Latest news with #CorvetteZR1
Car and Driver
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Car and Driver
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.
Motor 1
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
'America's Hypercar:' The New Chevy Corvette ZR1X Aims to Take Down Ferrari
The 2025 Corvette ZR1 may already be the fastest rear-wheel-drive car to touch down on our planet: A record-stomping track monster that crushes 60 miles per hour in 2.2 seconds, and whose 233-mph top speed reads like an AI hallucination. Bucket-list ZR1 laps in May at Circuit of the Americas—the kind of Texas-sized corral this raging bull needs to properly fling itself about—find me chasing the very Corvette engineers who've been setting production-car lap records in their spare time; smoking a $1.2-million McLaren Senna, shaming a Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Our Interview With Chevy The ZR1X Is the Fastest Corvette Ever. Chevy Tells Us How It Happened Stretching its jacked legs on COTA's back straight, my ZR1 reaches 175 mph, then 178 the next lap. 180 mph feels tantalizingly within reach. The 5.5-liter LT7 screams its titanium-hardened lungs out, flexing more turbo horsepower than the F1 cars that fly past and fill these grandstands. This 'Vette grips harder than Schwarzenegger on the campaign trail, and it's not the Terminator you might imagine: It's communicative, (reasonably) accommodating, and daily drivable, still a Corvette at heart. And it all costs $178,195 to start, including a $3,000 gas-guzzler tax for a ZR1 that can inhale two gallons of premium unleaded per minute at full power. The drinking problem is real, but you can barely buy a 911 GTS for this much cash; the 532-hp Porsche, with precisely half the ZR1's 1,064 horses, starts from $167,000. While I sneak in 15 memorable bonus laps—I'll never understand auto journos who prefer lunch or 'work' to additional track time—a thought wells up. How is Chevrolet, or any automaker, going to top this? To my sincere surprise, I quickly find out. The Most Powerful Corvette Ever Photo by: Chevrolet That evening, still basking in post-COTA bliss, I'm escorted down a flashily lit hallway, Goodfellas style, to an Austin hotel rooftop for an audience with the 2026 Corvette ZR1X. The coupe and convertible, in the flesh, no camouflage, no rumors. And no "Zora," badge, either. Sorry. That name, honoring Russian-born Corvette patriarch Zora Arkus-Duntov, was always more media wishful thinking than reality, a familiar game of Corvette Telephone that now proves garbled. Chevy executives say the "X" signature—while not as romantic and evocative as Z-in-Zora—underscores this as a natural evolution of the ZR1 family, rather than a standalone model. Or, just spitballing here, a standalone, more-desirable, more-collectible model. Wouldn't want to hurt the standard ZR1's feelings, or those of buyers. Photo by: Chevrolet Photo by: Chevrolet Yet speculators and sharp-lensed spy photographers got a lot right, if not the ZR1X's earlier-than-expected arrival, with deliveries set to begin before year-end. This is the range-topping, AWD hybrid Corvette that has haunted the dreams of collectors and the nightmares of seven-figure European rivals. "America's Hypercar," Chevrolet is calling it. What once would have been eye-rolling GM performance puffery, in the days of Fieros or Solstices, now seems legit. Forget garden-variety 911s that put a chip on the Corvette's shoulder since about, oh, 1963. The ZR1X directly targets the rare birds typically spotted in Goodwood or Pebble Beach, and then never again outside of YouTube crash videos: The $3.9-million Ferrari F80, a $2.1-million McLaren W1, a $2.7-million Mercedes-AMG One. Sure, it's 'only' a Chevy. But here's the crazy part. Blue-collar badge aside, the X no longer comes across as the performance underdog. Not with a track record of track records for its rear-drive sibling. And not with a gonzo, fully competitive 1,250 hp and roughly 973 pound-feet of torque. Versus an X-less ZR1, a jump of 186 hp and about 145 lb-ft is entirely due to a Frankenstein jolt from an electrified front axle, an upgraded version of the Corvette E-Ray's hybrid system. The extra oarsmen up front relieve a brutal burden on the ZR1X's rear tires, helping them lay down power and maintain grip, including on optional Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires. Especially for standard Pilot Sport 4S rubber, AWD will make the ZR1X more confident in slippery street conditions, which translates to more opportunities for fun without jangling nerves. Photo by: Chevrolet Neutral handling and driver confidence were development watchwords. Leveraging the front axle, says Corvette vehicle chief engineer Josh Holder, "is the most approachable way to achieve maximum capability and predictable, repeatable performance." Keith Badgley, ZR1X lead development