Overview
While it competes with thoroughbred sports cars from Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche, the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette is as American as apple pie, cowboys, and jazz. The C8- generation Vette adopted a mid-engined layout and the exotic-car proportions that go with it, and its performance smokes most every relatively-affordable sports car it shares a track day with. A naturally aspirated, pushrod V-8 is standard and makes up to 495 horsepower but there’s a new hybrid powertrain coming for 2024 that promises to push performance up further. Since its launch, the C8 Corvette has been a staff favorite at the Car and Driver offices, not only because of its sharp handling and seemingly-endless power but because of how easy it is to live with daily. Sure, there are only two seats, but with cargo space behind the engine and under the front hood it’s practical, at least as sports cars go. Plus, opt for one of the higher trims and the Corvette impresses with a surprising level of luxury.
What's New for 2024?
A hybrid powertrain joins the Corvette lineup for 2024. Those models will bear the name E-Ray. From leaked images of the E-Ray configurator on Chevrolet’s website, we can see that it will wear the same wide-body kit and front-end treatment as the high-performance Z06 model but with a few tweaks such as body-color accents in place of black-painted ones. Chevrolet hasn’t released any official details about the E-Ray’s powertrain, but rumors are swirling that it will be all-wheel drive—an electric motor or two will power the front wheels—and will offer a significant boost in power over the standard gas-powered car’s maximum of 495 ponies. The E-Ray is expected to debut officially in the summer of 2023.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
The Corvette is available as either a coupe or a convertible with a folding hardtop. Since the coupe's targa roof lifts off for open-top motoring anyway, we'd stick with it. We'd instead spend the money to upgrade to the 2LT version, which adds several features, including a head-up display, a wireless smartphone charging pad, heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, a 14-speaker Bose stereo system, blind-spot monitoring, and much more. The Z51 performance package is also a must-have, as it brings all of the Corvette's best performance-oriented gear.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
Situated behind the passenger compartment is a 6.2-liter V-8 making 490 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque. With the dual-mode performance exhaust that is part of the Z51 package, it makes 495 horsepower and bellows at wide-open throttle. The Z51 option also adds an electronic limited-slip rear differential, more aggressive brakes, and summer tires. An eight-speed dual-clutch automatic (a Corvette first) is the sole transmission. It is controlled by a push-button gear selector on the center console and two large steering-wheel-mounted shift paddles. A manual transmission is not available. In our testing of several Stingrays we recorded a best zero-to-60-mph time of 2.8 seconds and a quarter-mile in 11.2 seconds at 122 mph; that was in a car equipped with the Z51 performance package and the optional FE4 magnetorheological dampers. We managed a braking distance of 149 feet from 70 mph and recorded 1.03 g's on the skidpad. Even in base form, however, the new Corvette is capable of heroic handling and delivering big thrills on both the street and the race track. The new hybrid E-Ray model will add electrification to the mix which will undoubtedly give straight-line performance a big boost, especially since that model will probably come with all-wheel drive.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
The Corvette earns EPA fuel economy ratings of 15 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 19 mpg combined. We subjected it to our own 200-mile highway fuel-economy test and recorded 26 mpg, 1 mpg less than expected. The last generation—remember the Corvette with the engine in the front?—managed a 27-mpg result in the same test. Will the new hybrid E-Ray give drivers more miles per gallon? We’ll have to wait and see when the car is officially unveiled. For more information about the Corvette's fuel economy, visit the EPA's website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
The Corvette is a pure two-seater, and its interior can be optioned with materials such as leather, real metal trim, and imitation suede; it even has a fancy stitched headliner. (The base interior is more simply furnished, but still handsome.) The roof is removable on the coupe, just like in previous Corvettes, and it stores inside the trunk just aft of the engine compartment. The rear trunk can also accommodate two golf bags, while the smaller front trunk offers space for some luggage or cargo when the roof is stowed. The driver sits behind a squared-off steering wheel that for some reason doesn't feel weird and looks at a 12.0-inch reconfigurable gauge display; a large infotainment touchscreen is angled toward the driver for ease of use. The interior design takes the driver-focused concept to the max, bisecting the cockpit with a tall separator atop which sit bank of switches for the car's climate-control system. Overall, the Corvette's cabin is modern and appealing. Upgrading to the 3LT trim gets you rich materials, such as sewn leather on most of the interior surfaces, plus carbon-fiber trim. The Corvette's two trunk areas, one ahead of the passenger compartment and one behind the engine, offer a total of 13 cubic feet of storage space. Chevrolet says the Corvette can fit two sets of golf clubs stacked on top of each other in the rear compartment. In our testing, we were able to fit our set of test clubs easily, so Chevy's claim seems valid. When it came time to see if there was room for our carry-on suitcases, we were able to fit one in the Corvette's front trunk and two in the rear compartment.
Infotainment and Connectivity
The Corvette uses Chevrolet's Infotainment 3 Plus system, which features an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Bluetooth audio streaming, a 4G LTE mobile hotspot, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. The system is easy to use and quick to respond to commands.
Safety and Driver-Assistance Features
The Corvette can be had with a limited number of driver-assistance features, but none are standard on the base model. For more information about the Corvette's crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. Key safety features include:
- Available blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert
Warranty and Maintenance Coverage
While its performance is amazing, the Corvette's warranty coverage is strictly average. At least the first maintenance service is covered at no cost.
- Limited warranty covers 3 years or 36,000 miles
- Powertrain warranty covers 5 years or 60,000 miles
- Complimentary maintenance is covered for the first visit
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