I Lost My Rented C8 Corvette's Targa Top on the Highway, Turns Out I'm the Third Person to Do This to the Same Car

When Chevrolet unleashed the mid-engine C8 Corvette in 2020, it was less of a product launch and more of a cultural detonation. A mid-engine Corvette had been teased, speculated, and rendered for decades, but no one anticipated that its arrival would coincide with a global pandemic.

Yet, there it was, amid empty highways, supply chain collapses, and apocalyptic grocery store aisles, the C8 emerged as America’s new obsession. COVID-19 couldn't kill the car culture dream, it only sharpened it. Even with GM’s Bowling Green plant grinding through chip shortages and labor disruptions, enthusiasts lined up (virtually and otherwise) to get their hands on a 495-horsepower slice of freedom.

A Cultural Detonation Amid a Pandemic

And with every wave of interest came a corresponding wave of opportunism. The C8 wasn’t just a car, it was a lottery ticket. Dealerships, sensing blood in the water, tacked on “market adjustments” that often climbed into the five-digit range. Buyers who managed to secure a build slot were treated like royalty or prey. Some dealers demanded non-refundable deposits just to be considered. Others flipped allocations like they were flipping beachfront property. It wasn’t just unethical, it was a reflection of a dealership model long overdue for disruption. 

Dealership Opportunism and the High Stakes of Corvette Ownership

But beyond the markup madness and pandemic-era scarcity came the real stories—the grassroots anecdotes that define car culture more than any press release ever could. Case in point: a now-viral post from a member of a C8 Corvette Facebook group, who shared the kind of ownership experience you can’t make up.

“Already joined the FRC without even purchasing a C8 yet.

Long story short, this is on my list to buy in the next couple of years, but I’ve rented one each time I’ve gone to Tampa for Spring Training.

Last year, had the hard-top convertible, and it was amazing. This year, my original booking got canceled, and the only thing left was the manual targa top.

Lo and behold, one night I go to leave, I put the top on and then remember I forgot to lock the door to my AirBnB. 5 minutes later, I notice I no longer have a roof as I’m pulling onto the highway ramp.

Ended up making a circle back around, and luckily, not a single car ran it over. Cost me $500 out of pocket, but the Turo owner said this is the 3rd time it’s happened with his car. It made me feel slightly better about all of it.”

As it turns out, he’s not alone. Scroll through any Corvette forum or Facebook thread, and you’ll find similar stories: targa tops taking flight, landing in ditches, disappearing into lakes, or simply vanishing into thin air like carbon-fiber ghosts. One commenter recounted their roof launching off a bridge into Lake Erie. Another thought: theirs had been stolen, only to find it later on the roadside, returned by the police. These aren’t just anecdotes; they’re folklore. 

Engineering Marvel and Performance Powerhouse

• The eighth-generation Chevrolet Corvette, known as the C8, marks a significant departure from its predecessors by adopting a mid-engine layout. This configuration enhances weight distribution and handling dynamics, positioning the engine behind the passenger compartment. The standard Stingray model is powered by a 6.2-liter LT2 V8 engine, delivering 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque. When equipped with the performance exhaust or Z51 package, output increases to 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain enables the Stingray to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in as little as 2.8 seconds, showcasing its supercar-level performance. ​
• The C8 Corvette introduces an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, a first for the model, replacing the traditional manual gearbox. This transmission offers rapid and precise gear shifts, contributing to the vehicle's impressive acceleration and responsiveness. Drivers can engage manual control via paddle shifters, providing an interactive driving experience. Additionally, the C8 features a drive mode selector with multiple settings, allowing customization of performance characteristics such as throttle response, steering weight, and suspension stiffness to suit various driving conditions. ​
• The C8 lineup has expanded to include several high-performance variants. The Z06 model boasts a naturally aspirated 5.5-liter LT6 flat-plane crank V8 engine, producing 670 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, with a redline of 8,600 rpm. This engine is noted as the most powerful naturally aspirated production V8. Another addition is the E-Ray, the first hybrid and all-wheel-drive Corvette, combining the 6.2-liter LT2 V8 with an electric motor to achieve a total output of 655 horsepower. The E-Ray can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, making it the quickest Corvette to date. Technological advancements across the C8 range include a digital instrument cluster, an 8-inch infotainment touchscreen with Chevrolet's Infotainment 3 Plus system, and options like a performance data recorder and a camera-based rearview mirror, enhancing both the driving experience and safety. ​

From Viral Rental Mishaps to Corvette Folklore

Since the C3 debuted in 1968 with its iconic T-top configuration, removable panels have been a Corvette staple. It’s part of the charm and part of the chaos. Even with decades of refinement, the targa remains a mechanical handshake with trust issues. If you don’t secure it like a flight crew arming a cockpit door, you might just give the sky a new souvenir.

The Enduring Allure of the Targa Top

What’s fascinating is how many prospective owners are discovering these quirks through rentals before ever buying the car outright. Peer-to-peer platforms like Turo have become test tracks for the curious and commitment-wary.

Renting a C8 for a weekend offers more than just a joyride; it’s a crash course in the ownership experience. You get to test the ergonomics, feel the gearbox, listen to the LT2 bark under load, and yes, wrestle with the targa top. It’s a smart move in an age when $80,000 is no longer “affordable sports car” territory but a serious investment. But as our airborne roof story proves, even the best preview can come with a surprise ending.

Testing the C8 Experience on Turo

And yet, it’s that very blend of exhilaration and unpredictability that makes the Corvette so magnetic. The C8 is a Swiss Army knife on Michelin PS4S tires. It’s a snarling, mid-engine track weapon one moment and a mellow, highway-gliding grand tourer the next. Whether you’re hammering apexes or hauling groceries, it delivers. That dual nature is what sets the Corvette apart from its European rivals, cars that often trade soul for surgical precision. The Corvette has always embraced imperfection, wearing it like a badge of honor. And somehow, that makes it more lovable.

The Dual Nature of the Corvette

Ultimately, what our Tampa-based renter experienced is a microcosm of the Corvette journey, part thrill ride, part comedy of errors, all wrapped in fiberglass and heritage. The C8 didn’t just survive the pandemic; it thrived. And while some roofs may fly, the legend of the Corvette remains firmly planted on American asphalt.

Noah Washington is an automotive journalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. He enjoys covering the latest news in the automotive industry and conducting reviews on the latest cars. He has been in the automotive industry since 15 years old and has been featured in prominent automotive news sites. You can reach him on X and LinkedIn for tips and to follow his automotive coverage.