2025 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray | UK Review
An atmospheric V8, some electric assistance and all-wheel drive sounds like the ideal UK sports car - is it?
These are interesting times for the super sports car, as manufacturers embark on their electrification journey. Or not, in some cases. Those after a car with the engine behind them, somewhere around 600hp, a choice of coupe or convertible bodies and huge fun behind the wheel are certainly not short of choice. Think MCPURA or Artura or the 911 Turbo that has now adopted the T-Hybrid technology of the Carrera GTS. Anyone willing to have the engine up front can have their AMG V8 in an Aston Martin or a Mercedes, with or without electric help.
And now there’s a Corvette to consider. At £150,000, the E-Ray is right in the mix, with year-round usability thanks to the all-wheel drive (and winter tyre option) as well as the more traditional sports car appeal of a V8 50 per cent larger than any alternative in its favour. As a reminder, the E-Ray is most similar to the T-Hybrid Porsche in that it employs a very small (1.9kWh) battery to support the V8, with an electric motor up front driving the front axle. There is no plug, and very limited electric range. The official mpg is 22 - that’s the kind of hybrid we’re talking about.
Certainly it promises an experience like no other sports car, and that begins with setting eyes on an E-Ray. Nothing feels more appropriate for a UK first drive than a grey and grim day outside Northampton; the broader tracks of this model (shared with the Z06) bulk the Corvette out nicely, and serve to make the standard Stingray look a tad undernourished by comparison. In either narrow or widebody form, though, this feels like quite a generic mid-engined design; we know it’s a Corvette now from many years of seeing them, rather than any unmistakable visual cues. It doesn’t look as special as a mid-engined sports car of this calibre should - i.e. something to look back fondly over your shoulder at or take a photo of just because. It's hard to imagine ever being head over heels about the C8. It’s certainly not as exciting as the Maserati, or even something like the Vantage. And no amount of optional carbon fibre can change that.
The inside is similar. With that great cliff edge of buttons and a strangely proportioned steering wheel, the interior is instantly recognisable as a Corvette one. And quality feels broadly pretty good as well. At $120k a 3LZ E-Ray like this costs in the UK (currently a smidge under £90k), it’d be a decent enough driving environment, even with the seat a bit high; but, again, at £150,000 it’s just not special enough. As, arguably, it ever was with American cars once they’ve made it over here and the price has soared.
But for generations now, American muscle has been bought despite interiors, not because of them. Which makes Stealth Mode all the more intriguing. It feels like an old PlayStation cheat code, with lots of button pressing and no obvious way in (it must be done with the ignition on, not engine, and can’t be done on the move). Soon enough though, you’re whirring along on battery power in a right-hand drive Corvette that has a 6.2 pushrod V8. Which is a real head scrambler. There’s even less electric range here than in something like a Revuelto, so Stealth really is for leaving home and car meets. But it’s a cool feature to have.
Plus, of course, the E-Ray’s assistance is there throughout to make for an all-wheel drive Corvette. When the skies are as grey as the Sea Wolf paint, it feels like the C8 to be in (Z06 and Stingray tests will follow soon). Don’t underestimate the appeal of driving something completely new, either, because it’s considerable; this isn’t an update of something we know, or a different derivative, or a related rival. As the car world homogenises, just to have a Corvette available feels cause for celebration enough. That it’s properly good to drive as well is even better news.
There’s real sophistication to the ride with standard magnetorheological dampers, absorbing the very worst of British B roads without complaint. The brake pedal is firm, the power immense and it doesn’t suffer for any regen effort, even if like so many other by-wire systems there isn’t huge feel. Ditto the modes don’t really alter very much. The steering felt at its most natural kept away from Sport and Track, with a weight and a speed that was confidence-inspiring. Good news when you feel like you're sat right at the pointy end of the wedge and can see a great hunk of V8 right behind. The feeling of mid-engined agility doesn’t take long to surface, and actually the C8 doesn’t feel as vast as you think it might over here.
