Hardcore Vette: 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Tested

The Road Test: The Last Word on How a New Car Drives, Feels, and Performs
While there are many parts to Car and Driver, a foundational element is the road test. The ultimate expression of our product expertise and knowledge, the road test blends subjective opin­ion garnered from our experience with objective numbers generated by our instrumented testing. While we may not have invented the road-test format, we have spent just shy of seven decades perfecting the formula. Early tests included acceleration, top speed, and fuel economy. Our testing parameters have since expanded to include stopping distance, skidpad grip, passing times, sound-level measurements, and several we created, such as the 5-to-60-mph test. We challenge our vehicular subjects by highlighting their performance on some of our favorite roads throughout the world or testing their off-tarmac capability on chassis-chattering trails and dunes. It's all to inform you just how well a vehicle performs—and do so in a story that is as interesting and exciting as the vehicles and the places themselves.
If you're the guardian angel type, you'll want to make sure yours blocks out time in their schedule before you settle into the new Corvette ZR1. You also might want to issue them earplugs because there will be decidedly blasphemous outbursts when the mighty LT7 engine conjures its full output. It would be unprofessional to admit that the ZR1's specs are terrifying. But 1064 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque are certainly intimidating.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
The $8495 Carbon Fiber Aero package's wings, dive planes, and splitter help the ZR1 make more than 1200 pounds of downforce, but the package reduces the claimed top speed from 233 to 225 mph.
Twenty years ago, the Bugatti Veyron inaugurated the four-digit club and charged more than a million bucks for admission. Generating the Bug's 1001 horsepower took 16 cylinders, 8.0 liters, and four turbos; putting it to the ground required all-wheel drive and custom-made tires that cost $25,000 a set. The ZR1 has a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8 and routes its torque solely to the rear axle. The Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2Rs on the car we tested aren't cheap, but the replacement cost basically amounts to the sales tax on the Veyron's rubber. Here is a comprehensive list of more powerful regular-production cars that are rear-wheel drive:
The list of quicker rear-drive cars is also nonexistent. The ZR1 blitzes to 60 mph in 2.2 seconds, to 100 mph in 4.5, and through the quarter-mile in 9.5 at 149 mph. Within this magazine's history was an era in which numbers like these were the exclusive domain of slingshot dragsters with the life expectancy of a hand grenade—and a similar kill radius. But here they are, generated by a regular-production Chevrolet covered by a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
The force of the exhaust out the back creates 37 pounds of thrust, or as much as a large model-rocket engine.
Set up properly, the ZR1 launches with shockingly little wheelspin for something with such monumental output and only two driven wheels—though the rear tires are 13.6 inches wide and are very nearly slicks. Chevy sent us instructions on how to set up launch control for optimal acceleration. Step one: Perform hellacious burnout to clean the tires and bring them up to temperature. (Skip this step and the ZR1 will light up its tires and swing sideways if you floor it even at 70 mph on the freeway. This is not recommended unless you are hopelessly constipated.) Step two: Use the thumbwheel on the right steering-wheel spoke to experiment with different launch rpm and tire-slip allowances. Step three: You brushed up on what muscles fighter pilots flex to prevent blackouts during high-g maneuvers, right? Because the ZR1 sustains more than 1.00 g of acceleration until 85 mph.
HIGHS: Can break any speed limit in the country in under 3.8 seconds, is less eager to humiliate you than you might think.
With launch control engaged, the engine revs to your chosen rpm like any other supercar but then stutters as Chevy's antilag system steps in to allow the turbos to build a few pounds of boost. When you lift off the brake, the ZR1 hooks up hard enough to elicit an unintentional grunt, and your face gets all tingly as the blood rushes to the back of your head. (In the time it took you to read that sentence, the ZR1 has already hit 130 mph.) You might feel tempted to touch the back of your skull to see if you've developed a wind fairing, but it's best to keep both hands on the wheel since you're now doing about 170 mph. The eight-speed dual-clutch automatic shifts so quickly that you only notice it working at all because the yowling flat-plane-crank V-8 and whooshing turbo chargers drop in pitch—but only momentarily. (Oops, you're going 200 mph. This is frowned upon in most jurisdictions.) Not that anyone is recommending you try, but Chevrolet says the ZR1 will accelerate from 80 to 200 mph and brake back down to 80 in just 24.5 seconds. Based on our testing, it should need only about a mile and a quarter to do so. But you should not do so.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
The Great Eight
The ZR1's megapowerful Gemini V-8 democratizes four-digit horsepower.