engineer, says plotting performance curves shows the lighter ZR1 a touch quicker through the middle of many corners. But for corner entry or exit, it's game over. The four-wheeling freak can use regenerative braking to help slow and balance the car. From there, the ZR1X leaps like a cheetah with a taste for gazelle. "You'll feel that coming out of every corner, the car clawing you out," Badgley promises. "This thing accelerates like crazy, like nothing you're used to. The two powertrains play together in a harmonious and advantageous way that's beyond what you'd expect from just adding them together." Naturally, the ZR1X is no slouch in a straight line, despite those electrified parts pushing it past 4,000 pounds, even in base coupe form. The ZR1X can maintain an unholy 1.3 g's of longitudinal acceleration throughout first and second gears, and nearly through third gear. In more familiar terms, that's a wormhole trip from 0-60 mph in less than 2.0 seconds. Photo by: Chevrolet Chevy confirmed that on a prepped surface at a Michigan drag strip, along with a quarter-mile in less than 9.0 seconds. Chalk up two more all-time Corvette records. That suggests a Corvette that might (blessedly) out-drag YouTube stars like the Lucid Air Sapphire or Tesla Model S Plaid to 60 mph, then wave goodbye and stretch its lead over those far-heavier EVs. Engineers are still tinkering, looking to unlock even more speed. And though GM President Mark Reuss hasn't done a 233-mph run in this baby—a stunt that Reuss told me left his spouse anxious and none-too-pleased—the Corvette team is confident in simulations that show the ZR1X matching that terminal velocity. But that's all moot, innit, in a boundaried world where a standard ZR1 runs out of room at COTA at around 180 mph. Batteries Included Photo by: Chevrolet Recall that the E-Ray's oft-quoted 1.1 kilowatt-hour battery, neatly ensconced in the cabin's center tunnel, is only the useable portion of 1.9 kilowatt hours of lithium-ion pouch cells. So, engineers managed to squeeze 26 percent more energy from the same-size battery, which suggests well over 1.3 kWh of usable juice. (Chevy has not cited a total.) Expanded voltage allowed engineers to push more power into the drive unit, which gains 26 horsepower and 20 pound-feet versus the E-Ray. That single motor was redesigned to handle increased loads, including new bearings. As on the E-Ray, the hybrid battery is designed for hyper-fast discharge and charge events, versus EV-style propulsive stamina. So there's plenty of buffer to ensure consistent performance and battery life. On the street, it's impossible to deplete the E-Ray's battery to where it can't provide boost—and oh, how I've tried—no matter how hard you drive. Push a Charge+ button, included on the ZR1X, and the Corvette boosts motor resistance to fully recharge within a few miles of normal driving. As Tadge Juechter, the now-retired Corvette chief engineer told me, the no-hassle hybrid system is designed to convince Corvette refuseniks—of which he admits there are many—that electricity can be their performance friend, and is nothing to fear. That front axle can contribute power at up to 160 mph before disconnecting, versus 150 mph for the E-Ray. Intelligent strategies, heavy on the algorithms, reserve electricity for when it's truly needed. Photo by: Chevrolet "We want to be razor sharp in how we use that finite energy," Badgley says. To humiliate mere supercars, a "push to pass" function unleashes the full tag team of gasoline and electric thrust. That's accessed via a repurposed steering-wheel cruise-control button. A Qualifying Mode provides maximum jolt up to the front axle's speed limit. An Endurance Mode monitors state-of-charge to sustain all-wheel advantages through a full tank of fuel. Aside from ZR1X badges on the flanks, steering wheel, and interior waterfall panel, you'll need to squint to spot exterior differences. Or crouch to see the E-Ray's telltale, additional front radiator on the driver's side. Both cars offer the bewinged aero package and carbon-fiber handling aids. Both offer optional carbon-fiber wheels. 'We want to be razor sharp in how we use that finite energy.' To rein in the thrust, the ZR1X does introduce standard carbon-ceramic brakes that are the largest in GM history, including 16.5-inch front rotors clamped by 10-piston calipers. For 2026, that 'J59' brake package will become an option on the ZR1. These bros love to share. Whatever your preference on rear-drive versus AWD, the ZR1X has one clear edge: The redesigned interior of all 2026 Corvettes, which is more visually appealing and functionally coherent. That includes enlarged screens, a useful 6.6-inch auxiliary driver's screen, and a passenger grab handle that replaces the former try-hard waterfall switches. Tactile HVAC controls migrate below the main display. A smartly redesigned console adds a drive-mode controller that