An electric Corvette? And it's all-wheel drive? Yeah, it's bloody fast, too

Hamilton Spectator

a day ago

Behind you, the low-strung bellow of a naturally aspirated, 6.2-litre pushrod V8. Chevy's LT2 small block snarls, gasps, barks and farts, the way any American-bred motor ought to.
That's the past.
Up front, or rather, through the E-Ray's audio system, you'll hear a synthetic, almost alien-like hum. It floods the entire cabin. It's intoxicating, even a bit annoying at times. It's a reminder that this Corvette is electrified, thanks to hybrid technology.
This is the future.
By the time you've come to your senses from the cacophony of go-fast decibels, you've teleported to your next destination.
The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray redefines your perception of what fast should be.
It's bloody fast!
But this Corvette is tremendously easy to live with.
Chevrolet is unleashing its most potent Corvette yet. No, I'm not talking about the ZR1, although its 1,064-horsepower figure was already out of this world. The ZR1X combines the ZR1's twin-turbocharged flat-plane crank V8 and this E-Ray's electric motor. The combined output is a mind-boggling 1,224 horsepower.
Let that sink in for a moment!
Next to such colossal numbers, the E-Ray's 655-horsepower and 595 lbs.-ft. of torque (motive force) appear, well, sort of weak. But these numbers don't tell the story: it will take just 2.5 seconds for the E-Ray to sprint to 100 km/h from a standstill.
It's a rocket.
(I can only imagine what a ZR1X must feel like.)
Look, all Corvettes are fast. But within the Corvette hierarchy — Stingray, Z06, E-Ray, ZR1 and ZR1X — the E-Ray remains a force to be reckoned with. It's a relatively unique machine in this space, given its combination of both gasoline and electric propulsion. Acura attempted this with the second-generation NSX, and we've seen some multimillion hypercars in the McLaren P1.
But this is a first for an American sports car, and definitely a first for the Corvette.
It's first-ever hybrid 'Vette.
But don't expect the E-Ray's hybrid system to help it save fuel. It doesn't. The sole purpose of the 160-horsepower permanent-magnet AC motor installed on the car's front axle is to add 160 hp to an already potent machine. It also gives the E-Ray the benefit of being an all-wheel-drive sports car.
Yes, the E-Ray can sort of drive in full electric mode, but only during a short period of time at very low speeds. The system is best appreciated in Stealth mode. The car takes off on electric power alone only to fire up its growling V8 once you've left the neighbourhood. This proved particularly handy one early morning on my way to the airport. And boy does that eight-cylinder sound glorious when it wakes up.
During the week I was driving the E-Ray, Quebec got a summer's worth of rain. Chevrolet had planned to have me drive the car in the mid winter to prove a point: that the E-Ray is an all-weather sports car. But it wasn't to be.
Even in late May's rain, the E-Ray's tenacious grip, aided by a set of Michelin Pilot all-season tires, turned its ludicrous performance into a normal, everyday affair.
Getting to places fast in an E-Ray is a casual thing.
It was comfortable. Sure, the confined, two-seat cabin isn't exactly sports sedan spacious. And you'll need to practice with your right arm placing your phone on the wireless phone charger between the seats. But except for these normal sports car compromises, the E-Ray is relatively spacious, given its small size, and it adapts well to different weather, thanks to its retractable top.
There's storage. Obviously, nobody expects a Corvette to out-cargo a three-row SUV. But combining the front and rear storage compartments, you end up with enough space to fit anything from golf bags — two will fit — to a full complement of groceries. Yes, that retractable top will also fit in the rear compartment.
There are things about the Corvette E-Ray I would change. I'm definitely looking forward to the updated interior in 2026. Although the 2025 model's large spine of buttons looks cool and all, it's not exactly an ergonomic success. The software lags when cycling from one drive mode to the next. That drive mode knob dial has an awkward resistance, as if Chevrolet doesn't want you to rotate it. Weird.
This Corvette will brawl with McLarens and Lamborghinis all day on a racetrack, but it can serve as a formidable daily driver. The beauty of the E-Ray's electric assistance is that it takes none of the C8 Corvette's visceral, analogue, all-American flavour away. If anything, it enhances it.
The Chevrolet Corvette lives on, even in the electric age.
Type:
Two-door sports coupe
Engine:
6.2-litre hybrid V8; 655 horsepower and 595 pounds-feet of torque (motive force)
Transmission:
Eight-speed automatic
Fuel:
14.7 litres/100 km in the city; 9.8l/100 km on the highway; 12.3l/100 km combined; and 13.1l/100 km observed
Cargo:
340 litres, or 12.6 cubic feet
Price:
$179,720, as tested