2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray

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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?

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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..

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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.

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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.

Porsche Green-Lights 918 Spyder

Porsche has announced that the 918 Spyder hybrid sportscar has been approved for production.

Packing a 3.4l V-8 and an electric motor at each axle, the 918 takes the brands flagship position vacated a few years ago by the Carrera GT.  Expected to be limited production, the car will showcase the engineering prowess of the Porsche brand and establish them as a leader in hybrid technologies that will trickle into the rest of the line during the next decade or so.

Expect a total output of over 700hp and a 0-60 time of 3.2 seconds when the car hits production in a few years.



Source: DailyTech

New EPA mileage numbers for hybrids

One of the major complaints from consumers about hybrids is that most people can't manage to get anywhere close to the EPA ratings.

Starting for the 08 model year, the EPA is adjusting their mileage numbers to reflect something closer to real-world numbers. Of note is that the testing procedure has not changed - the EPA is basically running the existing numbers through a correction formula to get the new ratings.

Also of note is that the fuel consumption really has not changed. The EPA is merely trying to give consumers a more realistic expectation when they are comparing vehicles.

So, here is what the changes give us (when available, comparable non-hybrid models are also listed). The each set of numbers are city/highway/combined ratings. The first set are the old ratings while the last column are the ratings under the new formula.

Lexus breaks the 100k barrier with the LS600h L

Lexus has released the final tidbit of info on their new hybrid flagship.

The price.

Going on sale in June 2007, the LS600h L is a hybrid version of the LS600 L, long-wheelbase version of the Lexus' largest sedan. The base MSRP will be $104000.

The LS600h is unique in the Lexus line, not only in having a hybrid powertrain, but is also the only LS to have all-wheel drive, a continually variable transmission, and meets the Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) standard.

At this point, there are no actual fuel economy figures, but Lexus is claiming that the 430hp sedan will have efficiency equal or better than that of V-6, all-wheel drive, mid-sized sedans - with performance on par with V-12 powered competitors.

Cheap Green - Saturn Aura Green Line is cheapest hybrid

Sure, in a world of full-hybrids (cars that can operate fully on electric power or both on electric and gas power) - the Green Lines from Saturn aren't all that impressive.

However, when you realize that the majority of hybrid economy gains actually come from turning the darn engine off when you are sitting still and that this is the trick the Green Lines perform nicely - then maybe they aren't so bad after all.

Now, add this to your calculator...the Aura Green Line is now the cheapest hybrid at $22,695 (including destination) and qualifies for a $1300 federal tax credit...and fuel economy of 28 city/35 highway.

Sounds like a pretty compelling argument for a 'mild-hybrid' to me.