There was a full moon last night, and I did something I haven’t done in a long time: I walked away from the car I had just parked, then stopped and turned around to look at it. The color was Blade Silver Metallic, with natural carbon-fiber wheels and trim. In the moonlight, the body looked like molten silver.
Walking away, I said to myself, “Yeah, they got that one right.”
I got my first look at the eighth-generation Corvette, along with hundreds of other journalists and Chevrolet dealers, on July 18, 2019, in the enormous, and enormously historic, blimp hangar in Tustin, California, a structure so large it produced its own weather inside. You may recall that one of the two hangars caught fire in November of 2023: The 17-story hangar, built from Douglas fir, burned for 24 days. It was a strange but intriguing place to debut the Corvette, the C8, and I’m glad I was there to see the car and the hangar.
There were enough dealers (and their spouses) sprinkled in with all the journalists that day to provide the necessary ovation. I really liked the C5-, C6-, and C7-generation Corvettes, and I appreciated the C8, fully subscribed to what Tadge Juechter, chief engineer, told us that day: “We were realizing that we were reaching the limits” of what the nose-heavy front-engine architecture could handle, especially compared to the mid-engine rivals like the Ford GT and the Ferrari 488 GTB. It was important to move the Corvette to a mid-engine architecture, and Chevrolet delivered.
Since then, the Corvette has performed well with the public and in sports car racing, as the brand marched the C8 up to the 670-horsepower Z06, then the 1064-horsepower ZR1, followed by the around-the-corner 1250-horse ZR1X (which should have been called the Zora, in one of the most disappointing missed opportunities we can recall).
I’ve liked all the C8s I’ve driven, and I admire my neighbor’s blue Stingray every time I see it back out of his garage. But I’ve never been genuinely bowled over by the look of any C8, until this review loaner showed up at my house: A 2026 Corvette E-Ray, with that silver paint and carbon wheels and trim. It may be the most understated C8, with only a small split wing in the back, sensible spoilers up front, and those carbon accents on the side. Yeah, that’s just how I’d order mine.
Well, maybe not with the Santorini Blue leather interior, which was a bit loud. Otherwise, I couldn’t find much to complain about in the E-Ray’s cockpit. The interior has been freshened for 2026 in all the C8s, with the buttons and controls moving around and a larger, 12.7-inch central display in the mix. There isn’t a lot of room inside, but the front and rear trunks will handle an appropriate amount of cargo.
Specs: 2026 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Coupe 3LZ
Price: $119,550 / $149,105 (base / as-tested)
Powertrain: 6.2-liter direct-injected OHV V-8 driving the rear wheels, electric motor powered by a 1.1-kWh battery pack driving the front wheels; 8-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission
Combined Output: 655 hp; 595 lb-ft
Layout: All-wheel-drive, two-door, two-passenger targa-top sports car
0-60 mph: 2.8 seconds
EPA-rated fuel economy: 16 city, 24 highway, 19 combined
Competitors: Porsche 911, Aston Martin Vantage, Mercedes-AMG GT, Ford Mustang Dark Horse
It doesn’t look like it, but there’s room above the engine to store the removable targa roof panel, which is bulky but not that heavy—one person can handle it. Taking it off involves flipping just three levers, leaving you with a genuine open-air feeling. With this available, no way would I opt for a convertible.
Santorini Blue notwithstanding, the firmish GT2 bucket seats (more track-oriented “competition” seats are also available) are comfortable, but otherwise nothing special. They were fine for a 250-mile day, once we got the power lumbar and seat bolsters adjusted. You can buy a stronger sound system for your C8, but the standard 14-speaker Bose was plenty.
The brake calipers are normally colored dark gray, but the ones on this car were bright blue, matching the interior. They didn’t look bad, adding a little color to a silver car with dark carbon accents. As you’d expect from carbon-ceramic brakes, they were excellent, offering just the right feedback when used gently, but prepared to haul the E-Ray down in a very short, race-car-proven distance. Steering feel was spot on, quick but not sensitive enough to become tiresome.
If you are aware of the E-Ray’s unusual hybrid system, you know that it adds little to the E-Ray’s fuel mileage, which is an EPA-rated 16 in the city, 24 highway, and 19 combined; I was barely able to top 17 mpg during my time in the car. The E-Ray does manage to avoid a gas-guzzler tax, though, while the Z06 does not.
