C8 Corvette Prototype Burns to Ground While Testing (Not an E-Ray)
C8 Corvette Prototype Burns to Ground While Testing (Not an E-Ray)
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Originally thought to be an E-Ray, this C8 Corvette prototype is some other sort of ICE vehicle testing new equipment.
The 2024 Corvette E-Ray has long been one of the worst kept secrets in the automotive world, and has been in active development for some time now. As a result, numerous prototypes have been spied driving around in past months at places all across the globe, including Germany’s legendary Nurburgring, most recently. This particular C8 Corvette prototype – initially beloved to be an E-Ray – was spotted in Spain, and was reportedly being tested by Bosch – a major automotive supplier – when it caught fire, as we can see in this video from CocheSpias.
The fire reportedly started in the engine bay of this C8 Corvette prototype and was caused by an oil leak, and the results speak for themselves. While initial reports indicated that the fire spread to the battery pack and caused an even bigger mess, General Motors has since reached out to GM Authority to confirm that this particular prototype did not contain any electrified components, which means that it wasn’t, in fact, an E-Ray.
In fact, GM spokesperson Trevor Thompkins noted that it’s purely an ICE vehicle, though one that sported a configuration that isn’t available to the general public. The prototype was apparently fitted with some diagnostic equipment and other hardware that isn’t present in production versions – yet – and doesn’t mean that we have to worry about our C8s spontaneously catching on fire, obviously. At this time, GM is investigating the fire and trying to determine exactly what led to it.
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Regardless, this sort of thing isn’t terribly uncommon, as test/prototype vehicles are a bit more susceptible to catching fire or suffering from other issues when compared to production vehicles. After all, they are experimental machines undergoing testing and using parts and configurations that may or may not make it to production. At the same time, however, it isn’t surprising that rumors of an E-Ray fire spread just as rapidly as the flames themselves, given how every electrified vehicle fire seems to make news these days.