no longer feels like carpal tunnel waiting to happen. How Much Will It Cost? Photo by: Chevrolet Chevrolet isn't ready to talk pricing, so allow me. An E-Ray costs about $37,000 more than a base Stingray. That's a clue, but it may not be apples-to-apples versus the ZR1s. Chevrolet may see an opportunity to establish the ZR1X as its crowning achievement; "America's hypercar" with a price to match. That said, Corvette fans aren't known as price-no-object types. Tony Roma, the new executive chief engineer, notes there are no production limits on the ZR1X. If you order one, a process set to begin soon, Chevy will get it in the pipeline. It hopes to build as many as fans demand. Considering how Chevy loves to sandbag on Corvette pricing, I expect them to impress the world again with the ZR1X's value proposition. The C8's booming sales, including record international sales, have largely defied an industry-wide downturn in sports cars, but they've shown cracks of late. Pricing the ZR1X too high could be self-defeating, limiting even this niche audience. So with a ZR1 coupe starting around $178,000, or $188,000 for a convertible, I'm going to peg a ZR1X coupe at $210,000 to start, $220,000 for a droptop, and loaded 3LZ convertibles topping $275,000. And if Chevrolet decides to blow people away with a $199,995 starting price, I wouldn't be surprised. Some old-school Corvette fans will choke on the price. But so will people who pay $1 million or more for highfalutin' hypercars. Even they'll know a (relative) bargain when they see it. 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 . Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Motor Trend
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor Trend
Electrification Takes the New 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Hyper 'Vette to 1,250 HP!
'Patently absurd.' That's how we described the new Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 in our First Drive story just a couple of weeks ago, owing hugely to its twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 combustion engine's peak outputs of 1,064 horsepower and 826 lb-ft of torque. Based on those numbers, Chevy on more than one occasion during its official presentation of the 2025 ZR1 referred to it as 'America's hypercar,' dubbing it a competitor not to standard-fare Porsches and Ferraris but rather to tip-top-level performers like the virtually unobtainable (especially in America) Mercedes-AMG One, McLaren's 765 LT, Lamborghini's Revuelto, Ferrari's SF90, and Porsche's expected forthcoming 992-generation 911 GT2 RS. The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X hybrid boosts the ZR1 to 1,250 hp thanks to a 5.5L twin-turbo V-8 combined with a 186 hp electric motor. The AWD ZR1X, which will reportedly thunder to 60 mph in 2.0 seconds or less, should cost between $190,000-$200,000 when it goes on sale late this year. This summary was generated by AI using content from this MotorTrend article Read Next But even with an official 0–60-mph time of 2.3 seconds and a low-drag-kit top-speed of 233 mph, the new ZR1 had a glaring omission compared to those megabucks Europeans (well, except the McLaren): hybrid electrification. Or at least you thought it did. Just to ensure parity and to unlock even more potential from the ZR1, Chevy has now revealed the electrified 2026 Corvette ZR1X with even more horsepower, torque, and tear-duct-melting speed. But Don't Call It 'Zora' That's correct. Despite General Motors on multiple occasions registering trademarks for the 'Zora' name in honor of famous Corvette godfather Zora Arkus-Duntov, and despite many within the car industry and culture anticipating it would finally use it here, Chevy elected to keep that moniker in the vault—at least for now. We've long wondered what type of über-halo Corvette the company might ever deem worthy of carrying the 'Zora' badge, and our interest is piqued even more here, given the 2026 Corvette ZR1X's stats. If this car isn't good enough to carry the name, then we take it to mean Chevy has either elected to simply never use it or plans to one day slap it on a car no one yet expects. We must simply wait, who knows how long, to reach a conclusion on this topic, as the company representatives we broached it with refused to reveal their hand. ZR1X Hardware and Numbers In the meantime, and in simple terms, the new Corvette ZR1X adds the Corvette E-Ray's hybrid (non-plug-in) electric-propulsion system to the standard ZR1, giving it all-wheel-drive capability and an additional 186 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque fired through the front axle. That means the new maximum horsepower number rises to 1,250 total, and with additional off-the-line traction from the driven front wheels, Chevy estimates the ZR1X will accelerate to 60 mph in less than 2.0 seconds while vaporizing the quarter mile in less than 9 seconds at