2024 Chevy Corvette E-Ray goes from silence to riot

American truck superstar, Chevrolet Corvette Z06Chevy offers dessert before you digest its magnificence. It’s a hybrid-powered all-wheel-drive 655-horsepower Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. And, at least from the passenger seat, you can tell what it’s like to be in it.

From 100 yards out, a Corvette E-Ray could easily be mistaken for a Corvette Z06. It shares the body with the circuit-oriented Z06, and has thick tires. But as E-Ray draws near, the screaming 670 horsepower is not to be confused with the Z06. Aside from the externally amplified hum of the 160-horsepower electric motor that powers the front axle, the E-Ray winds up almost silently. Chevrolet says the 1.1 kWh battery can last up to five miles (5 miles) before running out. Beyond 45 mph or a big push on the right pedal, his 495-horsepower 6.2-liter V8 engine crackles to life and blends seamlessly into the equation.

Rainy and cloudy January is usually the biggest disappointment for showing off a new sports car, but for Chevrolet and the all-wheel-drive E-Ray, it’s a blessing. Once energy integration engineer Stephan Flick gets behind the wheel and initiates the launch control sequence, the V-8 roars with excitement, allowing for Z06-like rpm adjustments. The E-Ray jumps off the line, the electric motor pulling along as the rear tires run for traction. The roar of pushrod V-8s and the noise of George His Jetson flying cars echo throughout the cabin. Chevrolet claims the E-Ray hits 60 mph in his 2.5 seconds and covers a quarter mile in 10.5 seconds, making Bowling, Kentucky the fastest he rolls off the green production line. could become a Corvette. Electric motors end the party at 150 mph. As much as the gearing allows. Chevrolet claims top speed he exceeds 180 mph.

The E-Ray moves nimbly with its 4000 lbs of mass, but it proved to work on a damp autocross course. Huge 275/30ZR-20 front and 345/25ZR-21 rear Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season tires provide incredible lateral stability. Even with the standard carbon-ceramic brake rotors straining, you can still feel the vertical deceleration when you buckle your seatbelt on your chest. The E-Ray is the first car to come standard with both carbon-ceramic rotors and all-season tires. Oh, and those rear tires are the widest all-seasons mankind has known. Michelin Pilot Sport Pilot 4S summer tires with TPC are available as an option for extra grip.

Flicks clip vertices and roll with power. In these humid conditions, the rear-wheel drive Corvette slides and slides on the asphalt. With the help of a driven front axle and brake-based vectorization to shuffle torque to the wheels that need it most, the E-Ray zips through corners with amazing, coordinated thrust. It’s equipped with Chevrolet’s brilliant Performance Traction Management System, specifically tuned for E-Ray. There is no specific drift mode, but we can confirm that the electrified Corvette is the best drift mode.

I’m hoping to put my mitts on General Motors’ latest toy and install test gear when it arrives this fall, starting at $104,295 for the coupe and $111,295 for the convertible.