E-Ray Isn’t the First All-Wheel Drive Corvette
It’s hard to look at the new E-Ray, all-wheel drive Corvette, and not remember the last time that Chevrolet toyed with the idea of an all-weather, mid-engined Vette. It’s also interesting to see how close this new car is to a concept that, at the time, was considered just too crazy to build.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
It’s hard to look at the new E-Ray, all-wheel drive Corvette, and not remember the last time that Chevrolet toyed with the idea of an all-weather, mid-engined Vette. It’s also interesting to see how close this new car is to a concept that, at the time, was considered just too crazy to build.
In 1990, Chevrolet was looking for a way to compete with some of the ultra exotic sports cars of the day. Notably, they had eyes on the Porsche 959 which combined looks very much like the legendary 911 but was packing a turbo engine and all-wheel drive.
Chevrolet had been flirting with the idea of a mid-engined Corvette since the days of chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov who advocated for a mid-engined Vette all the way back in the late 1950’s.
Copyright Jim Culp
Put this all together and you get the Chevrolet Engineering Research Vehicle (CERV) III. This was the 3rd in a series that dated back to 1960 (CERV I) and 1964 (CERV II). Similar to the 959, the CERV III packed a turbo engine (a 32-valve 5.7L V-8 in this case) putting out 650hp mounted behind the cabin. Additionally, the car put power to the pavement via a 6-speed automatic transmission (made up of a pair of 3-speed Hydra-Matic) that sent power to all 4 wheels.
During the same time, Chevrolet was working on what would become the C5 Corvette. If you squint at the CERV III, you can see the same greenhouse that the production Vette brought to the party. At that time, as well as from then until the mid-engined C8, Chevrolet has been trying to make the business case work for a move to this engine position. This puts the heavy engine over the drive tires, for enhanced traction. Mid-engined also provides for more agile handling since the bulk of the mass is near the center of rotation.
Copyright bluto2000
C5 was, at the time, just the latest in a series of times when the traditional front-engine/read-drive powertrain just made the most financial sense. In the case of the CERV III, it lost out since production of the car would have resulted in what was expected to be a $300000 car, vs the C5’s ultimate $37500 starting price ($681247 and $85155 in today’s dollars).
But, let’s take a look at what Chevy has been able to pull off in the 2024 E-Ray by comparing it against the CERV III:
| CERV III | Corvette E-Ray | |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | Twin Turbo 5.7L 32-valve V-8 | 6.2L 16-Valve V-8 (Rear) and Electric motor (Front) |
| Transmission | 6-speed Hydra-Matic automatic | 8-speed dual-clutch automatic |
| Horsepower | 650 | 655 (total) |
| Torque | 655 lb*ft | 595 lb*ft (total) |
| 0-60mph | 3.9 sec | 2.5 sec |
| Top Speed | 225 mph | Unknown (should be close to base C8's 194 mph) |
| Curb Weight | 3400 lbs | 3774 lbs |
| Price | $300000 ($681247 in 2023 dollars) | $104295 |
So, what we see here is that in the course of 34 years, Chevrolet has been able to match or exceed the performance of the CERV III (except top speed where the electric front motor will not be able to be much help). All of this for less than 1/6th the price.
$104k is certainly nothing to sneeze at…but it is pretty clear that GM waited the right amount of time to finally bring a mid-engined and all-wheel drive car to market. The Corvette’s reputation as a bargain exotic certainly also seems to be intact as well.
2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
…fast forward to January 17, 2023 - and Chevrolet shows off a completely new flavor of their sports car at Rockefeller Center on the famous ice rink. Announcing this version 70 years, to the day, later means that this latest Vette is something the company wants us all to notice.
The date was January 17, 1953. The location was the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City. Chevrolet was there to showoff a new sports car at GM’s Motorama event. They named this sports car after a fast warship…you might know it as the Corvette.
Fast forward to January 17, 2023 - and Chevrolet shows off a completely new flavor of their sports car at Rockefeller Center on the famous ice rink. Announcing this version 70 years, to the day, later means that this latest Vette is something the company wants us all to notice.
So, let’s take a look at what they’re up to this time.
What makes this latest model special? Chevrolet just released the Z06 with the most powerful normally aspirated engine the Vette has ever had (indeed the most powerful normally aspirated engine in production). That Corvette is a track monster that takes Chevy’s sports car to places no production Corvette has seen.
So, what makes this new Corvette stand apart?
