“Convertible” and “automatic” are two words that can suck the joy out of a sports car the way fat-free and sugar-free can ruin a dessert. But that’s not quite the case with the Chevrolet Corvette Z06. The Z06 convertible proves that there doesn’t have to be a performance penalty for taking the roof off and adding a conventional automatic. Weight rises by an unnoticed 55 pounds, the structure remains stout enough for track duty, and the quick-shifting eight-speed has one additional gear to play with compared to the manual.

Admittedly, a manual Z06 coupe is a wilder ride than an automatic convertible. It’s the stick shift that makes it so. Sure, the automatic allows you to choose the gears, but most of the time you’ll just end up letting it shift for itself. Both can be had with the track-devouring Z07 package that includes, in addition to various aerodynamic enhancements, Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 run-flat tires. Thus outfitted, the convertible epoxies itself to the skidpad with 1.17 g of grip. The front tires break away predictably and the rears stay in place provided your throttle inputs remain smooth and slow. On canyon roads, the grip feels endless and you keep diving into corners faster and faster. The steering wheel dances in response to the cornering pressure, and the rack it controls is quick and accurate.

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There’s no discernible handling difference between coupe and convertible. Both flow through corners and have ridiculous stick. We’ve previously tested two Z06 coupes, both equipped with the Z07 package, and one gripped better than this car while the other did fractionally worse. If anything, the lack of a roof and a glass hatchback likely brings the convertible’s center of gravity closer to the earth, making the job of the chassis slightly easier. The worst part is what the forces do to your neck.

Another form of physical abuse comes from the 6.2-liter supercharged V-8. With 650 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque pushing 3613 pounds, a two-speed Powerglide might be enough, but there are eight gears in this automatic, which are more than enough. A zero-to-60 run takes 3.1 seconds, a tenth behind our previous test of an automatic coupe. There’s so much power and torque present just off of idle that brake torqueing isn’t necessary to achieve a great time, but careful management of the rush of power is essential to avoid blazing the Michelins—move your foot too quickly and the rear tires light up faster than Cheech and Chong. Get it right, and the Corvette simply bolts. The car’s initial launch—1.3 seconds to 30 mph—is unbelievably quick for a rear-driver.

If the Z06’s g-force abuse still doesn’t have you reaching for the ibuprofen, the brakes will. Carbon-ceramic rotors are part of the Z07 package, and they work flawlessly in conjunction with the Michelin rubber. The braking distances from 70 mph to a stop improved the more attempts we made, settling in at 134 feet. On warm tires, the Corvette digs into the earth while the ABS pumps away, pressing you into the cinched belts.

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Off the test track, the Z06 convertible behaves much like the coupe. There’s a brutality to the wheel impacts in Sport and Track modes. Your fatty regions will jiggle. You’ll feel out of shape. The convertible’s structure, however, remains solid and free from the shakes. Dial back to Touring mode and things go back to normal.

A blast of 91 decibels can be heard from the driver’s seat as the engine revs toward its 6500-rpm redline. It’s a deep, bellicose, NASCAR snarl and an antisocial shout that your Prius-driving neighbors might not like. Too bad for them. On the road, the Z06 proves to be so quick that the sound doesn’t last long. To keep from getting arrested, we settled for short blasts of acceleration. On the track, where the throttle can stay open for more than a few seconds at a time, the Z07’s aero package—which adds carbon-fiber slats, sails, and a wickerbilled spoiler to the body—stabilizes the car at speed but eventually drags down acceleration at high speeds.

With the top up, the small rear window restricts visibility. Dropping the top remedies any visibility and claustrophobia problems. With the top up, noise levels are low considering the wide tires and the throbbing V-8. But what’s really great about any convertible is rolling the top back, listening to the exhaust, and experiencing the freedom of ground-bound flight. Taking the top off of a Corvette Z06 delivers that magic—plus all the performance.

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