What a time to be alive. Cars are getting faster and more badass than ever. Not only that, but Chevrolet dropped the news that they are releasing a gas-electric hybrid version of the classic Corvette in the summer of 2023. This 2024 model will be known as the 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette E-Ray. It comes with 655 horsepower between its 6.2-liter small block LT2 V-8 engine and the electric drive unit powering the front axle. Built to tackle all four seasons and clocking the fastest 0 to 60 time of any Corvette ever, the 2024 Chevy C8 Corvette E-Ray means business. We can't wait to see everything it's capable of when it's available to the public later this year. Here's everything you need to know about the Corvette E-Ray.
10 The 2024 Corvette E-Ray Is The Fastest Corvette Ever!
When it comes to 0-60 mph sprint, the E-Ray clocks in at just 0.1 seconds quicker than its predecessor, the 2023 Corvette Z06. And, while both have the same 655 horsepower, the hybrid electric E-Ray has the Z06 beat. The combination of the 495 horsepower 6.2-liter V-8 and the 160 horsepower e-AWD let the E-Ray dominate track times. The eight-speed dual-clutch transmission gives you smooth, automatic-like shifts that allow for world-class acceleration. These features put the E-Ray in a class with some of the fastest-accelerating cars in the world.
9 The Corvette E-Ray Is Built To Handle All Four Seasons
Chevrolet has stated that the Chevy E-Ray is built to handle all types of weather and year-round performance. This means that the E-Ray can handle rain, snow, and any other types of weather you can throw at it. This is great because it means that even though the E-Ray is a supercar, it is a practical one. It comes with standard all-season tires that work in tandem with the all-wheel drive system to make driving in hazardous conditions a cakewalk. There is also a ZER performance package that comes with summer-only tires and adjustments to the chassis and other aspects of performance.
8 The E-Ray's Electric Drive Unit Adds More Power And Control
One of the newest additions to the Corvette is its 160-horsepower electric drive unit. This unit powers the front axle and adds an extra 125 pound-feet of torque to the front tires. This increases acceleration times drastically, as the rest of the 495 horsepower is directed toward the rear wheels. Practical applications of this would be quicker acceleration off the line at the track, or when turning corners or passing another vehicle. The combination of the V-8 and the electric drive unit allows for an insanely quick combo.
7 The 2024 Corvette E-Ray Features A Dry Sump Oil System
That's right. We love dry sump systems in engines. These engines are constantly pumping and withdrawing oil from the crankcase as opposed to a wet sump that keeps the oil in the crankcase while it drains into the oil pan. Because of less air friction and viscosity in the crankcase, this provides the engine of the E-Ray with better horsepower than a wet sump oil system. This also allows for the E-Ray to have a perfectly controlled oil temperature and allows for better vehicle handling and stability.
6 The Corvette E-Ray Comes With An Eight-Speed Dual Clutch Transmission
Chevy has stated that its eight-speed DCT has an interesting feature that makes it perfect for skilled driving. They call this feature a variable Drive Style Index. This index will sense your driving inputs and will respond with downshifts and gear holds right when you would expect them to happen. These small, yet robust, features will make the driving experience of the E-Ray unique to the person driving it. The eight-speed DCT also has buttery smooth automatic-like shifts, while offering the control of your standard manual transmission.
5 Sneak Out Of Your Neighborhood Silently With The 2024 E-Ray's "Stealth Mode"
That electric drive unit that powers the front axle of the E-Ray does more than you think. It offers what Chevy is calling "Stealth Mode". This mode uses the FWD feature of the e-AWD which allows you to maintain speeds of up to 45 MPH silently. Since the E-Ray would be running solely on electric power, you would be able to cruise by unnoticed by anyone that you wouldn't want to hear you. This mode would most likely be used when you don't scare your neighbors with the growl that would come from the 495 horsepower V-8 engine.
4 Enter The Chevy Corvette E-Ray Command Center
Chevy has released images of its new Corvette Command Center. This would be the small screen to the right of the steering wheel in the picture above. This screen will provide you with information about lots of performance parameters as well as the vehicle's battery power. There is also the new E-Ray app that pairs with the command center. This app gives you a deeper look into the power of your RWD vs FWD, vehicle information, and even more performance data only our E-Ray.
3 The C8 Corvette E-Ray Is Extremely Customizable
We took a peek into Chevy's E-Ray editor. There you can customize your new E-Ray to your delight. You can change the body style from coupe to convertible, the exterior and interior colors, the performance/wheels, as well as the types of seats you want in it. These kinds of customizable features will allow you to make the E-Ray of your dreams. You can even change the colors of your brake calipers. And choose between aluminum or carbon fiber wheels. If that's not customization then we don't know what is.
2 The E-Ray Comes In Three Different Trims, As Well As A Coupe Or Convertible
To take the customization even further, Chevy offers three trim levels for the E-Ray. These types of trims offer many added benefits to the already big E-Ray package. You can add things like a performance data recorder, Bose performance speakers, leather-wrapped door panels, a custom leather-wrapped interior, and even a carbon fiber steering wheel trim and paddles. The list just keeps going. Each trim package increases the price of the E-Ray by about $5000.You can also choose to pay more money to have either of the trim levels come in a convertible.
1 The 2024 Chevy E-Ray Is Corvette's 70th Anniversary Gift To Enthusiasts
It seems that Chevy wanted to do something special for the 70-year anniversary of the Corvette. What better way to do so than to take everything great about the Corvette and make it better? Give it more power? Yes. Make it a gas-electric hybrid? Yes, please. Make it the fastest Corvette ever? Yes and more yes. We like to think that the 1953 EX-122, the first corvette ever, is looking down on the E-Ray with a smile. And while this is the first gas-electric hybrid Corvette for Chevy, we are on the edge of our seats wondering what possibilities Chevy has for the Corvette in the future.