- 2023 Chevrolet Corvette’s hybrid powertrain helps make it the quickest Corvette ever off the line
- The McLaren 750S has more power, similar torque, and less weight
- Can the $150,000 Chevy take on a $450,000 supercar in the U-drag race?
The Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is a very fast car. In fact, when Car and Driver got its hands on one, they determined it was the quickest-accelerating Corvette they had ever tested posting a time of 2.5 seconds in the 0-60 mph sprint. But can it take on one of the real champions of the supercar world?
Edmunds decided to try and find out, and pit the American supercar against one of Britain’s best, a McLaren 750S. Early on in the race, it looks like the Chevy might have an advantage over the McLaren.
Read: Here’s What Happens When A 2023 Corvette Z06 Takes On A McLaren 765LT
In two U-drag races — a quarter-mile, followed by a hairpin, and completed by a run back down the drag strip — the hybrid Corvette gets the jump on the McLaren.
That’s hardly a surprise since the Corvette has electric assistance from its hybrid system, as well as all-wheel-drive. And while I’m sure many of us were rooting for the $148,210 Corvette to surprise the world and give the $449,790 750S (both prices as tested) a black eye, McLaren owners will no doubt be relieved by what happens next: the British supercar shoots past the Chevy with surprising ease.
A quick look at the spec sheet reveals why. Although the Corvette E-Ray is powered by a 6.2-liter V8 hybrid powertrain that makes an impressive 655 hp (488 kW / 664 PS) and 595 lb-ft (807 Nm) of torque, the 750S’s 4.0-liter turbocharged V8 makes a whopping 740 hp (552 kW /750 PS) and 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) of torque.
Combine this with a healthy advantage on the scales and it’s no wonder that the 750S finishes the U-drag race in 29.6 seconds, ahead of the Corvette E-Ray, which posted a time of 31.7 seconds. Still, it’s a good performance for the Chevy that makes it the fifth-fastest U-Drag competitor Edmunds has ever tested.