Chevrolet wanted to ensure that the all-new Camaro Convertible featured the same level of quality as its Coupe sibling. To accomplish this, Chevrolet opened and closed the Camaro Convertible’s top more the 22,500 times — three times more than would be expected in a typical 10 years of use.
Many of these cycles were performed during extreme conditions, such as in temperatures that ranged from minus-22° F to 170° F and humidity of up to 95 percent. Additionally, every Camaro Convertible undergoes a water test as it completes assembly in Oshawa, Ontario to ensure that even a hurricane-like downpour won’t cause a leak.
“This past winter we even had our engineers driving 80 of these convertibles back and forth to work every day here in Michigan,” said Al Oppenheiser, Camaro chief engineer. “They had to open and close the top five times each day no matter what the weather was like.”
Interior comfort is a top priority, and aside from ensuring that the elements wouldn’t creep into the cabin, Chevrolet also added an acoustical liner made of rubber sandwiched between an acrylic square weave outer fabric and an inner reinforcing cotton layer. This helps the Camaro Convertible score a better interior quietness acoustical rating than the Ford Mustang in interior quietness.
“For many buyers, a Camaro Convertible can be a collector car, something they might keep for generations. So we made sure the tops would retain their quality for a long, long time,” said Oppenheiser. “There is great value in a convertible with the original top.” Oppenheiser knows the needs for car collectors well. He personally restored a 1969 Camaro Convertible several years ago.
