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Before a wheel turned at Albert Park, Melbourne was already humming ahead of the Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Cafés were packed, hotel forecourts were filled with exotic metal, and the usual Grand Prix week build-up was well underway.
But on Thursday morning outside The Botanical hotel on Domain Road, the soundtrack took on a distinctly American flavour.
Two Corvettes rolled into position, and not just any examples.
Front and centre were the 2026 Corvette E-Ray and the 2025 Corvette Z06 fitted with the Z07 Performance Package, giving onlookers a chance to see not only two very different takes on performance, but also the contrast between the Corvette’s current interior design and its updated MY26 cabin layout.
CarExpert teamed up with F1 podcaster Elle Baillieu for the activation, and it didn’t take long before a crowd formed. Corvettes have always had that effect. Even standing still, they draw attention from enthusiasts of all ages.
On the eve of the Melbourne GP, the pairing offered a clear snapshot of what modern performance can look like.
The E-Ray: Corvette’s electrified step
The E-Ray marks a significant moment for Corvette. It is the first electrified model in the brand’s history, and the first to deliver all-wheel drive.
Rather than focusing on efficiency, the hybrid system is designed to enhance performance, improving traction, response and outright speed.
Under the skin is a 6.2-litre LT2 V8 driving the rear wheels, paired with an electric motor on the front axle.
Combined outputs sit at 488kW and 806Nm, enough for a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 2.9 seconds, which made it the quickest production Corvette at the time of its launch – now preceded by the new ZR1/ZR1X, which is restricted to left-hand drive markets.
What stands out is how natural it feels. Start the car and you are greeted by the familiar Corvette V8 note: loud, mechanical and unmistakably traditional.
You would not immediately identify it as a hybrid, and that is by design.
For a Formula 1 crowd, where hybrid performance is the norm, the E-Ray feels particularly relevant. It is electrification used to make the car faster and more usable, rather than simply more efficient.
Inside, the 2026 update introduces a more digital layout, with a 12.7-inch centre display, 14-inch driver’s cluster and 6.6-inch auxiliary touchscreen, supplemented by Google Built-in connected infotainment.
That made the E-Ray an especially interesting part of the display, giving guests an early look at where Corvette’s interior design is heading.
The Z06 Z07: High-revving theatre
Parked alongside it was the other side of the Corvette philosophy. The 2025 Z06 fitted with the Z07 Performance Package is the purist’s option.
There is no hybrid assistance here, just a naturally aspirated V8 that feels every bit at home on a race circuit.
The 5.5-litre flat-plane crank engine produces 475kW and delivers a genuine motorsport-style soundtrack, building into a sharp, high-revving howl the harder you push it.
The Z07 package takes things further, adding carbon-fibre aerodynamic components, Michelin Cup 2 R tyres and carbon-ceramic brakes, all engineered with serious track use in mind. In many ways, it is as close as Corvette gets to a road-legal race car.
It also served as the perfect counterpoint to the E-Ray, not only in drivetrain philosophy but in presentation, showcasing the existing 2025 interior alongside the redesigned 2026 layout seen in the newer car.
If the E-Ray represents the technology story, the Z06 is pure theatre. It is focused, uncompromising and built around driver engagement.
A fitting Grand Prix backdrop
Positioning the cars outside The Botanical proved an ideal setting. It sits on the edge of the GP precinct, close enough to Albert Park to feel the energy, but firmly within South Yarra’s lifestyle hub.
The contrast between the two cars also mirrors Formula 1 itself.
Modern F1 machinery blends hybrid systems with internal combustion, and here were two cars representing either end of that spectrum. One embraces electrified performance, the other celebrates high-revving mechanical drama.
Still stopping people in their tracks
One thing has not changed. Corvettes still stop people in their tracks.
Families walking past stopped for photos. Kids climbed into the driver’s seat for selfies. The occasional remote engine start-up quickly turned a casual crowd into a proper audience.
Even existing Corvette owners dropped in, parking nearby to take a closer look at the latest 2026 model, only a handful of which are currently registered in Australia.
It was one of those relaxed, spontaneous moments that Melbourne does well during Grand Prix week.
And to cap it all off, the Corvette – particularly the E-Ray – remains something of a performance bargain in the hybridised supercar space, delivering outrageous performance at less than half the price of many exotic rivals.