From the moment the new Corvette C8 was introduced, it was clear that the American manufacturer would push all boundaries. The base version already offers stunning performance, and its very aggressive pricing allowed Chevrolet to make a significant statement in the exotic car industry. Next, the brand came out with the Z06 and its flat-plane crank engine. Certainly more expensive, this version offers an experience similar to cars that cost two or even three times as much. The Corvette E-Ray followed, with its all-wheel drive and hybrid powertrain making it the fastest Corvette to date in terms of acceleration. We knew the next version to be unveiled would be the ZR1, but we had no idea that the manufacturer would go so far in terms of performance.
So, Chevrolet has finally lifted the veil on the Corvette ZR1, putting an end to all the rumors and speculation on the subject. Like many, I thought this version of the American sports car would offer at least 850 horsepower. However, it turns out that the brand's engineers were much more ambitious. The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 boasts a power output of 1064 horsepower, no less.
To deliver such power, the new 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is powered by a 5.5-liter LT7 biturbo V8 with a flat-plane crank. This is essentially the same engine found under the hood of the Corvette Z06. The addition of two turbochargers allowed the engineers to boost the power to 1064 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque, which is almost absurd. With these numbers, we're entering hypercar territory.
For now, we don't yet know all the technical data of the ZR1 version, but we do know that it can reach a top speed of over 346 km/h.
An Extreme Sports Car
The ZR1 is the most technically advanced Corvette ever built to date. The body has been optimized in several areas to improve brake cooling but also to generate enormous downforce. Moreover, it is possible to add a huge rear wing with the ZTK package, which increases downforce by 1,200 pounds.
That's not all, as Chevrolet has decided that you can choose between the Coupe and Convertible versions even for the Corvette ZR1, making this version even more interesting. Its price has not yet been revealed, but I expect a bill of several hundred thousand dollars. We will know more about this as the Corvette ZR1's market arrival approaches next year.
Jean-Sébastien Poudrier
