Going mid-engined in 2020 was only ever the first step in a new direction for the Corvette. Turning the Z06 into a genuine supercar rival was the second, and today we finally get a proper look at the third. This is the 2024 Corvette E-Ray, a new take on the C8-generation cart that fills two more lines on the Vette’s resume by bringing hybrid power and all-wheel drive to the model line.
Introduced exactly 70 years after the original C1 made its debut at Motorama in New York City, the E-Ray slots into the Corvette lineup like the Turbo does in the 911’s. If the entry-level C8 Stingray is a Carrera and the Z06 shares the GT3’s love of revs, the E-Ray offers effortless performance and all-weather security with a combined output of 655 hp. And just like every other Corvette, it’s available in both coupe and convertible forms.
At $104,295, the Corvette E-Ray costs significantly more than the $64,500 base C8, but only $1,005 less than the Z06, giving high-rolling Corvette fans a tantalizing choice with each of the two top cars having as many plus points as minuses. The 670 hp (661 PS) Z06 makes 15 hp (15 PS) more and pulls 1.22 g versus 1.1g in cornering, but the E-Ray cuts the Z’s dry-weather zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) time from 2.6 to 2.5 seconds, and would literally leave it standing on a wet road – while the entry-level V8 was only thinking about starting its 2.9-second run. It’s the same story in the quarter mile, which the E-Ray demolishes in 10.5 seconds, a tenth ahead of the Z06.
Z06 styling, base C8 engine
Visually, the E-Ray borrows some of the Z06’s styling cues, including its 3.6-inch (91 mm) wider body and longer, skinnier rear air vents, but at heart, it’s closer to the Stingray whose quad tailpipe setup it shares. That’s because the E-Ray doesn’t run the Z06’s rev-happy LT6 flat-plane crank 5.5-liter V8 but instead sticks with the base model’s 6.2-liter pushrod LT2. It makes the same 495 hp (502 PS) and 470 lb-ft (637 Nm), and drives the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, just like a regular C8.
The difference is the single electric motor fitted to the front axle. Drawing from a battery located beneath the center tunnel, it sends 160 hp (162 PS) and 125 lb-ft (170 Nm) to the front wheels, and on occasion allows the E-Ray to drive using electric power alone. That’s right, this is also the world’s first front-wheel drive Corvette.
No cable required
What it isn’t, is a PHEV. While Ferrari and McLaren have both embraced plug-in functionality with cars like the 296 and Artura, the Corvette team has opted for a more traditional hybrid that relies on regenerative braking and surplus engine power to recharge its battery.
The downside of that decision is that you can’t cruise through an entire city on electric power, which might become more vital in the coming years if urban areas start banning combustion vehicles. A Stealth Mode does allow you to creep away from your house on electric power at speeds of up to 45 mph (72 km/h) when you’ve got a 5 AM rendezvous with a canyon road, but given the battery’s tiny 1.9 kWh capacity we suspect you’ll be lucky to get a couple of miles of EV running out of it. Still, Chevrolet claims that they tuned the new E-Ray’s electric motor to extend the time the V8 can run on half its cylinders during low-load driving scenarios.
On the positive side, not going down the PHEV route theoretically saves both money and weight, but to no one’s surprise, the E-Ray is still by far the lardiest Corvette you can buy. The addition of the electric motor and battery pack only reduces the luggage capacity by 0.2 cu-ft (2 liters), but it adds a stack of flab. Chevy gives the E-Ray coupe’s dry weight as 3,774 lbs (1,712 kg) compared with 3,434 lbs (1,561 kg) for the Z06 and only 3,366 lbs (1,530 kg) for the base C8. Want an E-Ray Cabrio? That’ll run you another 82 lbs (37 kg). And these are dry weights, remember. An E-Ray is almost certainly going to top 4,000 lbs (1,814 kg) at the curb.
Carbon brakes standard, stripes optional
And that’s despite the Corvette team specifying a lightweight carbon ceramic Brembo brake package to ensure the fastest factory Corvette ever has the stopping power to match its go. Other chassis goodies include standard Magnetic Ride Control 4.0 dampers with three settings and wheels that make use of the Z06-spec wide fenders.
Those wheels feature a twisted five-spoke design that is exclusive to the E-Ray, and along with the extensive use of color coding and wider body will help you tell one from a Stingray when it passes you on the street. Another E-Ray-only feature is the optional Electric Blue stripe package that runs the full length of the body, while further options include carbon wheels, two carbon trim packages, 14 exterior colors, and an Artemis Dipped green interior trim that will only be available on 2024 Corvettes.
What do you think of the E-Ray? Should Chevy have made it a PHEV and would you buy this or spend the extra $1k on a Z06? Drop a comment below and let us know.
