Why The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Is Actually The Best Corvette

With the introduction of the E-Ray, Chevrolet has taken the Corvette into unfamiliar territory.

It’s the first time a Corvette has had all-wheel drive or a hybrid powertrain. We recently spent a week with the car and grew quite fond of it, proclaiming it the best ‘Vette for the street.

The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray has great looks thanks to the wide body and a surprisingly comfortable interior. But there are three other reasons why this could be the best Corvette for driving at mundane speeds amongst the public.

All-Wheel Drive

For starters, the car comes with all-wheel drive as mentioned above. Although the Corvette E-Ray isn’t ready to battle a Subaru WRX STI on rally special stages, it still offers a serious traction advantage compared to other Corvettes in wet weather or on loose surfaces. Heck, even on dry pavement there’s more instant grip from the E-Ray, evident by the car’s 0-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds.

The 160-horsepower electric motor housed up front works flawlessly with the 495 hp V8 sitting over the driver’s right shoulder. The car still has a distinct rear-wheel drive bias in terms of performance, but if things get a bit sketchy, the front wheels are there to help pull the driver out of danger.

Instant Power

The big advantage of electric propulsion is instant torque/power. Even with just 160 hp produced by the E-Ray’s motor, it still makes a world of difference in everyday driving. From a dead stop, the motor engages and helps eliminate any sort of jerkiness that could emit from the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.

When driving at nearly any speed, if a sudden burst of power is required, the electric motor once again springs to life. With an audible whirl, it yanks the Corvette E-Ray forward. Not only does it respond quicker than the regular Corvette, but it also requires fewer gear changes as downshifting for more power isn’t required.

Stealth Mode

Ok, this reason is more of a stretch than the other two. The 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray comes with a feature called stealth mode. What it does is allow the car to be driven by just the front motor for roughly 3-4 miles, at speeds under 45 mph. It essentially makes the Corvette a temporary front-wheel-drive EV.

The mode is engaged before the car is started, to ensure the earth rattling cold-start emitted from the 6.2-liter V8 remains silent. There’s a meter in the head-up display that shows how much throttle is being applied and where the threshold is before awakening the eight-cylinder monster. As long as a driver isn’t in a rush, it works quiet well.

Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter  here.