The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette continues to sharpen the cutting edge of American supercar culture with the arrival of the electron-enhanced E-Ray model. Pricing starts at $68,300.
Four years after this generation debuted, 70 years after the first Corvette launched, Chevrolet is making waves with a different approach. Not content to merely relocate the engine from its traditional spot up front to a mid-mounted position (just like Ferrari
RACE,
and Lamborghini supercars), the company announces the E-Ray — a Corvette with a hybrid drivetrain and all-wheel drive.
The addition of an electric motor driving the front wheels along with a gasoline V8 turning the rears brings a total of 655 horsepower (just 15 fewer horses than the awesome Z06 model) and fearsome acceleration.
The 2024 Corvette E-Ray goes on sale at some point in 2023. It comes as a coupe with a removable roof (like the rest of the Corvette coupes) or in true convertible form.
Don’t miss: This $2.1 million electric car leaves Tesla, Lucid and Rivian in the dust
2024 Chevy Corvette pricing
Chevrolet also charges a mandatory $1,695 destination fee on every 2024 Corvette — $300 more than 2023’s delivery fee.
| Trim | 2023 Price | 2024 Price | Price Change |
| 1LT Coupe | $64,500 | $68,300 | $3,800 |
| 2LT Coupe | $71,800 | $75,400 | $3,600 |
| 3LT Coupe | $76,450 | $80,050 | $3,600 |
| Z06 Coupe | $105,300 | $110,100 | $4,800 |
| 1LT Convertible | $72,000 | $75,300 | $3,300 |
| 2LT Convertible | $78,800 | $82,400 | $3,600 |
| 3LT Convertible | $83,450 | $87,050 | $3,600 |
| Z06 Convertible | $112,800 | $117,100 | $4,300 |
| E-Ray Hybrid Coupe | N/A | $104,900 | N/A |
| E-Ray Hybrid Convertible | N/A | $111,900 | N/A |
The Corvette is a bargain compared with exotic European sports machines. For example, the Porsche
POAHY,
911 starts at over $106K. The less powerful Porsche 718 Cayman is more like $64K. Otherwise, we’re looking at $200K-plus for a McLaren GT, $217K or so for a Maserati MC20, at least $250K for a Lamborghini Huracán, or around $230K for a Ferrari Roma.
Before buying a new Corvette, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should be paying. The Corvette’s famously strong value proposition extends to exceptionally strong resale values.
What’s new for 2024
The buzz is all about the 2024 Corvette E-Ray with eAWD, meaning an electronic form of all-wheel drive, thanks to a front-mounted electric motor. Chevy claims it’s the quickest Corvette ever, sprinting from standstill to 60 mph in a breathtaking 2.5 seconds and completing the quarter-mile in 10.5 seconds.
It also has an electric-only Stealth mode operating up to 45 mph, so drivers can leave the house early (and/or come back late) without annoying the neighbors with that magnificent V8 rumble. The AWD aspect makes the Corvette more of a year-round car. The low ride height won’t be much help if the snow piles up, but the E-Ray certainly isn’t just for fair-weather forays.
The new Corvette E-Ray comes with the same wide-body treatment as the Z06. It also offers full-length stripes (in Electric Blue) as well as black wheels made of light-yet-strong carbon fiber.
As for the regular Corvette Stingray, it gets several improvements to its safety and infotainment tech. It adds a host of standard driver assistance tech features like automatic emergency braking, automatic high beams, lane-keep assist, and a following distance indicator. Also, the infotainment system now has Google built-in making it as easy to use as an Android phone or tablet. 2024 also brings new aesthetic options for paint, wheels, stripes, and more.
Also on MarketWatch: The 2024 Jaguar F-Type is a traditional sports car in all the right ways—and this is the last gas-powered model
Driving the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette
Before we get to the E-Ray, let’s quickly reacquaint ourselves with the regular Corvette, the thrill machine that has speed and handling to rival far more expensive supercars. Yet it’s not temperamental or uncomfortable. It’s just plain awesome.
