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Unpopular opinion. The Eray might be better fit for most c8 buyers
I’m probably going to get roasted for this and I totally get it. But that being said here is my opinion.
I have a 24 base C8z w cat delete, JLT intake, ported throttle bodies, throttle controller, lighter wheels. I LOVE my car and it’s the best and most fun car I’ve ever owned. Close second was a gen 4 viper. I am a drag guy more than a road race guy. I also own two EVs including a model s plaid so I also understand the electric appeal and the instant torque it provides.
At the bash I got to drive the eray around the track and go for a hot lap with a professional. I LOVED the car. I loved the sounds of the front motors. I like the old school muscle sound in the back. It accelerates like an EV off the line. It comes standard w CCB which seem to stop pretty damn well. Looks similar to a Z06 but is way more tame in general and quieter. Light to light these things are monsters. Also I love to modify stuff and there is already a host of things you can do to an Eray where as I’m almost maxed w my z06 currently with exception of cat back. I have video of my ride along and drive and also did a dragy run to see if it’s hitting low 2s. I got a 3.1(not verified) w passenger using launch control (I wasn’t driving, track professional) subtract 165 lbs and it’s def 2.x but nowhere near 2.1 claimed by others. That being said it was a rocket from a dig. Felt as fast as my plaid mainly due to noises I think.
will I trade my z06? No . Mainly due the LT6 being so special BUT I want both. I loved the Eray and as a modder it fits that bill perfectly. Rain or shine it’s gonna get the power down. I was very much impressed with them. I think for most corvette owners it’s the better fit. Here is some driving video fast forward to 6:36 for actual driving and then you can see the hot lap. Apologize for initial 4:3 style footage rookie mistake w my GoPro.
Without the LT6 I would have already moved on from the C8 platform. I’m sure the E-Ray will make many Corvette owners happy, but it isn’t something that interests me at all.
You won't get roasted, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even if it's wrong...LOL....Seriously though....Neither the E-Ray or the Z06 is the best fit, it's the Stingray...Who REALLY needs the high costs of the Z06 or the E-Ray? These are toys, no one even NEEDS any of them.
You won't get roasted, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even if it's wrong...LOL....Seriously though....Neither the E-Ray or the Z06 is the best fit, it's the Stingray...Who REALLY needs the high costs of the Z06 or the E-Ray? These are toys, no one even NEEDS any of them.
Good point. Especially at the price point of the stingray.
what's best is really a question of how do you use the car, and available budget. Mine's a street car. There's not too much I can do on the street that can't be achieved in a base stingray with MRC. But doing it in the Z06 is more fun, and for me, it's worth the irrational price difference. I say irrational because I paid for performance beyond that I can use such as the cooling is way beyond the capacity needed to 20 minutes of twisty roads.
I like the e-ray concept and if I didn't have the Z06, I'd get an e-ray. Although if I still had my Z51, doing a HCI package would have solved my main gripe with the stingray and been much cheaper than trading up to the Z06 or e-ray.
Without the LT6 I would have already moved on from the C8 platform. I’m sure the E-Ray will make many Corvette owners happy, but it isn’t something that interests me at all.
You won't get roasted, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, even if it's wrong...LOL....Seriously though....Neither the E-Ray or the Z06 is the best fit, it's the Stingray...Who REALLY needs the high costs of the Z06 or the E-Ray? These are toys, no one even NEEDS any of them.
Exactly... these cars aren't about practicality or even logic sometimes, and they definitely aren't about need... these cars are about WANT.
Get whatever floats your boat and brings a smile to your face, that's the priority here.
If money is not a factor, the E-Ray would be my choice. The AWD aspect of the E-Ray would be the factor more than the increased performance. The E-Ray is the approximately $36k price higher than the similarly equipped stingray.
I am surprised at your high Dragy numbers. I see that your Dragy DA number is 1,353ft and that may affect the 0-60 times by about 0.10824s. That said it would still be 2.8s. I would have expected lower numbers. Maybe too much tire spin at the launch.
