Will the E-Ray Keep Up with Z06 on the Track?

[Shepherd777]

We have all heard that the Z06 will be a track weapon and that is certainly true, of course.

But the E-Ray is a Z06 with the LT2 engine in lieu of the LT6 engine with the addition of an electric front-assist motor. It will have the same wide-body, brakes, and suspension as the Z06. One can even presumably order the Z07 performance package with the carbon brakes and wheels on the E-Ray.

We all know that the E-Ray will be heavier than a Z06. But some of that weight in the center tunnel, the battery, will be very low, and between the axles. So the battery will not impact the F/R weight distribution.

The addition of the front-assist unit and the half-shafts will of course impact the F/R weight distribution. So with a Z51 Stingray having a 40/60 F/R ratio, an E-Ray may have a 45/55 F/R ratio. As anyone who has taken the course at Spring Mountain has learned on the first day in class, the front end of the Z51 is light, and one needs to keep the vehicle weight on the front wheels and tires by trail-braking into the corners. So will another 5% on the front end make mush of a difference, or may it actually help in the corners?

At 670hp, we assume that the Z06 will have more total horsepower than the E-Ray. The E-Ray with the performance exhaust will have at least 578 horsepower. 495hp for the LT2 and 83hp at least for the front-assist unit. But as meyerweb might point out, all that total horsepower is not available all of the time, due to different power curves.

Could GM cobble-together custom Ultium front-assist units with dual-motors in a bespoke front-assist unit just for the E-Ray with more horsepower? Surely they could. But would it be cost-effective, and would they be able to package it in the C8 front end? Unclear at this time. They may even be able to double the motor amperage by ganging-together two Ultium battery modules in parallel, for double the amperage, and double the horsepower. So now, Bingo!, one has an E-Ray with 660hp or so total, and very slightly under the 670hp of the Z06.

If the E-Ray had only slightly less horsepower than the Z06, it may even be able to keep up with the Z06 on the long straightaways.

Would that 45/55 F/R ratio cause the E-Ray to lag behind the Z06 in the corners if both cars had the same brakes and suspension?

Or, could the E-Ray possibly even out-corner the Z06? The LT6 in the Z06 would push you into the corner, and push you out of the corner. But in the E-Ray, the LT2 would push you into the corner and the front-assist would pull you into the corner, and then the LT2 would push you out of the corner and the front-assist unit would pull you out of the corner, at the same time.

[jackfrostpdx]

Maybe for a hero lap or two. But as track time goes to infinity, so will the Z06 gap.

[Shepherd777]

Maybe for a hero lap or two. But as track time goes to infinity, so will the Z06 gap.

You may be correct, but why do you say that?

The battery would regen-charge to full on every deceleration.

[Plentyfast]

In the Snow ... I'm Sure it will 😂

[SheepDog]

Will the Z06 and E-Ray engineers simply feed both horses the best food and resource available and then allow them to decide which is superior on the tracks and streets? Or will the pecking order be engineered into the cars?

[SheepDog]

You may be correct, but why do you say that?

The battery would regen-charge to full on every deceleration.

Your opinions count. You have earned deference.
1. How will the E-Ray and NSX compare?
2. Do you think GM will engineer the E-Ray to be quicker/faster than the NSX or NSX-type S
3. Can the LT2 + 83HP electric front assist match the NSX performance?
4. E-Ray milage? Range?

5. Will the Zora be a twin turbo LT6 plus electric motors? What electric motors?

[The GM President said that there will be future ICEs, I assume that means a Twin Turbo LT6 ZR1, without electric assist]]

[Shepherd777]

Your opinions count. You have earned deference.
1. How will the E-Ray and NSX compare?
2. Do you think GM will engineer the E-Ray to be quicker/faster than the NSX or NSX-type S
3. Can the LT2 + 83HP electric front assist match the NSX performance?
4. E-Ray milage? Range?

5. Will the Zora be a twin turbo LT6 plus electric motors? What electric motors?

[The GM President said that there will be future ICEs, I assume that means a Twin Turbo LT6 ZR1, without electric assist]]

Thanks for the kind words SheepDog. But it is too early to give you definitive answers on a lot of this stuff.

We do know that Chevrolet was bench-marking the NSX. So hopefully, the E-Ray will be just as fast if not quicker. I mean if you bench-mark a product, don't you want your product to be better in every way?

The NSX has 3 motors, two in front and a pancake in the rear. The 2022 has 600 total horsepower and does a 2.7 second 0-60, and a 10.9 1/4 mile in the Car & Driver test. The Stingray is not far off that NSX performance already. So it would way cool if the E-Ray did a 2.5 or 2.6 0-60. The Z06 is supposed to be 2.6, as you know.

E-Ray range is unlimited as long as you keep putting gas in it. Like they say, your mileage will vary. If I lived in California with $6.00 a gallon gas, the E-Ray would be even more of a no-brainer than it is now.