Born from the same clean-sheet, dual-overhead-cam 5.5-liter engine architecture as the Z06's LT6 screamer, the ZR1 adds nearly 400 horses by way of two single-scroll turbochargers. Each makes up to 26.1 psi of boost, and they are integrated into the exhaust manifolds to quicken responsiveness. Changes to the cylinder heads and pistons create a larger combustion volume and lower the compression ratio to 9.8:1 from the Z06's 12.5:1, and the LT7 adds a seventh scavenge pump to the dry-sump oiling system. While the flat-plane crank remains, the ZR1's redline drops to 8000 rpm from the Z06's 8500 rpm. To handle the incredible thirst for fuel, the ZR1 adds port injection in addition to the direct fueling inherited from the LT6. Its 16 injectors can drain the ZR1's 18.5- gallon tank in just over nine minutes when the LT7 is running at full honk. Forced induction eliminates the need for the LT6's torque-boosting variable crossover intake. The ZR1's separate-breathing banks create so much twist—over 800 pound-feet from 3000 to 6500 rpm—that the bolt pattern of the rear hubs expands by 30 millimeters to cope with it. Wow. —Dave VanderWerp
The car we tested had a carbon-fiber surfboard bolted to its tail, which, together with the other Carbon Fiber Aero package components, generates over 1200 pounds of downforce at top speed but is already slowing the car by a few mph in the quarter-mile, according to Chevy's engineers. You won't miss those mph. It's not until it shifts into fifth around 130 mph that the ZR1 at wide-open throttle stays in a gear longer than three seconds. The scenery blurs relentlessly faster—but focus, because you should probably get on the brakes soon. They are deliciously meaty. Like the tires, they need to build up some heat before they'll do their best work. Pedal pressure, more so than travel, determines how hard the six-piston front and four-piston rear binders grab, but under a hearty stomp, they haul the ZR1 to a stop from 70 mph in a mere 140 feet.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
The ZR1's braking and 1.13-g skidpad figures are in a close dance with the Corvette Z06's performance, as expected. Usually, when an automaker introduces a new model with almost 400 horsepower more than an existing one, it tends to be, you know, a whole new car. The ZR1 is more than just a Z06 with a pair of 76-mm turbos, but not much more. The LT7 V-8 shares its naturally aspirated sibling's block but features unique heads and cams, a different (but still flat-plane) crankshaft, and port fuel injection in addition to the LT6's direct injection—the higher flow volume being necessary to generate that immense power. (In a day of track lapping, we achieved 4 mpg. With a full tank, the car projected only 84 miles until empty.) Redline falls from 8500 to 8000 rpm, as the turbos provide so much oomph that there's no need to spin the crank any faster. The eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission gets beefed up with sturdier input and output shafts and wider gears.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
The ZR1's Gurney flap creates a pressure variation that helps suck air through the radiator in the flow-through hood.
Outside the engine room, the differences between the Corvette Z cars are even fewer and mostly concerned with guiding air where it is needed. The frunk is gone, replaced by an intercooler under a vented hood that also increases front downforce. The trailing edges of the Z06's signature wishbone side air intakes are repurposed into ducts that cool the rear brakes. And carbon-fiber epaulets sprout from the ZR1's shoulders, feeding cold intake air to the engine. A carbon-fiber roof and carbon-ceramic brakes are also standard on the ZR1. A new manufacturing process incorporating longer fibers keeps the 15.7-inch front and 15.4-inch rear rotors cooler on the track and improves longevity compared with regular carbon-ceramics. They're similar to the brake rotors McLaren charges $15,523 for on the 750S.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
Like the 1989 ZR1, the 2025 will get a one-year interior. Next year, all Corvettes get larger screens and lose the great wall of HVAC controls.
The car we tested is as close to a no-frills performance spec as the ZR1 can get. In the base 1LZ trim, it forgoes the 3LZ's nappa leather upholstery, heated and ventilated seats, and 14-speaker Bose Performance Series sound system, but ours boasted the $13,995 carbon-fiber wheels that cut unsprung weight by a claimed 42.8 pounds. The ZTK Track Performance package includes stiffer springs and the ultrasticky Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires, which have little more than a couple of circumferential grooves to make them street legal. Technically, ZTK only costs $1500, but it's not available unless you've already spec'd the $8495 Carbon Fiber Aero pack, which includes the mondo rear wing, a tall Gurney flap on the leading edge of the hood vent, and dive planes. Throw in a few odds and ends, and our ZR1 landed at $205,265.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
Sports cars with more than 400 or so horsepower need a track to be fully appreciated. Cars with 1000 horsepower? Those need a special subset of tracks, the longer the better. We had GingerMan Raceway in South Haven, Michigan. Its 2.1 miles with 11 turns make good use of the region's few variations in terrain, but nowhere do they allow for more than eight or nine seconds of wide-open throttle. The longest straightaway tests the ZR1 driver's resolve with a little kink that coincides with a slight rise that the Corvette crests at upwards of 100 mph. It's odd to be leery of full throttle even above 100 mph, but the ZR1 is still pulling so hard at that speed that it accelerates from 100 to 160 in about the same time as it took an early C4 Corvette to reach 60 mph.
