The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Is America’s 1064 Horsepower Middle Finger To Italy. Here’s Everything You Need To Know

Back in the mid-2000s the idea of a mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette was still the fever dream of former Car and Driver technical editor Don Sherman. At the time, rumors were rampant that there would eventually be an ultra-high performance variant dubbed Zora after the Corvette’s legendary first chief engineer Zora Arkus Duntov. Over his multi-decade tenure leading the Corvette team, Duntov built numerous mid-engine prototypes, but none ever made it to a production line. But the mid-engine dreams of Duntov and Sherman finally became a reality in 2021 followed by progressively higher performance variants including the track-focused Z06 and hybrid E-Ray. However, 2025 will bring us the highest performance mass-produced, road-going Corvette to date: the new ZR1.

Back in the dark ages of the 1970s and 1980s when I was coming of age, the buff books I was reading referred to high-end mid-engine Italian sports cars like the Ferrari 512BB and Lamborghini Countach as exotics. Over time, the terminology has changed.

Today, many decidedly mainstream vehicles like a Tesla Model 3 or Kia EV6 can easily outrun those 12-cylinder beasts of 40 to 50 years ago. Even more pedestrian vehicles like a Honda Accord or Toyota Rav4 Prime can outpace a Ferrari 308 and definitely a Corvette of that era.

Thus, to retain their standing at the top of the heap, the Italians, plus Porsche, McLaren and others, have had to significantly up their game. The emergence of high-performance electric cars like the Tesla Model S Plaid, Lucid Air Sapphire and Rimac Nevera has made the challenge even tougher. Even pickup trucks like the Rivian R1T are now achieving sub 3-second 0-60 and 10-second quarter mile times.

Top-of-the-heap machines are now referred to as hypercars. While there have been various tuner Corvettes over the years that have approached this level of performance, this new ZR1 is really the first factory built variant that truly fits that mold.

To get into this rarefied atmosphere, current executive chief engineer Tadge Jeuchter and his team of Corvette diehards have crafted a machine that Duntov would probably be proud of. Top speed of over 215 mph, Nurburgring Nordschleife lap times that should rival the fastest in the world, and just insane levels of grip and acceleration. All it took was a couple of turbochargers and 1,064 horsepower!

Over 1000 Horsepower From A Twin-Turbo V8: GM’s Most Powerful Engine Ever

You read that correctly, the 2026 Corvette ZR1 will roll out of the Bowling Green Kentucky assembly plant next year with more than 1,000-hp and a full warranty. The new ZR1 is powered by the new LT7 V8. The LT7 is closely related to the twin-cam, flat-plane crankshaft 5.5-liter LT6 V8 that debuted last year in the Z06. The LT6 and LT7 were developed simultaneously and share a common architecture, but rather than thinking of the LT7 as an uprated LT6, it might be accurate to think of the Z06’s LT6 as a somewhat defanged version of this premier engine.

Both share the same aluminum block casting, which was designed to support the needs of the twin turbocharged variant. For example there are elements of the casting that support the higher loads of the LT7 as well as cavities for cooling and lubrication that simply aren’t machined out on the LT6 block.

The dry sump lubrication system of the two engines is largely common, although the LT7 has an extra seventh stage for scavenging the turbochargers that is left de-populated on the naturally aspirated engine.

The bottom end of the two engines is likewise similar, but not identical. The forged, flat-plane crankshaft has slightly different counterweights. The titanium connecting rods are beefier and modified to support thicker wrist pins that in turn handle the increased loads on the pistons from forced induction.

The pistons are also unique, with the LT7 variants being thicker and taller and featuring more deeply dished top surfaces than those on the LT6 to reduce the compression ratio. In combination with unique cylinder heads, that compression ratio has declined from 12.5:1 to 9.8:1.

In order to provide the necessary levels of performance, drivability and emissions compliance, the LT7 cylinder heads also feature dual fuel injectors for each cylinder with both a port injector and a direct chamber injector.

Why Turbos And Not A Supercharger?

You might wonder why Chevrolet has opted for twin turbocharging rather than the superchargers used on the LS9 and LT5 V8s that powered the C6 and C7 generation ZR1s. As Juechter explains it, turbocharging was a better solution to achieving the goal of over 1,000-hp and the performance requirements of this car. While superchargers do indeed offer excellent responsiveness, at the speeds the blower would be running when the car tops 200 mph, the supercharger would be consuming well over 250-hp!

Turbocharging wasn’t used in the past because, with the engine mounted in the front, it would be too wide to fit between the frame rails when loaded from below. Since the Z06 and ZR1 along with their respective engines were developed concurrently, the wide-body layout was adopted in part to accommodate the wider engine of the ZR1, something which wasn’t needed on the Z06.

