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Chev lifts top off new Corvette

<b>HAPPY ANNIVERSARY PRESENT:</b> Chevrolet revealed the new Corvette Stingray coupe and convertible at the 2013 Geneva auto show.
<b>HAPPY ANNIVERSARY PRESENT:</b> Chevrolet revealed the new Corvette Stingray coupe and convertible at the 2013 Geneva auto show.
GENEVA, Switzerland - Chevrolet has revealed the 2013 Corvette Stingray convertible at the Geneva motor show. With an estimated 335kW and 610Nm, the car is the most powerful standard Corvette in history, fitting as it celebrates 60 years in 2013.

Corvette 60 years on: Fast facts

Ed Welburn, GM's vice-president of global design, said: “The convertible has been a part of the heart and soul of the Corvette since the very beginning in 1953. With the all-new Corvette Stingray, we designed and developed the coupe and convertible simultaneously. As a result, the Corvette Stingray offers an open-top driving experience with no compromise in performance, technology or design.”

'IT'S AN ICON'

Susan Docherty, president and MD of Chevrolet and Cadillac Europe, said: “It's fitting to introduce the new Stingray convertible on the global stage at Geneva because Corvette is the face of Chevrolet the world over. It is an icon that has long been recognised and admired even in countries where it’s never officially been offered.”

Central to the car's driving experience is a new, more rigid, aluminium frame - 57% stiffer and 45kg lighter than the current steel frame. All of the performance technology and capabilities introduced on the coupe carry over to the convertible.

All models are powered by the LT1 6.2L V-8 which churns out an estimated 335kW. The LT1 combines several advanced technologies, including direct injection, active fuel management and continuously variable valve timing to support a combustion system designed to balance power and efficiency.

The convertible's electronic top can be opened/closed on the go at up to 50km/h.

OPEN FROM THE BEGINNING

Additional highlights of the vehicle, according to the automaker, include a sculptured exterior, sporting a new logo, with diode lighting and racing-proven aerodynamics. An interior that offers carbo- fibre, aluminium trim and hand-wrapped leather materials. Lightweight materials, including a carbon fibre hood on all models and a carbon-fibre removable roof panel on coupes.
  
Tadge Juechter, Corvette's chief engineer, said: “We wanted the driving experience of the Corvette to live up to the performance expectations that comes with the ‘Stingray’ name. Because it was designed from the beginning as an open car, the Corvette Stingray delivers an exhilarating, connected driving experience - no matter which configuration you choose.”

Check out the latest models in our Geneva show section.
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