The C8 E-Ray has the distinction of being the first hybrid Corvette as well as the first to feature all-wheel drive. But just as importantly for Corvette fans, it’s also the quickest Vette yet from zero to 60 mph (97 kmh).
So says Chevrolet, which quotes 2.5 seconds, and now independent road test bible Car & Driver’s test team says the same. The C&D guys just matched Chevy’s claim, that 2.5-second time a tenth faster than the crew clocked a Z06 at, and obviously made possible by the electrically-driven front axle pulling the C8 along while its pushrod V8 pushes from the rear.
That traction advantage also helps the 655 hp (664 PS) E-Ray shake off its circa 300 lbs (136 kg) weight disadvantage versus the high-revving Z06, which makes only slightly more power (670 hp / 679 PS). But once the two are rolling, the Z06 hits its stride and beats the E-Ray hybrid’s standing quarter best of 10.6 seconds at 128 mph (206 km/h) by 0.1 seconds and 3 mph (5 km/h).
Related: Corvette E-Ray Teaches Lamborghini Huracan And Ferrari F8 A Lesson In Drag Racing
Let’s not take anything away from the E-Ray, though, it’s unarguably the fastest Corvette to 60 mph the company has ever tested, and the all-wheel drive means it could probably take the Z06 in the quarter too, if the weather was bad. But the reality is that achieving those numbers is a slow process because of the slightly laborious launch control procedure that involves fiddling with the Performance Traction Management System.
In an impromptu street battle you might not have time to set things up, so how fast is the E-Ray in a real-world boot-it situation without launch control? Still pretty rapid, it turns out. The E-Ray clocked 2.9 seconds to 60 mph with the system disengaged, meaning you could roll up next to plenty of other performance cars and still blow them away even if you didn’t have time to do much more before the light turned green than sink your right foot into the carpet.
Source: Car & Driver