The composite body helps achieve a wonderful power-to-weight ratio. Because of its hardware, the new E-Ray is heavier than a regular Corvette. But it’s also faster in the sprint to 60 mph and has its traction optimized by all-wheel drive (a first for a Corvette). The E-Ray also comes with an adaptive suspension and Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes as standard.
Read: Want to buy a new car? You should probably be making $100,000 a year.
Reasonably sized interior
Artemis Dipped is a wacky name. It’s what Chevrolet calls its new color scheme devised especially for 2024 Corvettes. “Deep green tones on nearly every interior surface” is how Chevy describes it.
The Corvette isn’t one of those sports cars where only jockey-sized drivers can fit. It will accommodate those of a larger stature, up to a reasonable point. Materials are classy, especially in the higher trims, and the flat-bottomed/flat-topped steering wheel works just as it should.
Despite an electric motor up front in the E-Ray, there’s still some storage space under the hood to go with the small trunk out back that has room for two sets of golf clubs.
Our favorite features and tech
Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Because when you jump into a Corvette, you just want to drive off and not fiddle with cables. It also means that phones don’t have to be fished out of pockets or purses.
Head-up display
This projects crucial information onto the windshield directly in front of the driver. It means less distraction and taking attention away from the road. It also kind of makes you feel like a fighter pilot.
Front curb-view camera
Well worth having because it could save scraping those lovely, pricey alloy wheels against the curb.
Front lift
This optional feature provides a little extra ground clearance at maneuvering speeds to protect the front lip from damage when negotiating uneven ground, speed humps, etc. It even has memory settings.
Brembo brakes
Available as an option in some trims and standard in others, Brembo
BRE,
is a renowned third-party supplier of high-quality brakes whose client list also includes Ferrari and a whole ton of racing teams.
Pick it up in Kentucky
Buying a new Corvette is a special occasion after all, so clients have the option of picking up their car from the Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Don’t miss: A Tesla set ablaze on an icy lake leads to jail time for Vermont man who scammed company out of 5 cars
Engine and transmission
Every Corvette comes with a mid-mounted V8 engine driving the rear wheels. The Stingray versions have a 6.2-liter unit generating 490 horsepower and 465 lb-ft of torque from a diet of regular gasoline.
The Z06 models employ a hand-assembled, premium-gasoline-using 5.5-liter V8 (with a lightweight flat-plane crankshaft, forged aluminum pistons and forged titanium connecting rods) tuned to produce a massive 670 horsepower, along with 460 lb-ft of torque. Considering torque is perceived through thrust, then the Stingray is hardly an under-performer.
The new E-Ray takes the 6.2-liter V8, boosts output to 495 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque, then augments it with an electric motor driving the front wheels with power provided by a lithium-ion battery. Together, they endow the car with 655 horsepower.
The motor applies 125 lb-ft of torque up front. Its battery receives electricity through braking and coasting. It does not need to be recharged by an outside source.
The transmission is an automated, dual-clutch unit with eight forward gears.
Corvette Stingray
6.2-liter V8
490 horsepower @ 6,450 rpm (495 w/performance exhaust)
465 lb-ft of torque @ 5,150 rpm (470 w/performance exhaust)
EPA city/highway fuel economy (2023): 16/24 mpg
Corvette Z06
5.5-liter V8
670 horsepower @ 8,400 rpm
460 lb-ft of torque @ 6,300 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy (2023): 12/21 mpg, 12/19 mpg (w/Carbon Aero package)
Corvette E-Ray
6.2-liter V8/electric motor
655 total system horsepower
EPA city/highway fuel economy: TBA
3-year/36,000-mile warranty
Chevrolet’s new-vehicle warranty lasts for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains are covered for five years or 60,000 miles. Chevrolet usually covers hybrid components and batteries for eight years or 100,000 miles. The first service is usually free as well.
KBB’s car review methodology.
This story originally ran onKBB.com.
Read the full article here