more than 150 mph. If those claims ring true once we're able to test a ZR1X—and we expect they will—the Corvette will at least be in the hunt to claim the crown of quickest car we've ever tested, a title now held by the all-electric Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach at 1.89 seconds. The ZR1X's 1.9-kWh battery pack is, Chevy says, intended to alternate between speed-enhancing power boosts and regenerative charging. Despite the battery capacity mirroring that of the E-Ray, the Corvette team says it unlocked more usable energy from it with greater max voltage, which accounts for the power and torque improvements compared to the E-Ray-spec hybrid system's front electric motor output of 160 hp (26 hp less than the ZR1X's) and 125 lb-ft (a 20-lb-ft deficit). In the company's words, 'While retaining the same shape and size of the E-Ray front drive unit, the ZR1X unit pairs strengthened internal components and improvements in energy deployment.' Sounds great, but don't expect the electrification to juice the ZR1X's 233-mph top speed—the system ceases functioning when the car exceeds 160 mph. For the record, purists looking for a downside to all this might cite the fact the hybrid hardware likely adds about 260 pounds to the already relatively heavy 3,800–3,900-pound car. That said, Corvette's lead engineers promise the car maintains the same relatively neutral handling of the non-hybrid ZR1. More to It Team Corvette says it also improved the AWD characteristics over those of the E-Ray, necessary to cope with and match the ZR1X's much greater power and torque. This is achieved in the way the system uses a variety of measured data points to determine how it delivers and blends power from both the engine and hybrid drive to provide usable traction and help keep the chassis pointed in the right direction. As will be found in all new 2026 Corvettes, Chevy's new Performance Traction Management (PTM) Pro system was created first and foremost for the ZR1X. PTM Pro disables stability and traction control while maintaining features including launch control, pre-control of the front axle that varies the front-brake pressure in the name of digging for traction out of turns, and regenerative brake-torque vectoring. Additionally, and just like many top-level race cars and electrified hypercars, the new ZR1X offers drivers various performance strategies for the hybrid system's energy deployment. Chevy says these modes include, 'Endurance (engaging the Charge+ button adjusts the battery's energy-storage strategy for extended lapping and consistent eAWD output for a full tank of fuel); Qualifying (optimum power strategy for the ultimate lap time); and Push-to-Pass (max available power on-demand.)' Another standard upgrade is the inclusion of what Chevrolet dubs the 'J59' brake hardware (optional on the base ZR1). This new-from-the-ground-up setup features 10-piston front (a GM first)/six-piston rear Alcon carbon-ceramic rotors measuring 16.5 inches front and rear, with longer strands of carbon-fiber woven into them for claimed better heat management and performance than other carbon-ceramic braking packages on the market. To boot, Corvette engineers say they've measured up to 1.9 g of lateral deceleration when braking from 180 to 120 mph for the Nürburgring's Tiergarten corner, a massive number for a road car. Speaking of claimed g loads, Chevy says this monster can pull 1.3 g peak longitudinal acceleration and 1 g of both lateral and longitudinal acceleration simultaneously, meaning its ability to blitzkrieg from a corner's apex to its exit should be stunning. To compensate for the car's additional weight and different weight distribution as a result of the new electrical pieces, its underbody aerodynamics are retuned to help maintain the chassis' balance. Like all ZR1s, both the standard and ZTK performance-package-equipped ZR1Xs of course offer magnetic suspension dampers and, depending on configuration, either bespoke Michelin PS4 or Cup 2 R tires, plus the ability to add the high-downforce Carbon Aero package. You can also equip any ZR1 with optional carbon-fiber wheels to the tune of a tidy $13,995. But unlike the regular ZR1, because all ZR1Xs will arrive as 2026 model-year cars, they will feature the Corvette's revised interior and screen package right out of the gate. If you're looking for visual differences to the non-hybrid ZR1, they're limited to the big brakes and the "X" badging. How Much, and When? Chevrolet didn't talk about dollars as part of its 2026 Corvette ZR1X reveal, but we expect the quickest, fastest Corvette production car of all time to carry a starting price between $190,000–$200,000 (the standard ZR1 starts at $174,995), with customer deliveries planned for Q4 this year. Corvette dealers haven't yet opened their order books, so enthusiasts who want one are well advised to hit up their favorite salesperson, stat.
