More change is on the horizon for the Chevrolet Corvette.
On Tuesday, the Detroit giant posted a video on social media that gave us our best look yet at the eagerly anticipated C8 hybrid. The brand also announced that the car, which many believe will be called the E-Ray, will be unveiled next Tuesday, Jan. 17—70 years to the day after the original ‘Vette made its debut.
The Corvette’s eighth generation has been one of major evolution. First, there was the long-rumored shift to a mid-engine layout, and now, comes electrification. This may seem like an inevitability—even the Porsche 911 is getting a hybrid variant—but you can expect plenty of purists to be annoyed by the move (wait until they find out an all-electric version is on the way). Regardless, Tuesday’s clip, which depicts the vehicle carving up a snow-covered track and zooming across city street, makes clear that the C8 is still America’s preeminent sports car—even if it’s getting extra oomph from an electric motor.
As tantalizing as the video may be, precious little is currently known about the car and its hybrid-assisted powertrain. Last year, Chevy did confirm that an electric motor will give the car all-wheel drive. This should improve its acceleration and handling, especially when road conditions are poor. The video also offers a peek at a new “Stealth” driving mode. It’s unclear what this feature actually does, but it could be an all-electric mode that allows the car to operate silently (h/t Car and Driver).
Luckily, we won’t have to wait much longer to find out more about the hybrid C8, since its debut is just six days away. Hopefully, we’ll also learn is how much the latest Corvette will cost. We’d wager it will run you more than the now-entry-level Stingray, which starts at $64,500, but it could very well climb into the same neighborhood as the high-performance Z06, which starts at $105,300. Stay tuned.