LOWS: Uncorking it anywhere other than a racetrack is a seriously bad idea.
Prudence is supplied wholly by the driver, and they have already shown an aversion to it by choosing a car that will go from zero to 150 mph in less than 10 seconds. But it dictates a few cautious warm-up laps. Even driving seven-tenths or so for some scouting, the ZR1 is so fast that we're halfway through our third lap before we realize we're not even pushing the car yet. How much more speed is there in that bottom bit of pedal travel?
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
Great googly moogly. Just as Chevrolet recommends a burnout to bring the Pilot Sport Cup 2Rs up to temp for the quickest acceleration, you'll need a couple of laps to get them warm enough for maximum grip on track. But with some heat in them, the tires have tremendous stick. And if you're expecting a 1064-hp twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter to be laggy, you're wrong. The wastegates close when you jump off the throttle, keeping the turbos spooled for immediate response when you get back on the accelerator.
Corner after corner, we gave it more gas earlier and earlier, each time bracing for disaster. Mostly, all that happened is we lapped faster. The ZR1 will accept heavy throttle inputs far earlier than your sense of self-preservation is comfortable with. Just keep in mind that idiot-proof and 1064 horsepower are mutually exclusive concepts. Roll in easy, and you'll probably survive. Chevy already offers Corvette buyers a substantial discount on a two-day performance driving school; it wouldn't be a bad idea to make the program mandatory before owners can take delivery of their ZR1.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
On the road, the ZTK suspension feels only marginally more aggressive than other Corvettes'. Its springs are stiffer, but the magnetorheological dampers remain and allow the car to relax somewhat. In its heaviest setting, the steering is wonderfully weighty and direct, although with the alignment optimized for track use, it's so heavy that crossing the dotted line turns lane changes into brief arm-wrestling matches. There's also little notice through the wheel that you've exceeded the front tires' grip. It's up to your eyes and butt to notice the car is no longer responding to steering inputs.
The ZR1's greatest drawback is outward visibility. Anywhere but forward, the view is atrocious. Blind-spot monitors are not even available on the base 1LZ trim level; buyers wanting them have to throw down another $11,000 for the 3LZ. And while the C8 ZR1 marks the return of the fabled split rear window to the Corvette's greenhouse, it's a perfect reminder of why such a memorable styling element got dumped in the first place. The central spine is louvered to improve visibility, but that means there are two central spines with louvers between them. The glass flanking this carbon-fiber ribcage is tinted but does not reach all the way to the bottom of the louvers (allowing hot air to escape the engine bay). Glance at the rearview mirror, and you're peeping through a kaleidoscope of shapes and opacities with all the clarity of a dirty, beveled-glass mail slot. There is a rearview camera, but on cars with the Carbon Fiber Aero package, that just gives the driver a good look at the rear wing and the pavement for maybe 20 feet behind the car.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
The Tech: Code Brakers
To get the ZR1 to its 233-mph top speed, Corvette engineers had to play a few tricks.
Even with 1064 horsepower to work with, the ZR1 team had to overcome a couple of hurdles to reach their top-speed goal.
The first problem was that the engine would engage its rev limiter as it crept closer to redline in sixth gear, making 230 mph impossible. The powertrain team had to allow an extra 100 rpm, or about 3 or 4 mph of bandwidth, in sixth gear only. The extra revs are unlocked exclusively in Top Speed mode, which also has a workaround for the flip side of reaching top speed: safely stopping.
In the ZR1, the Bosch-based PTM software that manages stability control and ABS is limited by its code to 223 mph (99.9 m/s). Going faster means doing without electronic aids. Top Speed mode lacks stability control, but Chevy engineers spent a year developing and adding a second ABS for speeds above 223 mph.
Global vehicle performance manager Aaron Link tested the ABS calibration from 233 mph. Drivers who've gone 200 are in a small club; those who've done a panic stop from that speed are in an even smaller one. Link reported good stability and that it takes 1500 feet to stop, give or take a skid mark. He did it twice. —K.C. Colwell
And while the ZR1's various drive modes and Performance Traction Management (PTM) settings are absolutely essential to making the car approachable and keeping its driver alive, navigating them is needlessly complex. Accessing launch control requires twisting the drive-mode knob to Track, double-pressing the stability-control button—but not too quickly (seriously)—to activate PTM, then scrolling through menus with the thumbwheel on the right steering-wheel spoke. Don't forget to rub your head while patting your belly and reciting Ulysses backward. Then smash the brake pedal, stomp on the gas, and go. Other supercars require a lot less planning.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
