Interesting times are just dawning for fans of Chevrolet. Just last week, the company presented the Corvette E-Ray, the third expansion stage of the current generation of its successful super sports car. For sports car enthusiasts it was a genuine premiere as the model is the first hybrid and all-wheel-drive model in the history of the Corvette packing 665 horsepower (481 kW). While this should raise anticipation for the first driving reports, there is now already more news on the next generation Corvette, which is expected at the end of the decade. Enthusiasts of the internal combustion engine should be particularly pleased, as the Chevrolet Corvette will remain true to its first love in its ninth generation.
Corvette C9 Could Be Launched In 2028
A front action shot of a 2024 Chevy Corvette E-Ray driving down a mountain road
According to information from GM Authority, which cites its own, unnamed sources, the Corvette C9 will be launched in calendar year 2028 as a 2029 model year. This makes it clear that the current generation of the successful supercar is likely to remain on the market for more than eight years and thus significantly longer than its predecessor. The reason for this is likely to be once again the COVID-19 pandemic, which has always delayed the market launch of the extensive model variants of the C8 to date. So the current C8 is not likely to be boring at all until 2028.
The ninth generation also inherits the GM Y2 platform from its predecessor, the publication reports, but this is likely to undergo another major overhaul. One reason for this is likely to be the further electrification of the model series, which could also reach a new level with the next generation. For this reason, plug-in hybrids are likely to be the order of the day in the Corvette C9. However, a purely electric variant remains open so far, as it is still unclear whether the Y2 platform can be designed for a purely electric drive. It remains to be seen whether Chevrolet will not release the model at a later date and on its own platform.
The Corvette Remains True To The Combustion Engine
A static rear three-quarters shot of an orange 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 on a road.
The news, which should make enthusiasts of the combustion engine particularly happy, is in the same vein. For in its ninth generation, the Corvette remains true to its familiar drive concept. However, the combustion engines used are likely to be electrified to a much greater extent than in the current generation and could either be equipped with a mild hybrid system or mutate directly into a plug-in hybrid. It also remains important to mention that there will be significant differences with the Corvette sedan and the Corvette SUV, which will be based on an all-electric platform and thus developed completely independently of the Corvette C9.
As mentioned earlier, however, the remaining five years with the Corvette C8 will by no means be boring. Now that the E-Ray has finally celebrated its long-awaited debut, two more variants will be launched on the market in the next few years, which should make the hearts of fans beat faster. The next variant awaiting us is the C8 ZR1, which has a 5.5-liter V-8 with twin turbo and generates up to 850 horsepower (634 kW). This will be followed, to crown the series, by the C8 Zora, which, like the E-Ray, also relies on a hybrid drive, but generates around 1000 horsepower (746 kW).