The hybrid system consists of a compact electric motor up front and an even more compact battery pack located in the E-Ray’s center armrest. Chevrolet says when fully charged (by the engine; you can’t plug it in), the car can go four miles on electric power. That’s more than enough to sneak away from the house at 7 a.m. to make the first tee.
In truth, this hybrid system is performance-oriented, turning the rear-drive Corvette into an all-wheel driver. The switch becomes especially obvious during spirited driving and tight cornering. It’s transparent otherwise, but when called upon, it can add 160 horses to the gasoline engine’s 495, for a total of 655. That moves the E-Ray up into Z06 territory, with the unique benefit of a driven front axle that makes the Corvette more tractable in slippery conditions.
The easiest way to experience the AWD and added horsepower is to find a deserted stretch of road, come to a full stop, and launch the car. Our best, unscientific 0-to-60 mph time was 2.8 seconds, but it was quite cold outside, and the pavement wasn’t optimum. Car and Driver‘s best was 2.5 seconds on its test track, beating a Z06, which took 2.6 seconds. (Wave that out the window at your Z06-owning friends!) The very perceptive eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission just touches third gear as you reach 60 mph, but you can use the shift paddles if you’re the controlling type.
There’s no question, then, that the E-Ray can hustle in a straight line and around a corner, but it’s remarkably docile in the city. Though the engine is right behind you, it’s suitably soundproofed, only speaking to you through the exhaust, and even then, we wouldn’t have minded a louder voice. You’ll hear the fat Michelin tires, especially on coarse pavement; it isn’t really an issue unless you prefer to drive in silence, with the sound system off.
My boss, Eric Weiner, spent some time in a different E-Ray while he was on the West Coast, and his opinion mostly gels with my East Coast impressions. His was the green car you see in the photos here. He is similarly impressed with the E-Ray’s appearance: “I think this might be the best-looking of all the Corvettes, particularly in this green,” he says. “It just looks clean and of one piece with the body color accent, and the spoiler completes the look with a bit of pop.”
This is the car, he says, “for the customer who wants Z06 pace without the compromises of that car—noise, stiffness, a highly active and expressive chassis that is meant for track use. I really like this car because it showcases evolution, experimentation.
“It expands what a Corvette can be, showing the flexibility of the C8 platform more than anything else, but it isn’t blowing anyone away like a Z06 or a ZR1 does. Might be the most well-rounded Corvette of the bunch, though, and the one I’d most want to drive every day.”
For that reason, it’s a little sad that the E-Ray isn’t getting more love. After an initial little splash in late 2023, it has been overshadowed by the Z06, ZR1, and ZR1X.
Part of that could be the price: My E-Ray started at $119,550 in 3LZ trim, with a bunch of options, including the gorgeous, lightweight carbon-fiber wheels that cost $11,995 after a $2000 discount (which was wiped out by the $1995 destination charge). The total came to $149,105.
The logic in me argues that the standard Corvette Stingray is such a well-equipped car, and certainly supercar-quick with the 6.2-liter V-8 and the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, that it makes the most sense. But Stingrays are legitimately hard to find: I searched dozens and dozens of new Corvettes at dealers near me, and only a handful wore stickers that were five figures, the cheapest being a 2026 (there are still some 2025s on the lots) Torch Red Stingray Coupe with black leather upholstery and only a couple of inexpensive options. Its sticker totaled $79,885, the only Corvette I found under $80,000. It has the targa top and the same 14-speaker Bose sound system, and I don’t doubt that it would be almost, but not quite, as much fun to drive as the E-Ray.
2026 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray
Highs: Improved interior for ‘26, surprisingly acceptable ride in the “Tour” setting, especially on the highway; goes like hell when you stab the accelerator. Never get tired of being able take off the top and see that engine under the rear glass.
Lows: Ingress-egress is tight, good-not-great luggage room; pricey once you begin checking the option boxes; a purpose-driven, one-dimensional hybrid, which is fine if you subscribe to that purpose.
Takeaway: If you’re willing to avoid some of the more expensive options—most of them carbon fiber-related—the E-Ray is poised to be your all-season, daily-driver performance companion, with minimal vices and plenty of pluses that should keep you entertained for years.