The ZR1's competition might be easier to use, but few cars are faster. Chevy has already collected a stack of records from lapping tracks around the country in the ZR1, including Virginia International Raceway, home of our annual Lightning Lap competition. There, the record it broke had been held since 2019 by our own executive editor, K.C. Colwell, in a $982,816 McLaren Senna.
VERDICT: Even at $205,000, the Corvette remains an unparalleled performance bargain.
One could argue that the last-generation ZR1's greatest achievement was proving to Corvette loyalists—and GM brass—the necessity of the transition to a mid-engine layout. Even with 105 more horsepower than a C7 Z06, the C7 ZR1 was only marginally faster. This ZR1 validates the decision to go mid-engine and opens a comfortable gap over its naturally aspirated sibling by ably applying stratospheric power to the ground. And in the proud Corvette tradition, its performance embarrasses cars that cost many times as much—only now, that truism targets the sort of car other manufacturers make you apply to purchase. It has never been more apt to call the Corvette a world-beater.
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
The ZR1 marks a return of the split-window Corvette.
Counterpoints
I didn't think I could feel more powerful than I do when I skip an advertisement on YouTube, but that was before I drove the ZR1. I am the Greek god Apollo. My winged plastic chariot has 1064 horsepower and needs to go 150 mph. I am giddy. I am . . . wait, is that Ford Explorer a state trooper? No, I see roof rails. Good to go. Accelerator, meet floor. The ZR1 flies by a Subaru Outback so quickly that I'm pretty sure I can speak Greek now. Opa! Opa! I try launch control. Even with each rear tire facing 532 horsepower, the Vette hits 30 mph as quickly as a Porsche 911 Turbo S. As the god of music, I must say that the V-8 sounds better outside than inside. Before the Corvette faithful ask, no, I have not grown donkey ears. —Tony Quiroga
On public roads, with cold tires, the ZR1 is diabolical. Note to future leavers of Cars & Coffee events: The boosted V-8 overpowers the rear rubber so forcefully and instantaneously that stability control is the only thing keeping you out of the trees. But within the relative safety of GingerMan Raceway, I decided to face the beast fully unleashed, switching off its excellent driver aids. Much to my astonishment, not only can the Cup 2R tires, once warm, take way more power than expected, but even when you overcook their high limits, they let go gracefully. Surpassing lofty milestones of 1000 horsepower and 230 mph is certainly impressive, but even more so, this insanely fast Corvette is (relatively) tractable. It's a freak on the street but a road-course savant. —Dave VanderWerp
The engine gets the headlines for good reason, but this car's chassis is just as intoxicating. It's a bit softer than the Z06—and better for it—while still clearly on the firm side of what a Lexus ES owner thinks is perfect. Back-road impacts in the ZR1 are rounded off just enough to brew a piping-hot carafe of driver confidence. Drink up. Embrace the warmth. The heavy steering leaves nothing open to interpretation. Suddenly I'm way too comfortable driving way too fast on way too narrow roads in a machine making way too much noise. And sorry to the Z06 owner who tried to flag me down and talk shop. I was late for dinner because I had spent too much time on good roads. I'm addicted. —K.C. Colwell
Greg Pajo
|
Car and Driver
Specifications
Specifications
2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1
Vehicle Type: mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door targa
PRICE
Base/As Tested: $178,195/$205,265
Options: carbon-fiber wheels, $13,995; ZR1 Carbon Fiber Aero package, $8495; ZTK Performance package, $1500; Competition sport bucket seats, $995; body-colored split-window trim, $995; microsuede-wrapped steering wheel, $695; black exhaust tips, $395
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 32-valve V-8, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 333 in3, 5463 cm3
Power: 1064 hp @ 7000 rpm
Torque: 828 lb-ft @ 6000 rpm
TRANSMISSION
8-speed dual-clutch automatic
CHASSIS
Suspension, F/R: control arms/control arms
Brakes, F/R: 15.7-in vented, cross-drilled, carbon-ceramic disc/15.4-in vented, cross-drilled, carbon-ceramic disc
Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R ZP
F: 275/30ZR-20 (97Y) TPC
R: 345/25ZR-21 (104Y) TPC
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 107.2 in
Length: 185.9 in
Width: 79.7 in
Height: 48.6 in
Passenger Volume: 51 ft3
Trunk Volume: 9 ft3
Curb Weight: 3831 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS
60 mph: 2.2 sec
100 mph: 4.5 sec
130 mph: 7.1 sec
1/4-Mile: 9.5 sec @ 149 mph
150 mph: 9.7 sec
Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.2 sec.
Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 3.0 sec
Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 1.8 sec
Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 2.0 sec
Top Speed (mfr claim): 225 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 140 ft
Braking, 100–0 mph: 273 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 1.13 g
C/D FUEL ECONOMY
Observed, Track/Street: 4/13 mpg
EPA FUEL ECONOMY
Combined/City/Highway: 14/12/18 mpg
C/D TESTING EXPLAINED
Reviewed by
Jared Gall
Contributing Editor
Jared Gall started his career with Car and Driver as an unpaid intern, but has now worked here more than half of his life. He has held numerous positions within C/D's digital and print teams and has driven some 2500 cars. Employee records indicate that he is the only staffer ever to T-bone a school bus with another school bus.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

