Chevrolet launched details of the Corvette Convertible earlier this week. In its eighth generation, the Corvette receives a pretty radical makeover. While the C8 Corvette gets a targa-top, a fully convertible version was always on the cards.

Chevrolet’s Corvette Convertible is the first hardtop convertible in the Corvette’s 66-year history. The top is arranged in two-pieces, can be activated at speeds up to 30 mph and retract in as few as 16 seconds. The system uses six electric motors with the hardtop painted in the body colour as standard or Carbon Flash metallic as an option.

The folding electronic hardtop stows in a compartment behind the rear seats. It folds into a compartment made from lightweight composite panels and heat shields to manage heat from the engine. Storage space is unaffected by the stowage of the roof. A glass divider window can be opened with the roof up to let in the sound of that V8 engine.

Like the Coupe, the Convertible uses a Chevrolet 6.2 litre LT2 V8 engine. Chevrolet brags that it is the only naturally aspirated V8 in the segment, producing 495 horsepower and 637 Nm of torque. It also gets the new eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Chevrolet hasn’t made any announcements about the effect of the new folding hardtop on the weight or performance statistics.