The hottest Corvette in history proves the ICE Age isn’t over yet.
The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has made its debut with the most-powerful V8 engine ever offered by a major American automaker.
The ZR1 features a twin-turbocharged version of the Corvette Z06’s LT6 5.5-liter V8 that’s rated at 1,064 hp and 828 lb-ft of torque. This makes it the first factory turbocharged Corvette, as previous ZR1s relied on superchargers.
Codenamed the LT7, the V8 retains the 670 hp LT6’s flat-plane crankshaft design, but upgrades it with new head castings that have larger combustion chambers and ports; unique valve train timing; an updated intake system to support the turbos; and a secondary port fuel injection system to for it to chug gasoline through.
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The LT7’s power output beats the Dodge Challenger SRT Demon 170’s 1,025 hp rating, which was achieved when running on ethanol, while gasoline was good for a mere 900 hp. All of it is sent to the ZR1’s rear wheels through a beefed-up eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
Chevy says the car can do a quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds and hit a top speed in excess of 215 mph, but it hasn’t released precise figures. To put that into perspective, the all-wheel-drive hybrid Corvette E-Ray’s official 10.5 quarter-mile time is the quickest of any GM product to date, while the last generation ZR1 topped out at 212 mph.
The ZR1 is available as a coupe or convertible, both of which can be equipped with an optional ZTK handling package. It adds a large rear wing, front splitter and dive planes that together can generate 1,200 pounds of downforce at its top speed, which is likely lower than the one achieved with the standard low drag setup, though Chevy hasn’t confirmed that.
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The ZR1 loses the Corvette’s front trunk, which has been replaced by a flow-through design that feeds an engine intercooler and improves the aerodynamics. A spine between its dual rear windows harkens back to the iconic split-window Corvette of 1963 and also provides extra cooling vents for the mid-mounted engine. A digital rearview mirror makes up for any loss of visibility.
The ZTK package also includes retuned Magnetic Ride Control shock absorbers and swaps the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires for more aggressive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 Rs. The The ZR1 has a staggered wheel and tire setup with 275/30ZR20 rubber up front and 345/25ZR21 rear tires that are more than 13.5 inches wide. The carbon ceramic brake rotors stuffed inside the wheels measure 15.7 inches and 15.4 inches in diameter, respectively.
The ZR1 has been spotted undergoing testing on Germany’s Nürburgring Nordschleife race track, but an official lap time has not yet been announced. That’s not the only remaining mystery.
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Chevy hasn’t revealed pricing for the ZR1, but the Z06 starts at $115,390 and fully loaded examples go for more than $160,000, so it’s a safe bet it will be a step up from that. We’ll know closer to when production begins sometime in 2025.
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