Photo: Chevrolet via Corvette Blogger
It’s all-new from the ground up for the 2020 model year, but the C8 still has a lot left to prove. The mid-engine design has changed the Corvette from a supercar-slaying sports car into a supercar in its own right, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg if you remember what follows after the Stingray with the Z51 Performance Package.
Inspired by the C8.R racing car, the Z06 will transition from a small-block V8 with a supercharger system to a flat-plane crankshaft V8 with natural aspiration. The rumor mill suggests 600-ish horsepower from 5.5 liters of displacement or thereabouts, but more interestingly, the Gen 8 ‘Vette will go twin-turbo as well.
The ZR1 is expected with forced induction and a double overhead camshaft design just like the Z06 for 800 horsepower or thereabouts at the crank. Displacement should stay the same at 5.5 liters, but the question is, can the ‘Vette go even further than that?
Enter the E-Ray! Chevrolet has been spied testing hybrid mules time and again, confirming the ultimate expression of the C8 with some sort of electrified assistance. The LT7 twin-turbo V8 of the ZR1 could be combined with a front-mounted electric motor producing 200 horsepower for a total of 1,000, which is a mind-boggling amount of ponies even when compared to the likes of McLaren.
The E-Ray or Zora as a nod Zora Arkus-Duntov - whatever it’ll be called - has been confirmed once again by the owner’s manual of the Stingray for the 2020 model year. Turning to page 244 may not come as an interesting read at first glance, but then you notice “lithium-ion battery module.” Even more telling, fuse number 7 is a “power sounder module with pedestrian-friendly alert function” as you may also find in the all-electric Bolt.
Speaking of which, the Bolt has a fuse for the rechargeable energy storage system while the E-Ray doesn’t. This suggests we’re dealing with a hybrid instead of a plug-in hybrid or all-electric powertrain. Corvette Blogger reports that the lithium-ion battery may reside within the car’s center tunnel because the electric motor driving the front wheels would take pretty much all of the space in the frunk.
1,000 HP and e-AWD sounds pretty rad for a Corvette, don’t you think?
The ZR1 is expected with forced induction and a double overhead camshaft design just like the Z06 for 800 horsepower or thereabouts at the crank. Displacement should stay the same at 5.5 liters, but the question is, can the ‘Vette go even further than that?
Enter the E-Ray! Chevrolet has been spied testing hybrid mules time and again, confirming the ultimate expression of the C8 with some sort of electrified assistance. The LT7 twin-turbo V8 of the ZR1 could be combined with a front-mounted electric motor producing 200 horsepower for a total of 1,000, which is a mind-boggling amount of ponies even when compared to the likes of McLaren.
The E-Ray or Zora as a nod Zora Arkus-Duntov - whatever it’ll be called - has been confirmed once again by the owner’s manual of the Stingray for the 2020 model year. Turning to page 244 may not come as an interesting read at first glance, but then you notice “lithium-ion battery module.” Even more telling, fuse number 7 is a “power sounder module with pedestrian-friendly alert function” as you may also find in the all-electric Bolt.
Speaking of which, the Bolt has a fuse for the rechargeable energy storage system while the E-Ray doesn’t. This suggests we’re dealing with a hybrid instead of a plug-in hybrid or all-electric powertrain. Corvette Blogger reports that the lithium-ion battery may reside within the car’s center tunnel because the electric motor driving the front wheels would take pretty much all of the space in the frunk.
1,000 HP and e-AWD sounds pretty rad for a Corvette, don’t you think?
Google News