While traditionalists might not want electron assists, C8 customers are more ready for the change.
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The C8 Corvette has been the single most transformational American sports car during its entire 70 year run. Whether you look at the mid-engine platform, a lack of a manual gearbox, or a flat-plane V-8 on offer, the C8 is almost unrecognizable from the seven generations of Corvette that preceded it. The introduction of the all-new 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray shakes up the fan-favorite recipe even further, adding electrification and eAWD to the lineup for the first time. While that’s enough change to make some die-hard fans cry foul, General Motors believes the E-Ray will attract a new crop of Corvette buyers.
From the moment the cover came off of the first C8 Stingray, things changed in the Corvette fandom. Folks who would have never considered purchasing a Vette were suddenly lured in by the striking mid-engine design, as Chevrolet has stated in interviews. Exotic car buyers turned to GM for the first time, intrigued by what the General could achieve with an engine in the optimal location. The car also brought a much younger customer base than before, with the C8 starting to score conquest sales against brands like Ferrari andLamborghini. Not exactly the type of customers who typically care about pushrods or bore spacing. Executive chief engineer Tadge Juechter hopes the E-Ray can impact the make-up of the customer base in a similar way as the Stingray.
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“Mid-engine by itself brought in a bunch of new customers,” Juechter told R&T at the E-Ray launch event. “People who had never been in a Chevy store before, people who have never bought a General Motors product before. I’m hoping this brings people in too. I think it’s the perfect entry point for somebody that’s interested in a car like this.”
There’s a lot to be interested in as far as the E-Ray is concerned. A single electricmotor is now mounted above the Corvette’s front axle, working in tandem with the Stingray’s LT2 V-8 to provide eAWD. The electric motor provides 160 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque, bringing total output of the E-Ray up to 655 hp. The motor is fed by a 1.9 kWh battery pack, which is charged while driving the vehicle. The E-Ray receives the wider bodywork and tires of the Z06, as well as Magnetic Selective Ride Control 4.0 dampers. GM says the eAWD and added power allow the car to do 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds, as well as a 10.5-second 1/4-mile run. That means the E-Ray surpasses the Z06 as the quickest Corvette ever, but Juechter maintains that the two cars are not competing with one another.
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“The Z06 is pretty strongly flavored if you will,” said Juechter. “It’s not something that somebody who has never driven a Corvette before is looking at like cool, I’ll go drive that. It’s more like this thing is serious. This doesn’t ask much of you at all. It’s really just turnkey hybridization, enormous performance, quite good efficiency and nice.”
Corvette chief engineer Josh Holder further noted that the E-Ray and Z06 might alsofind themselves better suited for different types of performance driving customers. Whereas the Z06 is a honed and focused track machine, it is often a bit too much car for something like a local autocross event. While the E-Ray is equally wide, the power delivery and the ability to torque vector on the front axle should make it a tight course weapon. Depending on where you find yourself spending the most time, both cars aim to offer compelling performance options for their respective buyers.
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“We need to try and show them that it can enhance performance, not try to convince them that it can enhance it,” Holder told R&T. “We often say we bring in technology on Corvette, but it’s not just for the sake of it. It’s to make the car better, and electrification is no different.”
As a result of the new customers that came with the mid-engine platform shift, GM is also keenly aware that people are already familiar with this type of hybrid tech. While traditional Corvette customers might not jump at the opportunity to try an electrified C8, those who cross shop with other exotic offerings just might.
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“The exotic car customer and other people are very open minded to this because they’re aware of this kind of combination technology in other brands,” said Mark Stheiner, assistant chief engineer for hybrid drive systems. “So we bring that to the table here. Okay, die-hard pushrod small block customers, this might not be their bag. But there are lots of people that are very excited about the car. It’s a different slice of the market.”
When the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray arrives this year, it will certainly undercut many of the other hybrid exotics on the market. That said, the car is quite a bit more expensive than the standard Stingray, with the base 1LZ coupe starting at $104,295. Opt for the convertible and the MSRP jumps to $111,295. Those prices barely slip beneath their respective Z06 equivalents. Juechter confirmed that GM is happy to build whatever mix of Corvette models that customers want. Who that customer ends up being will be the thing to watch.
GM Design Lucas Bell Born and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry.
Keyword: The E-Ray Is for a Different Type of Corvette Person