My heavy, Non-Z51HTC Stingray with performance exhaust on 4-season tires has posted Dragy numbers of 2.95s 0-60 with favorable DA numbers and 3.07 seconds with 2 heavy passengers.
Without the LT6 I would have already moved on from the C8 platform. I’m sure the E-Ray will make many Corvette owners happy, but it isn’t something that interests me at all.
This⬆️ while I appreciate the Eray for its technological marvel, moving from a Stingray to an Eray seems like a lateral move. IMHO it’s just not as special as the Z06.
Had I kept my C8 I would have done heads cam or supercharger.
But after all life is all about choices and kudos to Chevy for providing a value based menu.
There's a variant for everyone. Sometimes i see people post pictures happy getting their stingray and in my mind, i'm like why? i can NEVER do that, knowing what i have now, or what i could get. And then i realize people buy what makes them happy. And that doesn't mean the stingray is a bad car. It is definitely not.
That said, the ERAY has it's own place in the corvette lineup. Same with the SR, same with the z06 and when the zr1 comes out, that will fit well with a certain group of people as well.
To me, if i wanted EV like acceleration, i'd get an EV. We know the ERAY dies off once it hits like 120 or so so what are you really left with? A slightly faster SR that you can drive year round? Who is really doing that? The ERAY is NOT a proper winter car because of it's massive body and massive wide wheels. Sure you can, but why would you?
Then people will say oh yeah modify this modify that. As soon as someone says that, it just means in stock form the car isn't good enough. Why would you take a brand new car, brand new tech for GM with the AWD and all it's components adding to it's complexity, then want to pretend to be a youtuber and TT it for 1000hp. What about the DCT? What about warranty? People never talk about that. They just say oh this is better because you can modify this for 20k and have 1000hp. Wow, you can also modify any modern day turbo car and come up with similar results. S58 equipped cars come to mind. They are destroying out there with minimal mods.
The ERAY is great, for those who just want to accelerate to about 100 like an EV. After that, i don't see the hype.
The z06 will always turn more heads and will make you feel like you're in an american ferrari.
Don't think that opinion should be too unpopular, that is exactly why they made the E-ray at that price point. If someone just wants a "better" Stingray and the best daily driving/ weekend cruising Corvette (and is ok paying for it) the E-ray is built to be the car for them. The Z06 is a track weapon or for someone who is ok with loud and stiff on the street in exchange for the excitement that comes with the car -- and I think its desirability is increased simply because getting a V8 in a new car period is probably in its last decade, and then getting one like this is a treat.
Every time I read a post with someone asking how stiff the car is on the street, or things like that, I'm hoping that person ends up in an E-ray because I suspect they will be happier there (unless they will be on track). Both fantastic cars, and while the audience does overlap some, it probably shouldn't as much as it does.
Almost none of us "need" or can fully take advantage of a track weapon. Any model of C8 has potential that is well beyond the experience, training, and capabilities of the vast majority of Corvette owners whether some of us are willing to admit this or not.
The only road I could find on the street.. that allowed me to launch it hard with no spin is a little down elevation.. I pulled 2.6x with rollout on my Z..I know its not verified( DA was 4500) but its nice to see on a track surface with prep the car can go 2.4s I am sure with 5000RPMS and little slip
The E-ray gets no respect, especially when it is compared to the Z06. It's the Rodney Dangerfield of the current Vettes.
The AWD provides so much benefits (and some extra weight) that has never been available on Corvettes until now. Technical marvel. I understand that is not for everybody, though.
I like the wide body, Whether in the Z06 or the Eray. If the Stingray was available in the wide body I would own that.
Alright, GM, here is your plan for the second half of C8 production life.
In order to continue to keep demand high for Stingrays after the 2025 model year, sell a Grand Sport with the wide body. You can keep the boomerang looking the same, if you want. But just sell us that sweet, sweet wide body for what...say 10 grand? Customers would go nuts.
Then, here is what you do to differentiate the high performance models. You sculpt the side vents so its all smooth and there is no wishbone, just seamless scoops on the sides.
