
I was never a soft top convertible guy. Didn't care for the looks. However, this HTC looks great and if I were to buy a C8 some day I would look for it over the coupe. I love the looks and you don't lose any storage like the coupe. Case in point, yesterday I was out and it was a beautiful day so I wanted to take the targa off but I forgot to take my golf clubs out of the back from Sunday so it wouldn't fit. Won't have that problem with the HTC. As far as seeing the engine, that's overrated IMO because you can't see it in any other Corvette either. Plus, it sits low in the "trunk" so it's hard to see unlike some of the Lambo's and Ferrari's where it sits higher and easily seen.
The biggest question I have about the Vert is how open will it feel with the toneau & Nacenes raised up high enough for engine clearance?. I haven't seen nor sat in the C8 vert, but I sense that it may not be much if any difference than the coupe with the top removed. I'm waiting to see and sit in one before making a decision.
I would think the targa has a lot more wind buffeting. The HTC has the back window that you can adjust to minimize the buffeting.
The extra additional significant weight of the HTC is a non-starter for me, especially since the targa roof already gives you a majority of what the HTC offers.
On top of that, the extra cost and not having engine visible solidify the choice. Not to mention expensive parts/repairs should the HTC system fail in the future (which it does on many exotics that have the same style HTC).
That being said, I think both are awesome in their own right.
Last edited by ArmchairArchitect; 06-17-2020 at 01:39 PM.
The extra additional significant weight of the HTC is a non-starter for me, especially since the targa roof already gives you a majority of what the HTC offers.
On top of that, the extra cost and not having engine visible solidify the choice. Not to mention expensive parts/repairs should the HTC system fail in the future (which it does on many exotics that have the same style HTC).
That being said, I think both are awesome in their own right.
Isn't the added weight only +/- 80 lbs
Agreed, they are both awesome vehicles that we should be proud of
I would think the targa has a lot more wind buffeting. The HTC has the back window that you can adjust to minimize the buffeting.
Indeed, the targa has a great amount of beffeting.which is probably why few remove their tops for any amount of time. However my concern isn't about the wind noise but the overall visibility. IE, I can look in 360 degrees in my Vert. But I think the nacenes on the C8 in back of each seat will block my view quite a bit (I think) I will have to sit in one to really make a final decision. It depends on their height. But from pictures, it looks like they are quite a bit higher than on previous generations. The positive is that they may help protect if a roll over occurs.
06-15-2020, 01:21 PM
Looks like you loose it, as it is attached to the roof. Not very 
