Despite being an open secret, we cannot deny that we are still in shock with the presentation of the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, the first hybrid version of the North American supercar. Nevertheless, The video that we bring you today, we assure you, will shake your most purist vision of motorsport.Well, after knowing and seeing for yourself some curiosities and solutions of this electrified Corvette, it will be very difficult for you not to end up wanting to have one in your garage.
Chevrolet had been working on the electrification of the Corvette for some time as a preview of what the future of this model will be if it wants to survive. More and more supercars are betting on hybrid schemes, but in Corvette they have decided to do it their wayforgetting about heavy, complex and more expensive plug-in hybrid systems, to give life to a conventional hybrid whose sole objective is to assist the naturally aspirated 6.2 V8 engine that is still the main heart of the Corvette.
From the hands of the colleagues of Car & Driver in the United States, today we can meet the Corvette E-Ray in a very special way. In the first place, discovering all its novelties by taking a look through its innards, thus knowing how Chevrolet has carried out the integration of the batteries (1.9 kWh) in the central tunnel, in order to reduce the center of gravity as much as possible. and the impact in space. Too we can see how this hybrid Corvette is capable of traveling in electric mode at speeds of up to 45 MPh (72 km/h) or how it allows you to sign an outstanding 0-96 km/h in 2.5 seconds thanks to its 655 CV and the Launch Control function, a mode that allows extracting the maximum from both propellers, electric on the front wheels and gasoline on the rear wheels.
It is also worth listening to the sound of this Corvette E-Ray, although we say this for both good and bad. And the reason is none other than to discover that the Corvette E-Ray is equipped with an electric sound emulation inside, thus generating a kind of buzz during acceleration. Luckily, this Corvette does not hide that it has an atmospheric V8 behind the rear seats, so once this mechanism is awakened by draining the battery or pressing the accelerator fully, its roar is quite audible both inside and outside.
And finally, you can not miss the moment in which the Corvette E-Ray shows that its new all-wheel drive condition has not made it lose its more “tough” side. With an electric motor driving the front wheels, it seemed that this Corvette had given up the ability to create heart-stopping skids or burnouts, but nothing could be further from the truth. A Drift mode is included in the Corvette E-Ray that will allow you to continue enjoying oversteer, plus a Burnout mode to feel like you are in a Drag Race, something that will surely end up making the most skeptics fall in love.