My crystal ball does not go that far forward to discuss the Zora. But once the E-Ray cat is outta the bag, how will they not have an assist unit in the Zora?

The BEST comparison between the E-Ray and the NSX? The E-Ray will be approximately $75,000 less!

[jackfrostpdx]

You may be correct, but why do you say that?

The battery would regen-charge to full on every deceleration.

1. I'm skeptical that the regen braking will be enough to top off the battery on each lap, especially when running in the expected "Track" performance mode where the battery usage is maximized.
2. The HP difference. The longer the straightaway the more the Z06 will pull.
3. The Z06 has better aero (and upgraded brakes/tires/CF wheels with Z07)

It will be exciting to see how GM engineers have worked their magic with their first try at performance hybrid. I hope to be pleasantly surprised by my future E-Ray (2nd or 3rd model year).

[Shepherd777]

1. I'm skeptical that the regen braking will be enough to top off the battery on each lap, especially when running in the expected "Track" performance mode where the battery usage is maximized.
2. The HP difference. The longer the straightaway the more the Z06 will pull.
3. The Z06 has better aero (and upgraded brakes/tires/CF wheels with Z07)

It will be exciting to see how GM engineers have worked their magic with their first try at performance hybrid. I hope to be pleasantly surprised by my future E-Ray (2nd or 3rd model year).

Yeah, we won't know on the regen until the release.

The HP difference may not be that big.

The aero should be the same on the E-Ray if one buys the Z07 package. The Z07 package was available on the Grand Sport, of course.

I wonder if Mr. Reuss' statement of Monday is also applicable from the Z06 to the E-Ray when he said " Every Corvette has been better than the one before it and this will be no exception."

[Frenzy36]

My bet is Definitely on the ZO6. Will be interesting though. Can't see the battery being able to keep up. Regenerative braking isn't all that. At most 60 to 70% of kinetic energy. Not nearly enough to keep the battery charged if same battery is delivering power to electric motor during each acceleration cycle.

It will however help brakes from fading and remove a lot of heat from the braking system. Extending brake system life span.

[JB]

I could see the magazine cover with the stingray z51; the Eray and the z06 battling it out. I think the all season tires will be an additional limiting factor.

would be a cool threeway shoot out!

[hogyld]

Shepherd777

“We all know that the E-Ray will be heavier than a Z06.” Do we all “KNOW” this, or is this simply what most of us are “assuming” based on the weight of the battery(s)? I am sincerely inquiring. If we “all know this” where is this information found stating so from GM or from their engineers?

I am also assuming too that the e-ray will be heavier than the C8 Base Stingray and heavier than the Z06, but I’m basing that on my limited knowledge of the weight of the ultium.

Could it be that GM might be using lighter material in other parts of the car to lessen its overall weight? Perhaps GM will surprise us in much the same way they did with the building of the FPC LT6?

[Shepherd777]

Shepherd777

“We all know that the E-Ray will be heavier than a Z06.” Do we all “KNOW” this, or is this simply what most of us are “assuming” based on the weight of the battery(s)? I am sincerely inquiring. If we “all know this” where is this information found stating so from GM or from their engineers?

I am also assuming too that the e-ray will be heavier than the C8 Base Stingray and heavier than the Z06, but I’m basing that on my limited knowledge of the weight of the ultium.

Could it be that GM might be using lighter material in other parts of the car to lessen its overall weight? Perhaps GM will surprise us in much the same way they did with the building of the FPC LT6?

hogyld you are exactly correct. We are assuming that the E-Ray will be heavier. Nobody outside of GM knows the detailed specs of either the Z06 or the E-Ray.

We certainly do not know how much the LT6 engine and the presumably enhanced DCT will weigh in the Z06. If we knew that, we could make an educated guess on the E-Ray battery, front-assist unit, and LT2 and compare the two.

I myself am considering spec'ing the carbon wheels and brakes on my E-Ray to mitigate some of whet we currently perceive to be a weight penalty on the E-Ray. That carbon stuff is darn expensive as you know, but I imagine one could recoup most of that cost in a resale, the way the C8's are holding value.

GM has the best automotive engineers. I'm sure they will again surprise us.

[Frenzy36]

Shepherd777

“We all know that the E-Ray will be heavier than a Z06.” Do we all “KNOW” this, or is this simply what most of us are “assuming” based on the weight of the battery(s)? I am sincerely inquiring. If we “all know this” where is this information found stating so from GM or from their engineers?

I am also assuming too that the e-ray will be heavier than the C8 Base Stingray and heavier than the Z06, but I’m basing that on my limited knowledge of the weight of the ultium.

Could it be that GM might be using lighter material in other parts of the car to lessen its overall weight? Perhaps GM will surprise us in much the same way they did with the building of the FPC LT6?

Doubt it - They had worked on the C8 platform for years. The E-Ray will surely be heavier and more expensive.

[msm859]

Doubt it - They had worked on the C8 platform for years. The E-Ray will surely be heavier and more expensive.

Heavier, Yes. More expensive, No.