The car was apparently a prototype of the E-Ray, the C8's upcoming electric hybrid variant.
Cochespias / InstagramGM’s next C8 Corvette iteration is an important one. The car expected to be called E-Ray should feature electric assistance on the front wheels while a traditional mid-ship V-8 continues powering the rear wheels, a formula that has become tried-and-true for mid-engined supercars adding electrification. These cars have been testing since at least GM’s first announcement of an upcoming hybrid in April of 2022, although prototypes that may have been E-Rays had been spotted during the development of the upcoming Z06 as well. Generally, that testing appeared to be going well. That did not appear to be the case in Spain earlier this week.
A video posted on Instagram by prototype spotters CocheSpias shows a camouflaged C8 of some sort burning down on a mountain overlook. By the time the video begins, the entire rear two-thirds of the car have already been engulfed in massive flames.
High-resolution photos obtained by GM Authority show the aftermath, with just the wheels surviving to indicate that the wreckage was ever a Corvette. They report that the fire began in the engine bay before reaching the batteries, leaving the prototype as a total loss. While certainly not an ideal result, it is sometimes what happens when a prototype built for testing in extreme conditions meets those conditions.
Development continues on the C8 Corvette hybrid, which will be the first electrified Corvette of many. While the apparent E-Ray will be available “as early as next year,” General Motors has not yet put an official timeline on the first fully-electric Corvette.
Keyword: Corvette Prototype Burns to the Ground in Spain