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Chevrolet has just released the fastest accelerating Corvette in history and it still has a V8 but it’s added electrons to power the front wheels.
Chevy Reveals the Quickest Corvette Ever
Two-point-five seconds; that’s how long it takes the new 2023 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray to go from 0-60 mph. Keep the throttle mashed as far into the floor as possible and you’ll have eclipsed a quarter of a mile in just 10.5 seconds total.
That makes the Corvette E-Ray the quickest production Corvette in history. And yes, that includes the also blisteringly-quick Z06 which is faster but only when it comes to handling and top speed.
How did Chevrolet come up with this slick hybrid sports car and what can we expect when it arrives at dealers later this year? Answers await below.
The First AWD Corvette
Accelerating quickly largely comes down to propulsion and grip. Just about every Corvette regardless of trim level features gobs of propulsion thanks to a punchy V8 but grip is another story. While we’re impressed with how well the normal Stingray hooks up when you mash the gas, the Z06 is considerably more difficult to pilot from a dead stop.
The E-Ray solves that problem by adding a 160 hp electric motor to the front axle. Now, no matter how much the rear tires might want to spin, the front tires are hooked up and hauling the Corvette along immediately.
That’s a huge deal beyond its ability to accelerate quickly. This Corvette is a nod towards the future of GM, a brand that wants to go all-electric by 2035. It doesn’t give up much in the way of everyday usability to do the deed either.
The trunk loses less than a foot of cubic space and there’s an extra party trick too. Enable Stealth mode and the Corvette can travel about five miles on electric power only. That’s not far but it’s enough to get you in and out of neighborhoods quietly. We think Zora Arkus-Duntov would be proud.
Output and Purpose
Combine that 160-hp electric motor with the 495-hp small block LT2 found behind the cabin and you get 655-hp total. That’s nearly as much as the Z06’s 670 but the E-Ray weighs more, so while it can get off of the line quicker than a Z06, it’s no match when the road gets curvy or the speeds get speeding-ticket high.
That’s ok though because, for Chevrolet, the E-Ray is a dramatically different kind of Corvette. Described by the bowtie brand as an ultimate grand tourer, the E-Ray isn’t too different from a softer, yet almost as speedy Z06. It gets the same big carbon ceramic brakes found only in the Z06 Z07 Performance package but adds Michelin Pilot Sport all-season tires, standard magnetorheological dampers, and unique data in the gauge cluster.
Top speed is also limited to somewhere around 180 mph. So for all intents and purposes, the E-Ray is better suited to the Autobahn or a winding canyon road than the Z06.
Pricing And Release Date
Chevrolet hasn’t said exactly when the first E-Ray will begin to ship to dealers but expect it to take place before the fall season. Pricing for a base 1LZ Coupe is set at $104,295. At about $7,000 less than a Z06, that’s right in line with the E-Ray’s ultimate-tourer moniker. The drop-top version of the E-Ray puts that 7k back on the bottom line though and starts at $111,295.
Keep in mind though that finding one at MSRP might be tricky. Chevrolet has decried the greedy practice of marking up its desirable models though so search around if you’re in the market. It’s likely that one or two dealers will offer the sports car for the price that Chevrolet says it’s worth.
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