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The National Council of Corvette Clubs (NCCC) came under fire last month when it was discovered that the hybridized Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray would be banned from competing or participating at its sponsored events and shows. Following a significant amount of backlash from the Corvette community itself, NCCC has released a new statement acknowledging another adjusted rule set that allows the E-Ray to compete. Much More on the E-RayThe outcry from fans came after Section 1.8.1 item 14 of the NCCC rulebook made its way around the internet last month. The rule specifically made it clear that hybrids and pure EVs are not welcome to share the lawn or track with other, more traditional Corvettes. Those types of cars were slated to be parked at least 30 feet away from other vehicles, which was an effort by the NCCC to reduce fire risks. The rule read as follows: Electric Vehicles/Hybrids using lithium type battery packs are prohibited in competitive events. If driven to NCCC events, they should be parked 30 feet minimum from structures or other vehicles.GM DESIGNThe E-Ray features a single electric motor mounted above the front axle, which gives the Corvette AWD capabilities for the first time. A minuscule battery located in the center spine of the chassis supplies the juice, while the 6.2-liter LT2 V-8 from the Stingray sits out back. For comparison, the pure-electric Hummer EV’s battery pack is 212.0 kWh. Together the powertrain is good for 655 horsepower. Thanks to the added grip, the E-Ray will get to 60 mph in just 2.5 seconds. Keep your foot in it and the electrified sports car will rip off a 10.5-second quarter-mile run. Those figures make the E-Ray the quickest Corvette ever, surpassing even the mighty Z06, which makes 15 hp more. Following the media storm, NCCC president Deb Murphy said that we all misunderstood the original rule. More specifically, Murphy states that hybrid vehicles were never meant to get caught up in the ban, but rather just pure electric vehicles. GM DESIGN”I would like to clarify the discussion at the November meeting compared to what has appeared across the media: Discussion concerned the electric cars (plug-in kind) that have caught fire,” Murphy said in a statement. “We did not include hybrid cars in that discussion. Hybrids are allowed at our competitions and E-Rays will be welcomed at our events.”While the rulebook listed by NCCC still doesn’t back up Murphy’s claims about that initial ruling, this is a win for E-Ray buyers. Whether or not they have a battery onboard, the E-Ray was designed for track work like every other C8. Murphy stated that the rulebook will ultimately be adjusted to reflect the group’s position on the matter. Whether or not NCCC softens up to all-electric cars, a pure EV Corvette doesn’t seem that far off at this point. GM DESIGNSo Much More E-RayBorn and raised in Metro Detroit, associate editor Lucas Bell has spent his entire life surrounded by the automotive industry. He may daily drive an aging Mustang, but his Porsche 944 and NB Miata both take up most of his free time.  More

From the May 2023 issue of Car and Driver.Many of the world’s leading luxury marques built their names around two-door coupes or convertibles—”halo cars,” if you will—that loudly broadcast the brand’s ethos even if they didn’t sell in huge numbers. Genesis has been doing a good job of establishing itself as a bona fide luxury player without one, but that could change soon. The company has been toying with a range-topping two-door and finally appears ready to take the plunge. Over the past few years, the automaker has released what it calls a trilogy of concept cars that wear the Genesis X moniker: an elegantly proportioned coupe, then a fascinating shooting-brake design study called the Speedium Coupe, and lastly a beautifully rendered convertible.More on Genesis ConceptsAs much as we’d like to see a production version of the Speedium, we’d bet on the coupe and convertible making it to showrooms for real. Genesis chief creative officer Luc Donckerwolke reportedly already confirmed the convertible’s existence to dealers, and a coupe companion would be logical. It could wear the name GT90 to align it with the flagship G90 sedan (Genesis has already trademarked this moniker in the U.S., along with GT70 and GT80). Oh, and Genesis will offer this model solely as an EV.GenesisGiven that Genesis was able to get a decent 365 horsepower and 282 miles of range out of the Electrified G80, a gas-engine sedan retrofitted with EV hardware, we assume the company’s next-gen EV platforms will offer considerably more of both. The possible GT90 would need somewhere north of 500 horsepower and 300 miles of range in order to be competitive. We expect it to be more of a plush four-seat grand tourer than a performance machine, since Genesis vehicles so far have shied away from chasing the Ms and AMGs of the world and instead focused on serene cabins, composed ride quality, and smooth powertrains.In terms of the competition, Mercedes has the SL, BMW has the 8-series, and Lexus has the LC, but Genesis is setting its targets even higher. Genesis seemingly claims that the company aims to chase Bentley Continental GT customers with this new model. That may be the goal, but we doubt Genesis will try to charge anywhere near the Conti’s nearly $240,000 base price. Still, it could be the first Genesis model with a starting cost above $100,000. And if that doesn’t signify its arrival as a luxury brand, we don’t know what does.Senior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

