Forget the intro: The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is the most powerful V-8 American production car ever. It has a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter flat-plane-crank V-8 with 1,064 horsepower, 828 pound-feet of torque, and an 8,000-RPM redline. It’ll do over 215 miles per hour and conquer a quarter mile in less than ten seconds. And when equipped with the ZTK package, it has over 1,200 pounds of downforce.
God bless America.
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The new ZR1 is, in other words, a monster. Typically the most powerful car in the ‘Vette lineup, it’s no surprise this ZR1 is a heavy-hitter. But more than 1,000 hp is a first for the Corvette. The last ZR1 had 755 hp—a mere 105 more than the next-most-powerful Corvette of the same generation—and the current Z06 has a measly 670 hp by comparison.
The ZR1’s engine is closely related to the Z06’s LT6. Known as the LT7, it shares a block casting and other minor bits with the six. Key components are different, though. The block itself is uniquely machined, new forged pistons contribute to a much lower compression ratio (9.8:1 as compared to the LT6’s 12.5:1), as do the all-new heads, and a different crankshaft is added.
The twin ball-bearing turbochargers are mirror images of each other, featuring single-scroll volutes on the intake side and 76-millimeter compressor wheels. Electronic wastegates enable careful tuning of their behavior, particularly off-throttle to prevent turbo lag. The turbines are also made from a special material called “MAR,” which is better than Inconel apparently. News to me.
This newfound turbo power is sent through a strengthened and retuned version of the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission found in all other C8 Corvettes. Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter explains exactly what makes this powertrain so special:
Other components, like the ZR1’s suspension, are similar to lesser C8s. In fact, the ZR1 shares a lot with the Z06 underneath. It’s not as hardcore of a track car, but the max downforce-enabling ZTK package means it will tear apart your local circuit. It adds that huge rear wing, front dive planes, and a Gurney lip on the hood. Plus you get stiffer springs with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires.
As with every other C8, the ZR1 can be had in a coupe or a convertible. And did I mention it has a split rear window for the first time since the 1960s?
That may sound like a lot of new kit, but thanks to details like carbon fiber wheels and carbon ceramic brake rotors—both of which are specific to this car—the ZR1 isn’t as heavy as you might think. The coupe version has a dry weight of 3,670 pounds, while the convertible comes in at 3,758 pounds dry. It’s shockingly light.
I won’t get too far off the beaten path here, but a few other comparisons are justified. The new ZR1 makes 44 more hp than a Tesla Model S Plaid and weighs roughly 1,000 lbs less. The Lucid Air Sapphire, another high-performance EV, makes 170 more hp than the ZR1—but the Corvette (dry) weighs a shocking 1,666 lbs less. As far as combustion competition goes, the ZR1 will have a better power-to-weight ratio than the Bugatti Veyron.
Driving the most powerful factory Corvette ever will undoubtedly be nuts, but it will come at a price. Chevy has yet to say how much this car will cost, but it’s fair to assume it will be the most expensive ‘Vette in history. The old C7 ZR1 was about $120,000 in 2019 dollars (five years ago all of a sudden), and the Z06 already sits at $114,395. If we had to guess, the ZR1 could be close to $150,000. Until we get closer to production in 2025, though, we won’t know exactly what it’s going to cost.
There still may be more to come, though. Absent from this car is the E-Ray’s front axle hybrid system. Could it be combined with the ZR1’s engine? My mind says probably, and my heart says, ‘absolutely yes.’ While this ZR1 is the most impressive pure-combustion Corvette to date, something tells us it won’t be the C8’s last laugh.
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