Corvette Celebrates 60th Birthday with 427 Convertible

Next year, the Corvette will be eligible for AARP membership.  America's sports car will be turning 60 years old, and the boys at Chevy have a surprise planned for the anniversary: the 427 Convertible.  Thankfully it's more than just a stripes and stickers package, (I'm looking at you, 40th Anniversary Corvette!) what with the LS7 under the hood.

The 427 Convertible will be the first time that the Z06's LS7 (7.0L) V8 will be available in a drop-top Corvette.  Previously, the top dog convertible was the Grand Sport, which featured the LS3 6.2L V8 with goodies like dry-sump lubrication and launch control.  With 427ci of displacement, there's now a healthy 505bhp and 470lb-ft torque, making it the most powerful convertible 'Vette they've made yet.  A 6-speed manual transmission is the only choice, and the 427 will have the beefier driveshaft and rear axle from the Z06 as well.

Other performance goodies include dry-sump lubrication, GM's Magnaride adaptive damping system, lightweight staggered 19"/20" alloys with sticky Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's, and carbon fiber hood, front fenders, and floor panels for weight reduction.  All told, the 427 Convertible weighs in at 3,355lbs - which works out to a power to weight ratio of 6.64 pounds per horsepower.  GM is not one to leave an accomplishment unnoticed, so they've listed some power to weight comparisons: the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabrio is 6.9, the Audi R8 V10 Spyder is 7.58, the Aston DBS Volante is 7.82, and the Ferrari California is a positively pokey 8.31.  The light weight and massive power means the 427 will be seriously rapid: 3.8 seconds to 60mph, an 11.8 second quarter mile, and a top speed above 190mph.

There will also be a 60th Anniversary model of the normal production Corvettes.  It's basically a color-and-wheel package, with an Arctic White exterior and Blue Diamond leather interior with suede accents.  Convertibles will have a blue top.  Other little stuff, too: a ZR1-style rear spoiler, badging, grey calipers, and a bunch of "60th" badges and stitching in the seats round out the goodies.

The 427 Convertible will be available this summer, with the first model being auctioned off at Barrett-Jackson in late January.  2013 is the last year of the C6-model Corvette, so one could say it's going out with a bang.