30 minutes ago

• Yahoo

I'm a Mechanic: 4 High-Maintenance American-Made Cars That Will Drain Your Wallet

When you buy a car made in the U.S., you're often expecting reliability, performance and value. However, not all American-made vehicles live up to that promise, especially when it comes to long-term maintenance. Read Next: Explore More: GOBankingRates spoke to Alan Gelfand, mechanic and owner of German Car Depot, who shared four American-made cars that cost many people thousands in repairs. The Cadillac CTS is a luxury car on the outside, but under the hood, it's a different story. The 'CTS model experiences three main issues that raise its repair costs: timing chain problems, electrical system failures and transmission system issues,' Gelfand said Most of these repairs could cost anywhere between $1,200 and $3,500-plus, depending on the nature of the problem. And since Cadillac is a luxury car, replacement parts and labor can be on the pricier side. Check Out: The 2011-2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee is another high-maintenance American-made car Gelfand has noticed. 'The Jeeps are notorious in the automotive repair world for having a plethora of issues,' Gelfand said. 'These Grand Cherokees in particular experience transmission failures together with electrical problems that affect the Totally Integrated Power Module (TIPM) to trigger various electronic system breakdowns.' The Ford Explorer's most expensive problem often comes from the water pump, located within the engine's timing cover. 'Since the pump is located inside the timing cover, it can cause severe engine damage,' Gelfand said. The water pump issue, alongside transmission issues and power steering problems, can lead to pricey repairs between $1,500 and $5,000 in some cases. High-performance vehicles like the Chevrolet Camaro SS and ZL1 trims deliver thrilling driving experiences, but this comes with a cost. These high-performance cars can experience accelerated wear due to the extreme stresses of a high-horsepower operation, even during normal driving conditions. Frequent repairs include 'suspension overhauls, clutch replacements and cooling system issues,' with average repair bills ranging between $1,000 and $4,500-plus, Gelfand said. More From GOBankingRates Here's the Minimum Salary Required To Be Considered Upper Class in 2025 This article originally appeared on I'm a Mechanic: 4 High-Maintenance American-Made Cars That Will Drain Your Wallet

