Named after a swift British naval warship, the Corvette has been synonymous with speed and agility since its striking debut in 1953.

Seventy years later, its two-seater sports car added a hybrid motor powering its front wheels along with a thunderous 6.2-liter V8 providing unsurpassed traction to its wide rear wheels.

Together the all-wheel drive E-Ray Coupe 3LZ with its combined 655 horsepower reaches 60 miles per hour in a scant 2.5 seconds.

On track with Porsche 911 Turbo S, BMW M4 and Acura NSX, the E-Ray shares performance and prowess for relatively similar coin while other mid-engine rivals, a la McLaren and Ferrari SF90 are substantially more while all share an exotic mystique.

The 2026 Corvette is available in five trim levels: Stingray, Z06, E-Ray, ZR1 and ZR1X, the latter two featuring more than 1,000 horsepower with twin turbo V-8 engines.

Instead of announcing my early morning departure with thunderous exhaust rumbling, engineers designed a Stealth mode, allowing silent electric startups and front wheel travel up to 45 miles per hour for about 4 miles keeping our neighbors happy go lucky.

No need to plug in this hybrid battery either since it recharges itself through regenerative braking.

This Vette is not a cheap date since it is limited production. Even without its light weight carbon fiber package, the E-Ray starts around $120,000. Our test car stickered near $150,000 – mainly to cover carbon fiber wheels, interior trim and ground effects.

In the need-to-know department, carbon fiber is a performance enhancer used in high performance supercars, some luxury vehicles and racing cars since it weighs five times less and is stronger than steel making for quicker acceleration, braking and handling.

We found the mid-engine E-Ray coupe fast and furious with precise handling in all sorts of driving conditions.

To protect low front end ground effects from being damaged, Corvette developed a lift system to raise the front two inches in about three seconds. Useful for curb stops in parking lots, speed bumps and steep driveways, the hydraulic system can store up to 1,000 locations to raise automatically when approaching saved spots. Pretty cool.

An eight-speed dual clutch automatic transmission propels the E-Ray quicker than its sibling Z06 with improved handling with magnetic ride suspension.

Cargo is not a big draw for this Corvette. Split between front and rear lids that close automatically there is 12.5 cubic feet. I was able to fit one golf bag behind the engine while being careful to keep perishables away from the engine’s heat.

We found the frunk opening up front holds 2-3 grocery bags.

Climate control buttons that separated the two front seats have been repositioned below the 12.7-inch infotainment screen teamed with a 14-inch driver information display. A second wireless phone charger has been added and climate settings unfortunately have been relegated to the touch screen.

The passenger side mirror housing has been extended to increase rear visibility along with a rear mounted camera displayed in place of the rearview mirror.

We think every sport minded driver should take a spin in the E-Ray Coupe to experience its breathtaking performance, a launch control sequence that maximizes acceleration from a stop without wheel spin. It’s a comfortable road car too that could easily be a daily driver without feeling cramped.

Contact independent automotive columnist Len Ingrassia at editor@ptd.net.

2026 Corvette E-Ray Coupe 3LZ

Engine: 6.2-liter mid-engine V8, & electric motor combined for 655 hp

EPA mileage: 16 city, 24 highway, 19 combined

MSRP/as tested: $119,550/$149,105

Assembled: Final assembly at Bowling Green, Ky. Canadian parts content, 40%; major foreign parts content – Mexico, 3%. Engine and transmission, U.S.

Crash test ratings: Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety had evaluated the Corvette as of this writing.

Warranty: 3-year/36,000-mile bumper to bumper; 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain; 8 year/100,000-mile hybrid battery warranty.