Well, how about the fastest 0-60 time a Corvette has ever achieved…even faster than that legendary Z06? Well, 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds is on offer (a 10th faster than that Z06). How about making a Corvette that can conquer roads when they get slippery or even snowy? That would be a new feature for a Corvette and the new car has that handled as well.
How did Chevrolet pull this off? They equipped the new Corvette with the model’s first ever all-wheel drive system.
Let that sink in for a moment. For 70 years the Corvette has only put power to pavement using it’s rear tires. For nearly 70 of those years the power for those tires came from a front engine. Now we are looking at a mid-engined sports car with available all-wheel drive. That’s quite the switch for America’s sports car.
But, this isn’t a traditional all-wheel drive system like you might see in other mid-engined exotics like Lamborghini. In this particular case, Chevrolet leveraged the company’s electrification expertise to add a 160hp electric motor to the front axle that is powered by a 1.9kWH battery located down the center of the car (to maintain proper weight distribution.) That electric powertrain combines with the C8’s 495hp 6.2L V-8 to create an all-weather Corvette packing a total of 655hp in a package with new tricks no Vette has ever possessed..
They’ve christened this variation the E-Ray. This fits in with the other electrified models Chevrolet has shown recently where they never skip an opportunity to highlight an ‘E’ in the name. In this case, they had to add an E to the model designation to get there.
The E-Ray does get a unique front end that is less aggressive than other models. Likely this is to improve aerodynamics. Offsetting this is the fact Chevrolet gave the E-Ray the wide and aggressive rear fenders , and air intakes that debuted on the Z06. It’s a good look on the C8, no matter the powertrain.
Adding an electric motor has allowed Chevrolet to add another couplel features. For one, the electric propulsion is used to extend the range of conditions where the Vette’s can keep the big V-8 running on 4-cylinders. That should allow the E-Ray to sport some impressive economy numbers when Chevrolet announces them.
Another trick up the E-Ray’s sleeve is something Chevrolet is calling ‘Stealth Mode.’ When this is activated, the E-Ray can drive in electric-only mode at up to 45mph. The small batter capacity likely means this won’t mean a long range in this mode, but certainly enough to quietly get underway when a rumbly V-8 might wake the neighbors.
The E-Ray will go on sale later this year. Starting price $104295 for the coupe, $111295 for the convertible.
Once we know more, we’ll let you know how this changes the Corvette’s personality and if it would be worth such high prices.
2020 Corvette Unveiled...the Good...and the Disappointing
On July 18, Chevrolet took to the stage to unveil the new C8 Corvette.
If you haven't already heard:
Mid-mounted 6.2l small-block V-8
490hp (495 with performance exhaust)
0-60 in under 3 seconds
Larger interior than the C7
Starting price under $60k (though that is almost certainly something like $59999 before destination)…
On July 18, Chevrolet took to the stage to unveil the new C8 Corvette.
If you haven't already heard:
Mid-mounted 6.2l small-block V-8
490hp (495 with performance exhaust)
0-60 in under 3 seconds
Larger interior than the C7
Starting price under $60k (though that is almost certainly something like $59999 before destination) Convertible to be shown later
However, only one thing leaves us thinking the new Corvette is anything other than perfect.
Primarily of concern is the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. That is all that was announced. And, while a dual-clutch with paddle shifters is no-doubt the fastest way around a track, can it truly be a Corvette with no available manual transmission?
It appears that there is room in the new center console for a shift lever to reside, but the designers have decided to put the infotainment jog-wheel in front of that area...meaning a manual transmission would have to lose that part of the interior - which does not feel like a decision they intend to make at this moment. We may have to wait until a mid-cycle interior redesign if enough potential buyers balk at the lack of 3 pedals and the engagement of self-shifting.
So, what do you think? Is the Corvette a non-starter without a proper manual? Should Chevrolet reconsider this decision as soon as they can for that part of the enthusiast community?
2012 Corvette to get new 5.5l DI Smallblock
Chevy expects the engine to easily put out 440hp (slightly more than the current Vette's 436, while scoring significantly better fuel economy).
This is a bridge car, based largely on the current C6 platform, while GM works feverishly to develop a C8 Corvette for later in the decade that will be smaller, lighter, and able to stay in the lineup without damaging GM's ability to meet increasingly strict mileage requirements.
Some rumors put the C8 as being based, in part, on the upcoming Alpha rear-drive platform currently under development for Cadillac and expected to underpin the next Camaro. In Corvette guise, the platform would be able to pack a V-8 but might be light enough that a high-power V-6 might see use as a base powertrain (the first time in decades that a 6 has powered a production Corvette).
Source: MotorTrend.com