Motor 1

33 minutes ago

• Motor 1

'Not Having Wireless CarPlay in a $30K Car Is Kinda Crazy,' Says Honda Civic Driver. Then He Finds a Workaround

Your phone charges wirelessly, your earbuds sync automatically, and your car might even drive itself. So why are so many drivers still plugging in cords like it's 2014 just to use CarPlay? In a series of TikToks, creator Bishi (@bishifindsdeals) reveals that the 2025 Honda Civic Sport model is still reliant on wires to access apps and other functions from a smartphone. Get the best news, reviews, columns, and more delivered straight to your inbox, daily. back Sign up For more information, read our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use . 'I love my Honda Civic so much, but one thing I hate the most about this car is that it does not come with wireless CarPlay at all,' Bishi says. His post has been viewed 150,000 times as of this writing. Bishi captions it, 'Not having wireless carplay in a 30k car is kinda crazy.' His post notes that it is eligible for commission. Bishi then lists numerous options to add some wireless living to cars still rocking that tether. These devices act as intermediary dongles that spoof a wired connection between a smartphone and the vehicle's infotainment system. Once paired via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, they trick the car into thinking a physical cable is connected, enabling wireless CarPlay in vehicles that technically only support it through a wired connection. They're not made or endorsed by Apple, and buyers report that they vary in quality. But the right device can provide a wireless upgrade for people who drive older models or those in new base-model vehicles. Why Don't Automakers Include Wireless? Trending Now 'It Works:' Woman Shares How to Find Out if Furniture Fits in Your Car—Before You Buy From Facebook Marketplace 'He Wears That Little, Dangly Cross Earring:' Woman Says 'Car Guys' Are Major 'Red Flags' for Dating. Is She onto Something? Honda, Toyota, Mazda, and Hyundai often only include the feature in higher trim levels or as an optional infotainment add-on. The reason usually boils down to a combination of cost and technical complexity. Wireless CarPlay requires more than just Bluetooth; it depends on dual-band Wi-Fi (typically 5 GHz) to handle the bandwidth required for smooth audio and screen projection. That requires different antennas, more robust processing, and a system to manage thermal output, especially in dashboard units with limited space and airflow. Carmakers aiming to keep base model prices competitive often opt to leave those components out. There's also the issue of licensing and software integration. While Apple doesn't publish its licensing fees publicly, it's widely reported in industry forums and analyst reports that integrating CarPlay—especially wirelessly—adds to both unit and development costs. For automakers already facing narrow profit margins on entry-level vehicles, that added expense might not be worth it. Modern World, Outdated Technology Not having wireless capabilities in a vehicle in 2025 seems out of step with most consumer expectations. Physically tethering a phone to a USB cable just to get navigation on your dash feels outdated. Perhaps particularly so in a world where features like heated seats and adaptive cruise control were once luxuries, but now often come standard. Many drivers now view wireless smartphone integration as another baseline requirement . Instead, they're met with feature segmentation that positions wireless CarPlay as an upsell, bundled with premium infotainment packages or only available on trims that push the total price several thousand dollars higher. This gap between expectation and reality has given rise to a growing aftermarket ecosystem, especially among younger drivers comfortable with DIY tech. Plug-in adapters that enable wireless CarPlay are now widely available through Amazon, TikTok Shop, and direct-to-consumer e-commerce platforms. Some are from known brands like Carlinkit or Ottocast, which offer Federal Communications Commission-certified devices with regular firmware updates. You can also buy from less established brands. But while many work well enough, customers mention issues including laggy connections, audio dropout, and software bugs. More importantly, these dongles function by spoofing a wired connection, something Apple has never officially supported and which raises questions about security, stability, and compatibility with future iOS updates. Still, if you, like Bish, can't bear to plug in your phone to use wireless, those aftermarket products may be just the solution. 'Let's be honest, it's the big 2025, so you can't be seen using wires just to get some CarPlay in your car,' he says. Motor1 contacted Bishi via direct message. We'll be sure to update this if he responds. More From Motor1 The 20 Most American-Made Cars of 2025 'That's Obviously a Villain Car:' Man Spots Honda Fit in Parking Lot. Then He Notices the Back 'The Pedal [Could] Shift Out of Position:' Honda Recalls a Quarter-Million Cars Over Faulty Brake Pedals Honda Will Supply New Parts for Old Cars, Starting With the NSX Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )

