Corvette finally adds a hybrid

Look at it this way: It took 70 years for the Chevrolet Corvette to morph from a fiberglass-body boulevardier all the way into today’s mid-engine exotic despite years of experimentation. And relocating the powertrain to the middle of the car also freed up space for a modern battery pack. Just that quickly, and right in time for the Corvette’s 70th birthday, Chevrolet has announced that a hybrid Corvette, the E-Ray, will join the Corvette lineup for 2024, and will have the added distinction of being the first production Corvette equipped by the factory with all-wheel drive.

If you’ve tried shopping for one lately, you know the waiting list to order an eighth-generation Corvette can be a long one, with the Z06 variant not even officially introduced yet. The coming of the E-Ray may mitigate it somewhat, especially once buyers realize that the E-Ray will squirt from zero to 60 MPH in a claimed 2.5 seconds. The E-Ray will be the only production sports car on the market combining a naturally aspirated V-8 internal-combustion engine with a battery-assisted hybrid driveline. The E-Ray will go on sale later this year, with a base MSRP of $104,295.