hf1

The lightweight car demand/market is not large, I admit. But that’s why there will be 35k fat Corvettes sold per year with all the creature comforts, two huge trunks for two golf bags, etc. Porsche can’t compete there. It should mass produce fat suv’s and panameras but refocus it’s sports cars to the much smaller yet high-margin and still profitable lightweight sports car niche, just like when it started.

Again, if Mazda and Alfa can do it, so can Porsche and 2x better than them. If I knew how it’s done, I’d be heading their r&d department. I don’t.

K-A

Seriously. They say they want to move on from Boomers, but they created the whole rear around being able to fit not one big TWO sets of golf clubs (did they say two?)? Who won’t buy a mid engine sports car because it doesn’t have ample space for golf clubs? The rear is now overly squared and engine access is clearly massively limited (e.g higher labor costs). All for golf clubs.

Also, that’s the reason it doesn’t have those truly exotic mid engine rears where the entire upper bumper is a mesh screen for extra cooling.

To elaborate again on the rigidity. It should be concerning. People comparing this to older Caymans with less than 300 HP while at the salt time stating how the C8 has supercar performance aren’t aware that they’re making the case as to how big an issue it is. A car that can generate the g forces on to a chassis like the C8 can, needs something far stiffer than a chassis with one of the least rigid torsional figures on the market today.

STG

Yet, in other news the first year production is nearly sold out ....

d00d

My GT4 is 3,080 lbs and dropping.

This is plausible.
The standard dash is injection molded vinyl over a styrofoam buck, the leather dash is glued to a styrofoam buck as well.
A square inch of thick vinyl could be heavier than a square inch of leather.

2slow2speed

Have you actually read any of the presentations or seen any videos?

Where are you supposed to store the Targa top?

Have you actually done any HPDE's? People who track carry tons of crap, tools, helmets, ice coolers, EZ up, chairs etc. Every bit of extra storage helps, why do you think people like the Cayman a lot more than the 991 in regards to practicality? Because it has a rear hatch and a frunk...

In regards to accessing the engine, tell me what you need to do on a 991/992 to do an oil change, tell me what you need to do on a Boxster/Cayman to do an oil change.

The engine is a NA engine, all other exotics that have those meshes are forced induction cars...Forced induction, extra heat generated, needs venting.. Guess you don't know that either

Do a 5mph bumper to bumper on those mesh rears and see what happens and how big of a bill you end up with.

You keep ignoring the fact that a 911 cabriolet has less torsional rigidity than the C8 is projected to have. Compare apple to apples.

Does the Speedster have the same torsional rigidity of the GT3's? Does a TurboS Cabriolet have the same or more torsional rigidity than a GT3? By your logic no one should be purchasing those either....

d00d

They could have designed the C8 coupe with a fixed roof, with open air enthusiasts welcome to buy the convertible.
I had the top off of my C4 just once, when my daughter asked.

Caustic

This whole torsional rigidity thing got me curious. After googling for a while, I keep seeing the same list pop up. But I cam across another article about the 911 Targa that was interesting:

https://driving.ca/porsche/911/revie...sche-911-targa

latest Targa is 13,200 N-m
991 cabrio is 12,000 N-m

The C8 should be around 15,500 N-m based on what GM is currently saying.

But any way you look at it, I wish the new C8 had a hard top option. Maybe the Z06 and Grand Sport will go that way, but I have a feeling they won't. Kind of a bummer.

2slow2speed

I also prefer the coupe over a targa top. My 97 NSX was a targa top, only took it off once to see how it worked, horrible cowl shake, went right back on never to be taken off again. At least on the NSX the T top was structural, don't think that is the case on the C8 but I could be wrong.

hf1

List of torsional rigidities:

http://youwheel.com/home/2016/06/20/...ehensive-list/

My 987 Boxster wasn't on the list but I found it's 16,000Nm/deg which is impressive for a 15yr old roadster. I think I remember reading that it was the most rigid roadster/convertible of its time.

STG

Looks like one of the best options is this:



Enough rigidity to make anyone happy here ...

eltoshan

What's with the big hang up on torsional rigidity? 20% softer didn't make the C7 any less of the track monsters that they are. Low torsional rigidity also didn't make Boxsters bad sports cars.

TexasRider

Yep about as I expected - but that puts me in Year 2

GM / Chevy isn't going to have a bunch of game playing and ADM on these cars. Will it happen some - sure. But they want to SELL these cars and it looks as if they are going to do just that.

TexasRider

Meh - they are trying to equate rigidity with safety. While there is some of that , accidents are unique. If a RanchHand solid steel bumper on the front of a 6000 lb F350 goes through the aluminum door and the window of a 3000 lb sports car then rigidity will be pretty much all that is left in that cabin. IMO It's best to use that handling and power to stay safe. They are all strong to a point and then things go bad fast. Thats a reason not to have too many inexperienced drivers in these cars.

I like the hardtop coupes too as indicated by the fact that I never had a convertible or a cabriolet of any description.

But in the Corvette they use that available open top as a standard feature. Some want it and some don't. I could see me taking the tops off a few times but mostly that would be no.

Noah Fect

I don't understand why it matters for a mid- or rear-engine car. The chassis sees no driveline torque, at least not like it does with a front-engine configuration where the engine mounts are at the other end of the car from the driven wheels.

Just make it not squeak and rattle too much and we're good, kthxbye.

Caustic

You all are probably right, whatever flex there might be will be barely perceptible at the level the C8 will be at. But I think that people feel it's not quite the best it could possibly be. Heres to hoping the Z06 and GS have a hard top!