Car and Driver

an hour ago

• Car and Driver

1969 Dodge Charger Daytona on Bring a Trailer Has a Unique History

The Charger Daytona is a homologation special for stock car racing. This example was the price for setting a qualifying record at Alabama International Motor Speedway in 1969. The original owner competed in 48 NASCAR races and was the first driver to broadcast live on air from inside the cockpit during a race. To the casual muscle-car fan, seeing a pointy nose and a tall rear wing on a big-body Mopar heralds the arrival of a Plymouth Superbird. This winged warrior might be yellow, but it's no Big 'Bird; instead, it's the earlier Dodge version, a 1969 Charger Daytona, and it's up for auction on Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). The first stock car to crack 200 mph, the Daytona was faster than Plymouth's best efforts, and this roadgoing version has a wonderful backstory. Courtesy: Bring a Trailer Plymouth built more than twice the number of Superbirds than Dodge built Charger Daytonas, both intended to homologate an aerodynamics package for high-speed oval racing. The Daytona was slipperier, designed in a wind tunnel with a coefficient of drag of 0.29 as compared to the 'Bird's 0.31. That might not seem like a lot, but squeaking out an extra couple of mph per lap over a 500-mile race really adds up. This example was awarded to Don Tarr, a veteran racer who competed in dozens of NASCAR races through the late 1960s into the early 1970s. It was his prize for setting a record during qualifying at the Alabama International Motor Speedway in 1969, driving a 1967 Dodge Charger. Courtesy: Bring a Trailer Tarr was a pretty interesting guy. Born in California, he grew up in Africa before returning to the U.S. to train as a physician. Settling in Florida, he soon took up oval racing, driving Fords and Chevys. In 1969, he started driving a Dodge and managed a career-best sixth place at the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Pretty good for a mid-field gentleman driver for whom racing could have been just a sideline, but Tarr was pretty committed to hurling big-bore power down those banked turns. He has the pioneering status of being the first driver to broadcast from inside a car during an actual race, as heard on ABC's Wide World of Sports in 1970, at Daytona. By all accounts he was a kind and effective physician to boot, and lived into his early nineties as a pillar of his rural community. Courtesy: Bring a Trailer Dr. Tarr kept this car until 2016, and you have to hope he took it for a boot around the block or two well into his eighties. The current owner lightly refreshed the car recently with some cooling work and changing out the plugs and wires, and it looks to be pretty original. It has 77K miles on the odometer, so it was actually driven rather than being cocooned, though this Charger does have the distinction of being an actual museum piece: in the mid-1990s, it was on display at the International Motorsports Hall of Fame at Talladega. Under that big yellow hood is a 440-cubic-inch V-8 with a four-barrel carburetor, good for a factory rating of 375 horsepower in 1969. A three-speed TorqueFlite automatic gets power to the ground with a limited-slip differential out back. Courtesy: Bring a Trailer Just over 500 Charger Daytonas were built, making them very collectible these days. This one has great provenance, being owned by the kind of driver who knew how to handle a big beast like this at high speed. The auction ends on June 25. Brendan McAleer Contributing Editor Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, B.C., Canada. He grew up splitting his knuckles on British automobiles, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sport-compact performance, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection between humanity and machinery, whether it is the racing career of Walter Cronkite or Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki's half-century obsession with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to be perpetually buying Hot Wheels. Read full bio