It’s a great day to be a fan of the Chevrolet Corvette. The automaker pulled the sheet off its newest supercar, the 2025 Corvette ZR1, which takes the nameplate into the four-digit horsepower mark for the first time. Available as both a coupe and a convertible, the Corvette ZR1 makes 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 828 pound-feet of torque at 6,000 rpm via a twin-turbocharged, flat-crank 5.5-liter V8.
If you paid attention in math class, then you already know the ZR1 is the most powerful and torquiest Corvette in history. It also means that the newest ‘Vette also outperforms the 819-hp Ferrari 12Cilindri, 1,001-hp Lamborghini Revuelto, and 1,049-hp Mercedes-AMG Project One, at least as far as the dyno is concerned. It even cranks out more go-juice than the likes of the Bugatti 16.4 Veyron, Porsche 918 Spyder, GMA T.50, and McLaren 750S. Put in more realistic surroundings, the ZR1 simply blows the Porsche 911 Turbo S, Ferrari 296 GTB, and Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica out of the water in terms of power and torque.
Geez. Hopefully they’ll start making jorts and white sneakers out of Nomex…
Mid-Engine Magic
Although it takes most of its specs from the Z06’s LT6 engine, the twin-turbocharged LT7 gets a few alterations. The head has been redesigned with unique ports and a larger combustion chamber, and the intake system and valve timing have been revised for forced induction. The 76-millimeter, single-scroll turbochargers are integrated into the exhaust manifold for faster response, and there’s also an intelligent anti-lag system that adapts the Corvette to its driver’s inputs and style. In contrast to the solely direct-injected Stingray and Z06, the ZR1 also gains an additional port-injection system to support the larger fuel needs.
Engineers also beefed up the eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox with added oil management to improve lubrication and cooling during high-g maneuvers, as well as shot peening on all the gears for strength and durability. The inner and outer input shafts are thicker, and the transmission’s control valves have been upgraded to suit its higher clutch clamping needs.
Chevrolet didn’t cop to every performance statistic, but the company estimates that the ZR1 will hit a top speed of more than 215 miles per hour and pass through the quarter-mile timing beams in less than 10 seconds. Given the Z06’s 0-60 time of 2.5 seconds and its 10.6-second sprint at the dragstrip, I suspect the top-dog ZR1 will accelerate to 60 in 2.3 seconds or less. And since it retains the Z06’s flat-plane crank, the ZR1 will still spin to 8,000 rpm, giving it the sort of quick-revving buzzsaw shriek that will make Italian exotics nervous.
Of course, Chevy wouldn’t just add a giant helping of power and then call it a day. That’s why the ZR1 also gets standard magnetic dampers, a staple of the Corvette’s option lineup since 2003. The standard suspension is tuned for all-around performance and comfort, but those looking for max-attack grip can option the ZTK aero package, which includes stiffer springs and swaps out the Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires for Cup 2 R rubber. The Z06’s optional Z07 suspension package includes a similar suspension and tire setup and generates a neck-breaking 1.21g on a skidpad, but I won’t be surprised if the ZR1 exceeds that number.
The ZR1 also comes standard with carbon-ceramic brakes with 15.7-inch discs at the front – the largest ever offered on a factory Corvette – and 15.4-inch discs in back. The ceramic material uses a new manufacturing technology that Chevrolet claims will reduce brake temperatures and increase durability. As a result, the ZR1 gets the most aggressive braking package ever offered on a factory Corvette, even exceeding the carbon-ceramics that are an $8,495 option on the Z06. Surrounding those brakes are optional carbon fiber wheels that reduce unsprung weight, improving performance further.
Track Suit
As outrageous as the hardware is, onlookers will first notice the ZR1’s extreme restyling. Using the same body shell as the wide-body Z06 and E-Ray, the Corvette ZR1 features a vented bonnet that improves airflow into the front-mounted radiator and reduces air pressure under the car for more downforce. The heavily vented engine cover on the coupe revives the 1963 Sting Ray’s novel “split-window” design and reduces engine bay temperatures, as well as provides additional airflow for the intake. Those functional alterations also make the ZR1 look pretty bitchin’.
That aforementioned ZTK aero package makes things bitchin’-er still. Instead of the standard front lip and rear ducktail spoiler, ZTK gets you carbon-fiber dive planes on the front bumper, a massive pedestal rear wing, and a more aggressive front splitter. Chevrolet says the added aero produces an incredible 1,200 pounds of downforce at top speed, but I suspect most owners will option it purely on the basis of its race-ready looks – you never know when the main drag is going to turn into a miniature grand prix, after all.
The highest-spec Corvette (at least until the rumored hybrid Zora arrives) will also get some new colorways, including the Competition Yellow seen here. Those of us who grew up watching the Pratt & Miller Corvette C5-R tearing up the track will love that bright hue back in the Corvette stable, and although it’s not a ZR1 exclusive, Comp Yellow looks just about perfect on the debut machine seen here.
Corvette Summer (Er, Winter)
The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will enter production early next year, and Chevrolet will announce specific timing and pricing closer to launch. But in addition to being the quickest, fastest, and most powerful ‘Vette of all time, expect the ZR1 to also be the most expensive, perhaps starting at around $200,000. Still, that would represent an astounding savings over not only some outrageously pricey hypercars listed above, but also even the $233,395 Porsche 911 Turbo S, the $249,865 Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica, and the $342,205 Ferrari 296 GTB.
And if somehow the ZR1 isn’t fast or powerful enough for you, the Corvette team isn’t done: the long-rumored Zora should follow in a year or so as the supercar’s new flagship trim level. Named after Zora Arkus-Duntov, the chief engineer who brought the first Corvette Sting Ray to life in 1963 by blending modern features like four-wheel disc brakes and an independent rear suspension to the nameplate.
The 2026 Corvette Zora, if it arrives by then, will add electrification to the mix, possibly a revised version of the E-Ray’s dual front axle motors. The E-Ray makes 160 hp more than the standard C8 Stingray, so it’s possible the Zora will produce a staggering, all-wheel-drive 1,200 hp thanks to electrification. Time will tell, but until then, I’ll content myself with driving the 2025 Corvette ZR1 as soon as I possibly can.