New Toyota CEO Koji Sato has implied more GR performance models are coming, per an interview with Autocar.Sato implied the Gazoo Racing brand’s expansion will be led by his predecessor, Akio Toyoda, who is now the company’s chairman.While details about future GR-branded Toyota models are scarce, we’ve heard rumors about a lightweight sports car.If there’s one thing we here at Car and Driver love, it’s performance cars. It’s why we’re so smitten with Toyota and its enthusiast-focused renaissance, as seen by the recent release of multiple Gazoo Racing models, from the tossable GR86 and terrific GR Supra sports cars to the thrilling GR Corolla hot hatch. So it’s with happy hearts that we’ve heard from across the pond that the company will reportedly give us more of a good thing.New Toyota CEO Koji Sato spoke with British publication Autocar and said there will be future GR-branded models. He also suggested their development could be sped up, implying that his predecessor, Akio Toyoda, who is now the company’s chairman, could be the one to lead the way.”Our Master Driver was also president of the company at the same time as he had a steering wheel in his hand for Gazoo. Now he is only chairman maybe he will have a lot more time to develop cars for them?” Sato told Autocar.While Toyota’s plans to expand the GR brand may sound like a no-brainer, it’s still good to hear Sato say it aloud. After all, the company’s recent reorganization and revised product strategy will include a bigger commitment to electrification, which could have an impact on enthusiast models like those from Gazoo Racing.ToyotaThere currently aren’t any details on what these new GR models will be. We’ve heard rumors that Toyota and Suzuki are working together on a new lightweight gas-powered sports car, which has been linked to the Toyota Sports EV pictured above. There has also been talk of a the electric Toyota bZ4X SUV getting the GR performance treatment. It sounds like a GR Camry also isn’t out of the realm of possibility.GR Toyotas Tested!This content is imported from poll. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.Senior EditorEric Stafford’s automobile addiction began before he could walk, and it has fueled his passion to write news, reviews, and more for Car and Driver since 2016. His aspiration growing up was to become a millionaire with a Jay Leno–like car collection. Apparently, getting rich is harder than social-media influencers make it seem, so he avoided financial success entirely to become an automotive journalist and drive new cars for a living. After earning a degree at Central Michigan University and working at a daily newspaper, the years of basically burning money on failed project cars and lemon-flavored jalopies finally paid off when Car and Driver hired him. His garage currently includes a 2010 Acura RDX, a manual ’97 Chevy Camaro Z/28, and a ’90 Honda CRX Si. More

From the May 2023 Issue of Car and Driver.The STI badge has been conspicuously absent from Subaru’s lineup ever since the latest WRX hit the scene, but rest assured, this high-performance nameplate isn’t gone for good. Subaru says it’s working on some sort of electrified version of the top WRX, which could mean a hybrid or battery-electric powertrain. This likely won’t arrive until the current generation of the gas-powered WRX runs its course. That model may last until late in the decade, so we’re in for a long wait.All of Subaru’s hybrid and EV efforts have so far been tied in with Toyota, as the Crosstrek plug-in hybrid used components from the Prius, and the Solterra electric SUV is a twin to Toyota’s bZ4X. We could see this collaboration continue to the next-gen WRX and WRX STI, as the Solterra’s platform, called e-Subaru Global Platform, was developed with Toyota.More That Are Worth the WaitIt will need significant modifications to work for a high-performance car like a WRX STI, as we’d expect at least 400 horsepower from a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup—around double what the most powerful Solterra offers. We also think the next WRX will stray even further from its Impreza roots, and we’d love to see the hatchback body style return. To differentiate the WRX STI’s all-wheel-drive system from other dual-motor EVs, Subaru will also likely come up with some special software, possibly with torque vectoring. And of course, the big question is whether loyalists will accept a WRX STI without the distinctive blat of a turbocharged flat-four.Senior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More

GMC teased a version of the Canyon AT4X that appears to be equivalent to the Chevy Colorado ZR2 Bison that was also teased recently.This will be a collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles (AEV).We expect the Canyon AT4X AEV, which is still unnamed, to arrive later this year.It appears that the GMC Canyon will be getting an equivalent model to its Chevy Colorado sibling’s ZR2 Bison off-road package. GMC teased the new outfitted pickup truck under a cover and showed its AEV badge that confirms a further collaboration with American Expedition Vehicles. The Canyon’s AT4X trim, new for 2023, is already roughly equivalent to the Colorado’s ZR2 package, and both represent the mid-size pickup’s most off-road-ready configuration. The AEV models take things even further, and based on what we’ve seen from Chevy’s tease of the ZR2 Bison prototype, this new version will be even more hard-core. We spotted huge 35-inch tires, a lifted suspension, beadlock-capable wheels, and more on the Bison—and this GMC version looked similar. We don’t yet know what this trim will be called, but it’s possible GMC will just refer to it as the “AEV Edition” like it does for the Sierra 1500.Joey Capparella|Car and DriverMore on Off-Road PickupsThis modified version of the Canyon AT4X may also offer a more powerful version of the high-output turbocharged 2.7-liter inline-four engine that’s standard on all versions of the GMC truck. That engine produces 310 horsepower and 430-pound feet of torque, and those numbers could be juiced a bit for the AEV spinoff.Look for more information to come on these highest expressions of the off-road ideal that GM’s mid-size pickups offer.Senior EditorDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.   More