2019 Corvette ZR1 Coupe and Convertible Introduced in LA with Pricing

By -

2019 Corvette coupe and convertible

2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 to be offered as a convertible as well as a coupe. MSRPs of $119,995 for the coupe and $123,995 for the convertible.

The 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 makes its American debut this week during the opening days of the LA Auto Show after being introduced online earlier this month. The formal premier of the 755 horsepower Chevy supercar is reason enough to get excited, but GM wanted to make sure that they stole the show in the City of Angels. So, along with the ZR1 with the removable hardtop, the 2019 ZR1 convertible also made its first public appearance.

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 Convertible

When the 2019 Corvette ZR1 Convertible hits the street next year, it will be the first time that the ZR1 package has been offered with a drop-top since 1970. The C4 and C6 Corvette ZR1s were only offered as coupes, but the chassis of the C7 Corvette was designed to accommodate a coupe or convertible layout, without the need for significant structural reinforcements in the topless versions. This means that there is no big increase in curb weight for the ZR1 convertible, as the only additional weight comes in the form of the actual convertible components. As a result, the ZR1 convertible is only 60 pounds heavier than the coupe.

2019 Corvette ZR1 Convertible

Since the 2019 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 convertible is only 60lbs heavier than the coupe, the two cars should offer nearly identical real-world performance measures. This means that the ZR1 convertible should be able to sprint from 0-60 in under 3 seconds while running through the quarter mile in the 10-second range. The ragtop will not be able to reach the coupes 212mph top speed, but Chevy is promising a top speed in excess of 200 miles per hour.

2019 Corvette ZR1 Pricing

To top it all off, General Motors announced the initial pricing for the 2019 Corvette ZR1 in coupe and convertible form. The hardtop starts at $119,995 and the convertible starting at $123,995. Those prices include destination and all of the standard features, but we can expect some options to help the price climb up into the $150k range.

2019 Corvette ZR1 Coupe

That seems like a big price tag to some people, but it is at least a hundred grand less than the next closest competitor. Said European option probably won’t outrun the C7 ZR1 even though it costs nearly twice as much.

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 05:27 PM.