Engadget
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Engadget
Meet the Corvette ZR1X: America's 1,250-horsepower hybrid hypercar
Enough is never enough. Chevrolet has only just released the Corvette ZR1, which at 1,064 horsepower is the fastest, quickest and most outrageous production car ever to wear a bowtie on the hood. It can keep the neckwear, but its performance crown has already found a new home. Meet the new ZR1X, an even higher-performance Corvette that will take America's sports car to new heights. It has 1,250HP, all-wheel drive and accelerates to 60MPH in less than two seconds. Oh, and yes, it's a hybrid. I got an early look at the thing at a private debut recently, and here's everything you need to know about America's new hypercar. The ZR1X joins an increasingly busy lineup of Corvette models that ensures buyers with budgets ranging from generous to extreme all have something to covet. The Stingray is still the base model, with a starting price of just over $70,000 and 490HP. From a financial standpoint, next up is the Corvette E-Ray, the hybrid model introduced in 2023. It adds a 160HP electric motor to the proceedings, resulting in a total output of 655HP. The E-Ray is positioned as something of a grand tourer: really fast but with a somewhat relaxed attitude. That also starts at a little over $100,000. From there, you can step up to the higher-performance, more track-focused Z06 model, which, unsurprisingly, is also higher priced. It has a much racier 5.5-liter V8 engine making 670HP and a spendier starting price of just over $110,000. Those were recently joined by the new ZR1, which adds turbochargers plus numerous engine updates to deliver that whopping 1,064HP and a wild 233MPH top speed. Its asking price is also wild, starting at around $175,000. That already makes it the most expensive Corvette ever, but things are about to get more extreme. The ZR1X is something of a melding of the ZR1 and the hybrid E-Ray. It borrows the electrical layout from the E-Ray and mounts it inside a ZR1, including that car's turbocharged V8 and wild aerodynamic appendages. Layer on some tasty upgrades to both the electric drive system and other aspects of the car, and you have the new 1,250HP ZR1X. Combining the ZR1 and E-Ray gets you a good way towards creating the ZR1X, but there is a lot more to it than that. The ZR1X uses a battery pack with a revised internal construction, resulting in a capacity increase of 26 percent. But keep in mind this isn't a plug-in hybrid. You're still talking about something with a battery capacity of less than three kWh. You won't be driving in your ZR1X emissions-free. The hybrid system is there for more performance, and to that end, the car has a few new drive modes to help optimize the delivery of energy from that new pack. First is Endurance Mode, where the ZR1X will provide full power to the front motor but not tax the battery so much that you have to worry about running out of charge mid-session. Then there's Qualifying Mode. Select this, and the ZR1X will dump all the energy it can through the front motor to give you the outright maximum single-lap pace. There's also a "Push to Pass" button, providing a brief period of maximum acceleration for those times when you absolutely need to get past that lollygagger ahead who's costing you precious seconds on your commute. All that extra speed necessitated some upgrades in the stopping department. The ZR1X wears a set of massive carbon brakes from Alcon, the company that makes these parts for some of Chevrolet's racing machines. The 16.5-inch discs at the front equate to 1.9G of braking force. Installing a race harness might be a good idea so that you don't go flying out of the chair the first time you hit that left pedal. Despite the extra power at the front axle from that electric motor, the ZR1X rolls on the same size tires as the less-powerful, rear-driven ZR1. "We were tempted to go wider," the Corvette's chief engineer Josh Holder told me. "That's a delicate balance between unsprung mass and driving dynamics off-power, and we believe we've made the right choice." Holder said it came down to working with Michelin on tire development plus some tweaks to the car's traction management software. "That's one of the things that we had to tune very carefully, given the power output now in ZR1X, just to make sure that we're not spinning up the front axle