Why No Hot-Vee?

Unlike many modern high-performance turbocharged engines, Chevrolet has also eschewed a Hot-Vee layout where the exhaust ports are on the in-board side of the cylinder heads feeding turbochargers in the valley of the block. This layout does provide for exceptionally short runs from the cylinder to the turbine-side of the turbocharger and quick response, but it also puts more weight up high, raising the center of gravity.

The LT7 has the single scroll turbos mounted outboard directly to very short-run headers. The turbines are 76 mm in diameter with 67 mm compressor wheels. That’s comparatively large, but they need to move a lot of air to produce over 1000 hp. The turbine wheel is made from a MAR material, which is a cobalt-based alloy with extremely high temperature capacity. The LT7 turbos can withstand temperatures of almost 1,900 deg F.Sitting directly above the turbochargers are air-to-liquid heat exchangers to cool the intake charge (the heat exchanger is fed cold coolant from a front-mounted heat exchanger). These feed into an LT7-specific intake plenum with very short, isolated runners for the left and right banks. The naturally aspirated LT6 has a communication valve between the banks that enables air pressure pulses from one side to force more air into the opposite bank. The extra volume this adds to the intake plenum is undesirable for the responsive of a turbocharged engine so the two banks are kept isolated

To aid the responsiveness, the turbos spin on ball bearings to keep friction to a minimum for quicker spool-up. The LT7 has closed-loop boost control on each turbocharger to manage the pressure independently based on a variety of signals such as accelerator position, brake application, vehicle speed, exhaust pressure, and lateral and longitudinal acceleration The wastegates on the compressor side are normally opened up to limit the maximum boost pressure so the engine doesn’t go pop. On the LT7, they are electrically controlled, and during dynamic driving conditions such as traversing a canyon road or going to a track day, the wastegates are continuously adjusted. When tipping out of the accelerator into a corner, the wastegates will close to maintain boost pressure upstream of the throttle plates so that as soon as you press back down on the go pedal, the boost is there for instant response. Overall, this is claimed to provide as good or better response than other layouts while also keeping the mass down relatively low.

The intake plenum is finished in a blue crackle finish and bears the traditional Corvette crossed flags logo and the signature plate of the engine builder as has been tradition with the hand-built Z06 and ZR1 engines since the C6 generation. Back in 2009 when Z06/ZR1 engines were still being built at a special facility in Wixom, MI, I was fortunate to be invited there to assemble an LS9 that eventually went into a C6 ZR1. In the early 2010s, GM moved this engine assembly down to the Bowling Green plant where the cars are put together.

All in, the LT7 produces 1,064-hp at 7,000 rpm and 828 lb-ft of torque at 6,000 rpm, although the torque curve is basically flat from 3,000 rpm to 6,000. That’s over 400-hp more than the LS9 and 300 more than the LT5. The original Lotus-designed twin cam LT5 from the 1990 C4 ZR1 produced a mere 370-hp, a very impressive number for a naturally aspirated V8 35-years ago, but rather pedestrian by current standards. Even the very first, and exceedingly rare 1970 ZR1 with a solid-lifter, 5.7-liter small block was rated at the same 370-hp in pre-emission control times.

As the most powerful production engine GM has yet created, the LT7 created some challenges for testing and validation. “I joke that we pushed the dyno lab to its limit and past it, picture a dyno cell, 12 foot exhaust pipes glowing red all the way to the wall. We cracked emission handling stacks, all kinds of stuff in the lab,” said chief engineer Dustin Gardner. “We had one recently, I like to say freed itself from the shackles of the dyno. We had to re-engineer the standard way the dyno hooks up to the rear of the crankshaft. The engine actually ripped that off, the engine was fine, dyno wasn’t so really took everything we had to the limit with the power on this one.”

In traditional Corvette fashion, all of this power and torque is sent exclusively to the rear wheels — no all-wheel-drive available here. Between the engine and rear axle is a modified Tremec 7-speed dual clutch transmission similar to what is used in the Stingray, E-Ray (which IS all-wheel drive) and Z06. However, in order to deal with all of the torque from the LT7, the gear teeth have been made wider to spread out the load and improve durability.

Pushing Through The Air

With a 1,000+ hp engine sending 828 lb-ft through just the rear wheels and top speeds expected to exceed 215 mph, aerodynamics are a critically important element of the vehicle’s shape. Drag needs to be kept to a minimum because the aerodynamic force pushing back on the body increases with the square of the speed. At the same time, it’s essential to also prevent the body from lifting up at triple digit speeds. Air also needs to flow through the body to dissipate the heat energy expelled by the engine and brakes.

Looking at the ZR1, particularly in its base form, it will be instantly familiar to anyone that has seen the C8. But as you start examining the details, both significant and subtle differences become apparent. The front fascia is similar to the E-Ray/Z06 version, but just behind that where there is normally a solid lid that covers the front trunk, there is a large opening very similar to what can be found on the C8.R race cars.

The hot coolant from the air-to-liquid heat exchangers in the engine compartment behind the driver flows up front to be cooled off in another heat exchanger in the nose. The air flowing through the nose and the front coolers exits through that top air extractor and goes up and over the car. This contributes to both downforce and cooling capacity. [Ed Note: And, typically, a ducted cooling module will reduce overall drag. -DT]. 

Further aiding downforce is a carbon fiber front splitter below the fascia and a front underwing. Moving back along the sides of the body are rocker extensions that also help manage the airflow. The rear fenders share the same contours with the E-Ray and Z06, but there is an interesting difference. Those earlier models featured a different leading edge trim piece on the side scoops that had an extended tail that ran back along the mid-body crease.

While it might have been considered a simple design flourish on the Z06, it is another of the elements that came from the simultaneous development with the ZR1. On the turbocharged car, this tail actually features another intake that feeds the rear brake ducts. For reference, here’s the Z06 and its trim piece’s lack of a brake cooling inlet:

Up top, the ZR1 gets a standard carbon fiber roof panel and other elements that are both functional and a design flourish. For the first time since 1963, the new ZR1 brings back the split rear window. In order to extract more hot air from the engine compartment, the ZR1 adds an extra column of vents, but the surface around them is painted in body color adding a slight retro touch.

At the trailing edge, the base ZR1 gets a small lip spoiler that keeps drag to a minimum and enables the maximum top speed capability. In creating the wheels for this ZR1, engineers and designers took advantage of some AI tools for analysis. With inputs such as strength requirements, the AI was prompted to create the lightest possible wheel, putting strength exactly where needed while using the minimum amount of material. The outputs of this analysis were then refined by the designers and the result is an alloy wheel with minimal mass that should still withstand the rigors of this car’s performance capability.

A Ridiculous 1200 Pounds Of Downforce

Optional on the ZR1 is the “ZTK package.” Similar to the package that was offered on the C7 ZR1, this setup boosts the downforce for improved handling while sacrificing some top speed to additional drag. Starting at the front, the ZTK pack adds carbon fiber dive planes at the corners. Across the leading edge of the top air extractor, there is a carbon wicker bill that stands taller than the more modest version from the base model, but adds more downforce.

Atop the rear fenders are additional air inlets that feed directly into the air filters and the turbo compressors.

 Underneath there are strakes to manage the air flowing along the flat floor.

Finally, sitting proudly atop the rear end of the ZR1 is a full-width carbon fiber wing. All together, the combination of the base configuration and the ZTK parts add up to over 1,200 pounds of downforce, the most ever on a production Corvette. This still doesn’t match what’s available on the C8.R, but it will help to ensure that the tires stay in contact with the pavement at virtually all speeds.

What the ZR1 doesn’t have is active aerodynamics such as the flow-through (aka DRS) rear wing on the Mustang GTD. All of the aero bits are firmly fixed in position. During a background briefing, there were some 3D printed prototype carbon fiber strut parts that enabled the engineers to test different wing angles, but none of that is slated for production. However, it seems a safe bet that the aftermarket will offer some alternatives.

The ZTK also gets even lighter carbon fiber wheels produced by Carbon Revolution of Australia. While the standard rolling stock on the ZR1 is the Michelin Pilot Sport 5, the carbon wheels on the ZTK are wrapped in track ready Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires that are best kept to dry roads since the barely discernible tread grooves will have very limited ability to move water out of the way.

The Corvette engineers still don’t know what the top speed will be with the full ZTK package, but it should definitely exceed 200 mph.

Even The Brakes Are Absurd

For any high performance vehicle, stopping is equally as important as accelerating or turning. But stopping once isn’t good enough. A car like the ZR1 needs to be able to stop consistently time after time. Carbon ceramic brakes are currently the best available in terms of stopping power and heat dissipation. The E-Ray and Z06 already have standard Brembo carbon ceramic brakes, but the ZR1 gets a notable upgrade.

The carbon fibers in the composite material used on most vehicles with these brakes are relatively short and the orientation is randomized. The rotors on the ZR1 are made of a different variant of this material known as JT7 that features longer fibers in a radial orientation. The carbon fibers are excellent heat conductors and making them longer helps to improve the heat transfer to the edge of the rotor where airflow can take over.

What’s Inside

While the mechanical bits of the ZR1 have been thoroughly revamped to enable some really incredible speeds, the driver’s environment has been effectively unchanged since the debut of the C8 Stingray. That means the wall separating the driver from the passenger remains in place. The long skinny row of identical buttons for climate control that tops that wall is still there as well. From an ergonomic and aesthetic perspective this is the one major failing of the C8.

Aside from the wall, the rest of the driving environment works great, and 2024 did bring an update to the infotainment system. Corvettes now use the Android Automotive system with Google Services that is found in most other GM vehicles now. While using the wall switches for climate control is less than ideal, saying “hey Google” and requesting a temperature works great.

Corvettes also sound fantastic, and while we haven’t yet heard the ZR1 in action, it’s a safe bet, it too will live up to what we expect from a great V8 engine.

Zora Arkus Duntov Would Definitely Approve

We’re still at least a year from customer availability of the ZR1 and Chevrolet isn’t yet talking price. Like the C7, the ZR1 will again be available as both a coupe or convertible. Even with the performance already on tap from the E-Ray and Z06, at a bit over $100,000, they remain a comparative bargain relative to competitors from Europe. Even if the ZR1 doubles that price, it will still be the cheapest internal combustion sports car with this level of performance. Ford charged over $450,000 for the last GT and is asking $350,000 for the Mustang GTD. We’d guess that the ZR1 will probably start somewhere over $200,000 and approach $300,000 or more for a maxed out ZTK.

So why is Chevrolet showing off the ZR1 so far in advance of availability? Because they want to be able to start testing it without camouflage. So far all of the track work that has been done includes some amount of camo which has an impact on the aerodynamic performance. Once the world has seen the car, they can run it at tracks like the Nordschleife in all of its glory and see what it can really do.

However, even with the limitations they’ve had so far, the results have been impressive. During their first visit to the Nordschleife, each of the four test drivers in the program topped 200 mph on the main back straight on their first lap. When Jeuchter rode shotgun with former Corvette Racing driver and Le Mans winner Oliver Gavin, he glanced over as they went through the kink on that straight and saw 1.6g lateral acceleration at 200 mph.

On the first test lap at the road course at GM’s Milford proving ground, it exceeded the top speed of the production C7 ZR1 and got a sub 10-second quarter mile time on the first launch on the straightaway. Production models are expected to deliver 9.7-second quarter miles at 150 mph. That’s not too shabby for a rear wheel drive car with an old fashioned gas burning V8 and no electric propulsion. Yes, the claimed performance of the Tesla Roadster is even faster, but 7 years after being unveiled it’s likely to remain vaporware for at least 2-3 more years if it ever arrives. There are other hypercars that will match or exceed this performance like Gordon Murray’s amazing T.50, the Aston Martin Valkyrie or the new Bugatti but they are multi-million dollar machines built in tiny numbers relative to the expected volumes of the ZR1.

In the course of my lifetime, the top performing cars in the world have gone from exotics to hypercars and prices have exploded into the stratosphere. In the same time, the Corvette has gone from a relative joke in its C3 form that would never seriously be compared to an exotic to a machine that is legitimately comparable to some of the best in the world. Hopefully, Chevrolet will see fit to give me an opportunity to put on my helmet and get behind the wheel of this new ZR1 on a closed track somewhere to see what it can do.

But I also know I have nowhere near the skill to wring out the full capabilities of such a machine and riding with a pro is a whole other level of thrilling. The best ride along experience I ever had was sitting next to Juan Pablo Montoya in a C6 ZR1 for a half dozen laps around the Milford Road Course back in 2010. I had driven the ZR1 around the same track at a fairly rapid clip, but the way he flung that car through turns while chattering away the whole time was something else. Hopefully, I’ll get the chance to also ride in the new ZR1 with someone like Oliver Gavin, Antonio Garcia or Johnny O’Connell.

Back in 1990 when the C4 ZR1 debuted, it was nicknamed “King of Hill” for then chief engineer Dave Hill. This latest iteration of the King of the Hill may well be the last of its kind. Surpassing what the team has developed here will become increasingly difficult if not impossible in the coming years with internal combustion alone. While some sort of hybrid is certainly possible and we’ve seen it done with the E-Ray as well as by Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren and others, pure electrification seems more likely for the next go around. No one needs this much more power and arguably, the vast majority of the people with the werewithal to purchase this ZR1 fall far short of the skill required to make use of it effectively and safely. But as a car enthusiast and an engineer, I’m always excited to see what the human imagination can create when given the resources. I suspect Zora Arkus Duntov would approve.