It’s a fascinating four-wheel drive system, the E-Ray’s, simply for feeling more rear-drive than anything else similar. There wasn’t a track element to this drive (Mike D having raved about its circuit performance on the international launch), though even on road and with the ESC retaining some say, the Corvette was a proper old hoot. There’s always just enough going forward to feel secure without seeming contrived or spoiling any fun, and just enough feedback to appreciate what’s going on at an excitable rear axle. It’s a very clever balance, as well as being alive in a way that seems totally at odds with 1,900kg.
Probably the biggest demerit of a very entertaining drive is the susceptibility of the front end to pick up on cambers. The tyres are very wide (275-section) but there are similarly shod sports cars that aren’t pulled across the road quite so much. They aren’t mid-engined ones, though - perhaps a relative lack of weight up front is exacerbating the problem for the Corvette. When the road is smooth, you can revel in super sharp turn-in and abundant grip, but we all know how often that happens. It’s not a car to truly relax with on choppy asphalt.
The E-Ray powertrain is wonderful, usefully gruntier than the Stingray’s and better sounding than the flat-plane Z06. Better sounding than anything else out there, really, snarling and bellowing in a fashion that no turbo V8 can hope to replicate. The six-cylinder cars at this money can’t hope to match the aural stimulation of a small block, so rich and raw is the sound. The DCT is broadly a very good match as well, with short and sharp ratios and responsive paddles; it doesn’t love changes right towards the limiter, though there’s little cause to ever be there given the performance on offer throughout the rev range. A V8 has always been the Corvette’s USP; now it feels more abundantly appealing than ever. Even at a test average of 18mpg.
Again though, nobody’s buying any kind of Corvette for its fuel economy. The electrification introduced for the E-Ray wasn’t there to do anything but make Chevy’s sports car icon more exciting to drive, and they’ve emphatically succeeded in that mission. Being able to drive all three variants at the same place, at the same time, was great for revealing differences, and it’s clear this is far more than a Stingray with a Stealth Mode. The E-Ray is a tauter, keener, friskier sports car than standard, the very opposite of a hybrid dulling the experience down. It adds another dimension to the Corvette, both in terms of handling and performance. Moreover, it's a really encouraging opening salvo for more right-hand drive C8s in the UK; where once upon a time Corvettes may have competed as niche, novelty alternatives, there’s proper substance here beyond the obvious V8 charm. If not perfect, there’s plenty to suggest a match-up with any of the usual suspects would be a fascinating encounter. We’ll aim to do that as soon as possible.
SPECIFICATION | 2025 CHEVROLET CORVETTE E-RAY 3LZ
Engine: 6,207cc V8, 1.9kWh battery, electric front motor
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch, rear-wheel drive (combustion), front-wheel drive (electric)
Power (hp): 644 (482 combustion plus 162hp electric)
Torque (lb ft): 574 (452 combustion plus 122 electric)
0-62mph: 2.9 seconds (with carbon wheels)
Top speed: 180mph
Weight: 1,907kg-1,919kg (coupe, ‘mass in running order’)
MPG: 22.4
CO2: 289g/km
Price: from £153,440 (price as standard; price as tested £174,690 comprising Carbon wheels for £9,460, Sea Wolf paint for £1,910, Carbon outside mirrors for £1,310, Carbon roof for £1,610, Yellow brake calipers for £530, Carbon interior for £1,310, Carbon ground effect for £3,910, Competition seats for £870, Yellow seatbelts for £340.)
Like all American muscle cars, the Vette was the blue collar workers dream, not at $120,000 it isn’t, yes it’s cheaper than an equivalent Porsche, but it also shares a parts bin with a Chevrolet Spark.
Sure its quick, sure it will create theatre, but is it a car for its customer?
Does that leave room for a carbon bodied version to bring the mass down?
This will likely sell as well as the NSX. Difficult not to choose the standard model or pay a bit more and get the Z06.
Obviously we're talking about totally different genres of cars, but £120k for something like this would definitely float my boat. As the chances of me ever being in a position to buy something like this are approx. zero, it's a moot point!
On the comments about looks, I prefer this to the generic McLaren models coming out, all of which appear to look identical. Being a Chevy with an old-school V8, I imagine this would be a whole lot more reliable too.
I like it.
C7 was an absolute peach compared to this aesthetically
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