For its eighth-generation, Chevrolet threw out the Corvette playbook and put the engine in the middle instead of up front. That wasn’t the end of its desire to shake things up, though. The automaker is now promising another variant that is unlike any model that came before it, and it will unveil on Tuesday, January 17.
Chevrolet made the announcement today with a short video that it shared on Facebook. Showing a version of the Corvette driving on a snowy test track, as well as on city streets, the automaker promised that “after 70 years, we’re introducing one like none,” next week. We anticipate that this will be the long-awaited hybrid version of the model, the Corvette E-Ray.
Indeed, the model seen in this video features a “Stealth Mode,” which could allow owners to start their vehicle in electric mode, silencing the 6.2-liter V8 engine that is still expected to power the car. Although details of the hybrid drivetrain remain a mystery, leaked documents suggest that it will be capable of making up to 600 hp (447 kW/608 PS) and 500 lb-ft (678 Nm) of torque.
Read: 2024 Corvette E-Ray Hybrid Accidentally Leaks On Chevy Configurator
A video of the car that was previously published by Chevrolet, meanwhile, showed its front wheels spinning and kicking up snow under acceleration. That suggests that the hybrid model will gain some form of propulsion at the front wheels that is likely to come in the form of at least one electric motor.
Although this is expected to be a slightly more luxurious model, rather than an out-and-out performer like the Corvette Z06, the model featured in this video does have carbon ceramic disc brakes, to help slow the presumably heavier model down.
Many questions remain about this model, though. Late last year, the car’s configurator went live ahead of schedule, revealing a number of design details, and color choices. On that rendering of the Corvette, though, a charging port could not be seen, raising the possibility that this will be a simple hybrid, and not a plug-in hybrid.
Small print seen in leaked images of the Corvette E-Ray’s build-and-price tool, meanwhile, revealed that hopeful buyers will have to wait until the summer before they can finally get their hands on a production model.
Check back in with us on January 17 for all the details on the new Corvette E-Ray when they become available.