Could This Be The Hybrid Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Testing Near The Nürburgring?

With a lot of automakers embracing some form of electrification for their performance cars, earlier reports that Chevrolet was going to launch a hybrid version of the mid-engined C8 Corvette weren’t that surprising – and now our spy photographers have snapped it while testing.

Caught near the Nurburgring, but never actually on it, the Corvette E-Ray, as it will allegedly be named, was seen wearing heavy camouflage and parked next to the upcoming Z06. A number of notable differences between the two cars lead us to believe that this isn’t a low-wing version of the high-performance variant, such as the one seen in the teaser image.

First of all, there are the tailpipes. Whereas the Z06 packs four of them side-by-side in the middle of the rear, this prototype has twin tailpipes on either side of the diffuser like the standard Corvette models.

The brakes, too, could be a tip-off. Whereas the Z06 appears to have carbon-ceramic brakes in the comparison photo seen above, the E-Ray looks like it has regular steel brakes. The tires, meanwhile, are Michelin Cup 2 Rs for the high-performance variant and less hardcore Pilot Sports for the hybrid.

All of which, though not definitive, makes this model sound like a different version of the Corvette than the Z06. It also pretty much aligns with the reports we’ve heard about the E-Ray model up to this point.

While not as track-focused as the Z06, the E-Ray will be no slouch. Quite the contrary, as it is expected to churn out around 650 hp thanks to its 6.2-liter LT2 V8 and electric motor which could be positioned at the front, giving the hybrid ‘Vette all-wheel drive. That’s more than the standard ‘Vette, and even more than the Z06, whose 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 is said to make 617 hp (460 kW / 626 PS) and 480 lb-ft (651 Nm) of torque. Moreover, thanks to the battery pack that will be positioned in the spine of the car, it will be able to drive on electric power alone at speeds of up to 35 mph (56 km).

If earlier reports are true, Chevrolet could reveal the E-Ray in 2023 to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Corvette nameplate.