Is The World's Best Sports Car Assembled In Kentucky?

It's difficult to overstate how good the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray is, or what an important step it constitutes for America's great sports car. Now, maybe the world's great sports car. Performance, design, technology, value: It's hard to think of an area where the E-Ray isn't at least among the leaders.

All-wheel drive and hybrid-powered, the E-Ray is the biggest leap of imagination and engineering in the Corvette's 70-year history. Ferrari 296 GTB, Audi R8, Porsche 911, McLaren Artura, Acura NSX, Nissan GT-R, Corvette. Take your pick. You'll never get a consensus, but that's the point: Each car is as good as it gets. The fun is in the debate, specifications, lap times and unforgettable road trips.

What makes the E-Ray so special?

Building an electrified - not electric, there's a difference; the E-Ray is a hybrid that combines a classic small-block V8 driving the rear wheels with an electrically powered front axle - 'Vette with all-wheel drive was a choice dictated by physics and advances in engineering. Locating the engine's weight over the rear wheels improves traction. Powering the front axle with a small, efficient electric motor provides instant torque and precise control.

The 'Vette's last evolution, from front engine/rear-wheel drive to mid-engine for the 2020 model year, was child's play by comparison. Chevy engineers had been kicking around proposals for mid- and rear-engine models for decades. That was a question of when, not if.

The program began before and was separate from the Ultium electric motors and batteries GM developed for 100% electric vehicles like the Cadillac Lyriq, and Chevy Silverado EV pickup. It's also unrelated to the inexpensive Chevy Bolt.

The E-Ray was part of the plan for the eighth generation C8 model from the start. That's why its lithium-ion battery fits tidily in the center tunnel, and why the front electric motor and reworked steering and suspension don't reduce space in the car's front trunk.

The E-Ray is faster 0-60 mph - if the difference between its 2.5 seconds and the Z06's 2.6, as measured by Chevrolet, is a deal breaker for you. The track-ready Z06 covers a standing quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds and hits 130 mph, while the E-Ray slouches through it in 10.5 and 129 mph. Of such distinctions are buying decisions made, particularly when you're dealing with some of the most passionate and informed car buyers on Earth.

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Source: Mark Phelan - Carrier Journal

Posted 10/20/23