Building the Perfect E-Ray: 2024 Corvette E-Ray Configurator Is Now Live

Building and comparing the least vs most expensive E-Ray possible, along with our pick for the perfect middle ground!

The 2024 Corvette E-Ray configurator is now live. So, those looking to buy the quickest accelerating factory Corvette in history can now build and price their dream machine. (Well, assuming you have an allocation.) And those prices can vary greatly depending on what trim and options you choose. None of them are what we would call cheap as pricing starts at $104,495. But you can easily tack on another 50 percent to the base price as you climb the trim ladder.

But given that every E-Ray is 655 horsepower all-wheel drive Corvette capable of hitting 60 mph in 2.5 seconds, does all that extra coin really get you a better car?

For this experiment, we decided to configure and compare three options:

1. Money No Object E-Ray (#EverySingleOption)
2. Penny Pincher E-Ray Possible (#AlmostNoOptions)
3. Goldilocks E-Ray (#BestCompromise)

Please note that some of the options we selected are not visually represented in the configurator.

1. Money No Object – $171,310 3LZ Convertible

When you got money to burn you start with the 3LZ Convertible for $122,445. We slather it in Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat for $995 and add full-length dual racing stripes in carbon flash with silver accent for another $995. Splurge $13,500 on the visible carbon fiber wheels with a red stripe. Behind them are $695 Edge Red brake calipers. Inside we add the competition sport seats and Torch Red seatbelts for $500 and $495 respectively. We further dress up the inside with the Stealth Interior trim package for $595 and the Adrenaline Red custom leather stitching for $495. The carbon fiber steering wheel and two-tone seats set us back $1,985. We cap off the interior with the $4,995 Carbon Fiber Interior Package Level 2.

The ZER performance package is a no-brainer at $500. For $5,995 we attach the visible carbon fiber spoiler to the back. And for $3,995 we add carbon fiber ground effects. For $2,095 we add the visible carbon fiber grille insert. The front lift with memory is added in for $2,595. We love to see the engine, so we add the Convertible Engine Appearance package for $995. Outside mirrors in carbon fiber add another $1,250. Carbon Flash-painted nacelles and body-color roof cost us $1,295 in imaginary money. Black exhaust tips are a $395 option that we can’t live without on a build like this. And our final splurge is $5,000 so we can choose our own VIN.

The grand total for all this indulgence comes to $171,310. And we could add on from there if we wanted to add every little accessory such as car covers and special lug nuts. So, yeah you can spend over $170K for an E-Ray. But do you have to?

Starting at $104,495, it is not really fair to call the person buying this car a penny pincher. But compared to the over-the-top money-no-object build, the buyer of this car demonstrates a lot of restraint. We would paint the car in no-cost Cacti Green. It is a unique color, and it makes the car look more exotic with this bold color. It looks more expensive even though it will cost you nothing. The standard pearl nickel forged aluminum wheels look great. We do spend $500 to get the ZER package that includes the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. We go with the Sky Cool Gray interior. We add the zero-cost Carbon Flash exterior accents. Boom. Done. For about $66,000 less than our first build we have an E-Ray Corvette that will perform every bit as well.

It is true that this budget build forgoes some of the equipment and nice to have features on the more expensive build. But you could almost buy yourself an entire 2024 Corvette Stingray for the price difference. (His and hers?)

Goldilocks E-Ray – $125,365 E-Ray 2LZ Coupe

In our opinion, this is the perfect balance between features and price in the E-Ray world. First, start with the 2LZ coupe. The convertible is cool, but with the removable top of the coupe you get nearly the same experience for $7,000 dollars less. Stepping up to the 2LZ trim also gets you nice features such as the performance data recorder, 14-speaker Bose stereo, a head-up display, rear camera mirror, wireless device charging, GT1 seats, rear cross traffic, and blind side zone alerts. In short, this is a well-equipped car. We would tack on $995 for Amplify Orange Tintcoat paint. We also add the matching orange brake calipers for $695. We continue the theme inside with orange seatbelts for $495. We again take the $500 ZER package. The no-cost Carbon Flash exterior accents are added. We light up the engine with LEDs for $100.

The front lift with memory is added to this build for $2,595. For $5,995 we add the visible carbon fiber rear spoiler, and for $3,995 the carbon fiber ground effects. That completes this wonderful build. At about $47K less than the top build but with several key features added to the least expensive build this strikes the perfect balance.

Now, go build your own.

Images: Chevrolet

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