when you're at a high lateral load," he said. Keith Badgley, development engineer on the ZR1X, said that, despite the extra power and everything else, the ZR1X will still have the same accessible performance feel that defines the Corvette line: "We designed this to be as composed as the Stingray with but with two and a half times the power. We wanted ultimate traction, maximum acceleration." "I would say it doesn't drive differently, in terms of being able to claw out over the corner, being able to balance the car with power delivery from the front axle," Holder said. "You can do things in the E-Ray and the ZR1X that, if you did in the rear-drive car, would not work out so well for you... But that balance and dynamics, they behave similarly to the ZR1X has more capability." But what it probably won't offer is the same level of attainability that the Corvette has historically been known for. Chevrolet isn't saying how much the ZR1X will cost when it goes on sale later this year. But it surely won't be cheap. Again, the ZR1 starts at about $175,000. The E-Ray carries a price that's roughly $30,000 over the base Stingray. If we apply the same premium here, we're in the ballpark of $200,000. Add on the other upgrades, like the fancy Alcon brakes and better battery pack, and it's easy to assume that this thing will be priced within reach of some European exotics. Will it be worth it? We'll have to wait and see until we get a go behind the wheel, but Chevrolet has already been testing the thing extensively around the Nurburgring, covering over 600 miles at the greatest vehicular performance playground on the planet. Hopefully, it does just as well on the streets and circuits closer to home.
The Drive
30-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Drive
A Stock 2025 Corvette ZR1 Has Already Beaten Chevy's Official 0 to 60 Time
The latest car news, reviews, and features. Me telling you that the new Chevy Corvette ZR1 is quick is kind of like saying that water is wet. Of course it is, right? But now that people outside General Motors are testing the car with real instrumentation, we're seeing just how quick it is in the public's hands. For proof, a totally stock ZR1 on factory tires just ran from zero to 60 miles per hour in 2.2 seconds. Car and Driver conducted the experiment and named the beastly Bowtie the quickest rear-wheel drive car it's ever tested. It beat a European supercar, in true Corvette fashion, reaching 60 mph a tenth of a second quicker than a McLaren 750S. That's scootin'. Now, the 1,064-horsepower Corvette ZR1 has a lot more grunt than the McLaren, given that the 750S is listed at 740 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque. But that isn't always an advantage when it comes to off-the-line traction. The Chevy's Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R ZPs surely helped it succeed as they measure 345 millimeters wide out back; meanwhile, the Macca makes do with 305mm-wide Pirelli P Zero Trofeo rears. To round it out, the ZR1 weighs 3,831 pounds—a full 625 pounds more than the McLaren, but because the Corvette's engine is so mighty, its power-to-weight ratio is still better. That 2.2-second time achieved by Car and Driver is also a full tenth quicker than Chevy's own estimate, for what it's worth. I took these photos at the Corvette ZR1's media reveal last July. When a car looks this fast sitting still and has the stats to back it up, you know it's special. Caleb Jacobs The thing about the Corvette ZR1 is that the gap only grows as the speedometer climbs. The 5.5-liter LT7 V8 with a flat-plane crank and the largest twin turbos ever fitted to a production car is a total worldbeater. (They measure 76 millimeters apiece on the compressor side, in case you were curious.) Car and Driver says it trounced the quarter-mile in 9.5 seconds at 149 mph, compared to the 750S's time of 9.8 seconds at 145 mph. Beyond that, the McLaren was a full second slower to 150 mph than the Chevy, and it tops out at 206 mph while the ZR1 can go up to 233 mph. My guess is we're about to see a lot more crazy stats like this as the Corvette ZR1 takes on drag strips and road courses around the country. And while it's nowhere near cheap at $175,000 to start, it's a heck of a bargain compared to the $325,000-and-up 750S. It's undeniably the peak Corvette—at least, for now. Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@
