The Best Car for Snow In the Sports Car Segment Might Wear a Chevrolet Corvette Badge Soon
The Chevrolet Corvette has traditionally been a horsepower-hungry, rear-wheel drive (RWD) performance car. The C8 may have upgraded to a mid-engine application. However, the incipient 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray will take the ‘Vette to the next stage of supercar evolution. Better yet, the newly AWD Corvette promises to be the best car for snow in the model’s history.
What kind of performance car is best for snow?
Snow decreases traction substantially, meaning high-powered RWD performance cars will have more significant challenges maintaining control. Still, AWD performance cars, like the Jaguar F-TYPE R75, grip hard in inclement weather, whereas RWD cars tend to oversteer.
However, even a supercharged Jaguar F-TYPE is a front-engine relic compared to mid-engine AWD supercars like the Lamborghini Huracán. More recently, vehicles like the Huracán were reserved for only the wealthiest of enthusiasts. Still, the “Plastic Fantastic” has a solution for that. The upcoming AWD midengine 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray will start at around $104,495, $67,000 less than a comparable Acura NSX Type S, per TrueCar. Better yet, the hybrid ‘Vette will be the best sports car for snow in the marque’s lineup.
What is the difference between the Stingray and the E-Ray?
While the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray and the E-Ray pack the same 495-horsepower 6.2L LT2 V8 engine, the E-Ray takes it further with hybridization. Specifically, the E-Ray adds a 160-horsepower electric motor to the mix, resulting in 655 horsepower and the first AWD Corvette.
Beyond application, the performance of the E-Ray is impressively beyond that of the standard Stingray Z51. Chevrolet asserts that the E-Ray will hit 60 mph in 2.5 seconds on its way to a 10.5-second quarter mile. Consequently, the E-Ray is the fastest Chevrolet Corvette of all time.
Is the upcoming Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray the best car for snow in the Corvette lineup?
Despite the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray’s impressive performance credentials, the new electrified ‘Vette is the best car for snow in the model’s lineup. Adding the electric motor and centralized battery architecture produces a balanced, grippy AWD platform that handles snow much better than the RWD Stingray or Z06.
What’s more, Chevrolet and engineer Cody Bulkley staged a New York stunt to demonstrate the E-Ray’s compliance on slick surfaces. They staged the hybrid Corvette on the seasonal rink in Rockefeller Plaza and performed what Bulkley referred to as “cyclones.” The E-Ray spun in like a top, never once showing the waywardness that a RWD car would.
Can you daily a Corvette in the winter?
Of the most recent generations, 400+ horsepower outputs and RWD meant garaging your Chevrolet Corvette for the winter was the safest bet. However, the upcoming 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray changes that; the E-Ray is an AWD winter daily driver in a midengine sport jacket.
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