Published:
Readtime: 4 min
Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here.
Meet the wildest iteration of the Chevrolet Corvette with a scarcely believable 1,064 horsepower while nibbling at the heels of hypercar royalty. However, if you wonder if this much power has been developed with batteries or a hybrid system, you are wrong. The new Corvette ZR1 still has a V8 and only sends all its power through the rear wheels.
It’s no ordinary V8, though. You’re looking at a 5.5-litre, twin-turbocharged DOHC flat-plane crank V8 dubbed ‘LT7’ that produces 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 828 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm. That makes it the most powerful factory Corvette and the most powerful V8 ever produced in America by an auto manufacturer.
Compared to the previous ZR1, this is sheer lunacy, with more than 300 horsepower being added and an estimated top speed of over 215 mph on the racetrack.
RELATED: 2024 Chevrolet Silverado 2500 Heavy Duty LTZ Review: Truckin’ Big Enough?
“The team that revolutionized Corvette with a mid-engine architecture took on another challenge: taking ZR1 to the next level,” said Scott Bell, Vice President of Chevrolet. Corvette ZR1 is about pushing the envelope with raw power and cutting-edge innovation. From Stingray to Z06, E-Ray, and now ZR1, the Corvette family continues to elevate with each new iteration and challenge the best in the world.”
Forget the racy styling. The powertrain steals the limelight here since it is a heavily reworked V8 with twin turbochargers nestled on top. Yes, the Corvette has embraced turbocharging with gusto. While the ZR1’s 5.5-litre LT7 twin-turbocharged V8 shares the same architecture as the Z06’s LT6, engineers worked towards increasing the power massively without requiring any form of electrical assistance.
Of course, to harness all that power, an 8-speed DCT has been tasked with managing this powertrain while being suitably beefed up for the role.
To match all that, the sleek styling now bows towards more aerodynamics, including a meaner grille, more carbon fibre ducts, a new front splitter and, of course, a rear wing. If you want more than that, the optional ZTK performance package adds an even bigger rear wing, front dive planes, and a tall hood Gurney lip—all made from carbon fibre.
Let us talk brakes: The new ZR1 gets carbon ceramic rotors measuring 15.7 inches (400mm) in diameter at the front and 15.4 inches (390mm) at the rear.
With this brutal power upgrade, the new ZR1 also doffs its imaginary hat to the C2-generation Corvette with a new split-window design and a carbon fibre “spine” between the rear windows. “We didn’t approach this decision lightly; we know this is a beloved element from Corvette’s history,” said Phil Zak, executive design director at Chevrolet. Not only does this element provide function, but we were able to integrate passionate design into the form and do it in a way that paid homage to Corvette’s history. ZR1 felt like the right time to bring the split window back.”
Buyers of this American car missile can customise between the exterior and interior colours, such as Competition Yellow, Hysteria Purple, and Sebring Orange. Inside, you get ZR1 badging, a boost gauge, and a new finishing stitch pattern for the door.
The new Corvette ZR1 will enter production in 2025. It will be built at General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky, but its chances of landing in Australia are slim, with buyers in its native US market being ready to snap them all up.
You’ll also like:
