There aren’t many people who look at the Chevrolet C8 Corvette and see a car that needs more power. But those who do are in for a treat.
The Detroit giant announced that the long-rumored ZR1 variant will finally debut sometime this summer. The automaker hasn’t shared any other details, but there is an expectation the next C8 could be the most powerful ‘Vette yet.
Chevy revealed the news in a video posted to YouTube on Wednesday. The short clip is a quick teaser but does include a glimpse of its silhouette and a preview of its exhaust note. The announcement isn’t exactly a surprise. The ZR1 has been around since 1970 when it was released as a high-performance engine package for the third-generation Corvette. It last saw the light of day in 2019 during the C7’s final year of production. The automaker has also been spotted testing a heavily camouflaged car with a giant rear wing at the Nürburgring last fall which was widely believed to be the next ZR1.
We don’t know exactly what to expect from the variant, but based on past Corvette generations it will be more powerful than the Z06, which has 5.5-liter V-8 with a flat-plane crank that produces 670 hp. The ZR1 will likely feature a specially tuned version of the same mill that will also be equipped with twin turbochargers, according to Car and Driver. The expectation is that the changes will boost output to over 800 horse. That would make the C8 ZR1 the most powerful ‘Vette ever, beating out the C7 ZR1 which had 755 hp under the hood.
When it arrives, the ZR1 will be the third variant (and fourth distinct model if you include the base Stingray) of the Corvette’s eighth generation. It is preceded by the high-performance Z06, which debuted in the fall of 2021, and the hybrid E-Ray, which was unveiled in the winter of 2023.
The Chevrolet C8 Corvette Z06
Chevrolet
We’ll have to wait until closer to the ZR1’s debut to find out how much it will cost. Currently, the Stingray starts at $68,300, the E-Ray at $104,900, and Z06 at $112,700. Since it’s pretty clear that the latest variant will be the most powerful C8 you can buy, it wouldn’t be particularly surprising if it were the most expensive as well.
