Volt Convertible Coming?

[saghost]

100% no. Ok, 99.98%.

The only way you could see a convertible was if it was planned for something else on the Delta II platform, like say a Cruze convertible.

There's already a Delta/Delta II retractable hard top convertible, and from what I can tell a pretty nice one - the Opel Astra Twin-Top, sold in Europe only. How compatible it is with the requirements of a Voltec powertrain, I'm not sure - I think it predates Volt development.

[saghost]

Convertible with the silent, smooth virtues of electric drive sounds like an appealing combo and gas savings would just be gravy.

This was my thinking - it seems like such a natural match to me. But so far the car companies don't seem to agree. Maybe I just need to find a C4 Corvette with a bad engine/trans, and stick a Tahoe Hybrid Two mode power train and Enginer kit into it. (Most of the electric benefits where you can enjoy them, 400 HP to keep it fun the rest of the time...)

[stuart22]

How about a targa version?

[saghost]

How about a targa version?

Unfortunately, that's another well known (rather poor) photoshop.

[Koz]

Other than Tesla and Fisker, carmakers have largely placed electrics in a box. Part of that is technology, cost driven but the metrics work best for higher power and higher end vehicles. And there are unique virtues of electric propulsion that go well beyond gas savings. This was a disappointment when GM lowered Voltec 1.0 to 110kw. I understand why they did it and for the Volt it is fine but 130-150kw would open up lots of possibilities. 3 power options and 3 battery sizes should be GM's mid term goal for Voltec IMO.

[stuart22]

Unfortunately, that's another well known (rather poor) photoshop.

Nevertheless, it's an idea one can look at and instead of just dreaming about.

And by the way, I'm the culprit who did it back in 2010 months before the Volt went on sale. It's not just the roof change, there's actually a lot of changes from the original photograph - click back and forth between the two to see.

[volt3939]

How about a targa version?

Needs more trunk to store the top in...

[stuart22]

Needs more trunk to store the top in...

It's a two seater - lots of room behind the front two seats back to the tail end.

[mixedpixel]

Practically, I think it's too small of an audience for GM to go after right now: people who want an EREV and people who want a convertible. I recall seeing that a figure that less than 2% of cars sold are convertibles. Even 10% of Volt sales would be a pretty small number to justify.

[Statik]

There's already a Delta/Delta II retractable hard top convertible, and from what I can tell a pretty nice one - the Opel Astra Twin-Top, sold in Europe only. How compatible it is with the requirements of a Voltec powertrain, I'm not sure - I think it predates Volt development.

Indeed. I meant stateside, that could possibly morph into a Voltec platform at some point.

The Twin-top was based of the Delta, and there is a replacement convertible in the works for the DII (think soft top), but is a long way off...and will be built as a 'Europe only' product, and only after the Delta II upgrade for 2014. They could do a limited run, imported and rebadged Buick, but one would think they would still have to built that stateside...and Buick doesn't really 'do' convertibles. It doesn't make sense for their client base (kinda like the Verano already is). I would think it would have all the success of the Nissan Murano Cross-Cabriolet, the worst convertible production idea of all time.

No way they are importing and rebadging that as a Cruze, it would be 30k, let alone retrofitting the Volt/Ampera line amidst a mid-generation changeover and model-add next year.

In truth, your best bet to ever see a convertible Volt might be if demand holds up on the Ampera, and the Ellesmere plant came back online for European production...as Ellesmere has become the defacto headquarters for all things Astra. You would have convetible Delta IIs likely running out of here, and it might be practical to build a Voltec convertible here ar the same time...with a body panel swap out, that would mean convertible Volts were possible. Catch of course is that MY 2016 would be the first year for that....and there is a whole lot of 'ifs' in there.

/I'd just assume your not going to ever see a Volt convertible