Super-Duper Car
June 20, 2025Newsletter Archives
Last summer, General Motors unveiled the fastest, most muscular Chevrolet Corvette ever – the 2025 ZR1. That snarling beast of a sports car has 1,064 horsepower, the most ever from a factory Corvette. The V-8 engine in the ZR1 became the most powerful ever produced in America by an automaker.
A few months later, at a test track in Germany, with GM President Mark Reuss at the wheel, the ZR1 hit a top speed of 233 mph1, unrivalled by any production car priced under $1 million, and the fastest speed ever achieved by an American car manufacturer. GM later announced that the ZR1 with the available ZTK Performance Package had achieved a 0 to 60 mph time of 2.3 seconds, which made it the quickest Corvette ever1.
Well, if you liked the ZR1, wait until you get a load of the ZR1X.
This week, Chevy provided a first look at this new version of the ZR1. The ZR1X starts with the same 1,064 horsepower V-8 engine as its predecessor, running at 7,000 rpm, and throwing off 828 lb-ft of torque. To that, the ZR1X adds a 186-horsepower electrified front-axle motor. Combined, that’s 1,250 horsepower, this time with all-wheel drive capability, like the Corvette E-Ray. There’s no plug for the electric motor driving the front axle; the battery is charged regeneratively by the front drive unit.
The ZR1X has other technical capabilities that gearheads undoubtedly will love. For instance, there are dual 76-mm turbochargers, and an exhaust system that combines the manifold and turbocharger housing into a single design called a “maniturbo.” I’m not entirely sure I can tell you what it does – actually I know that I can’t - but I’ll never tire of saying the word “maniturbo.”
Details on pricing and availability of the ZR1X will be shared closer to the start of production. Whatever it costs, you know you’re going to want one.
“From day one, we designed the mid-engine Corvette architecture with ZR1X in mind,” said General Motors senior VP Ken Morris. “This is the most revolutionary platform in Corvette history, supporting the widest range of American sports cars2 and delivering world-class performance at every level.”
-- Eric Savitz, editor-in-chief, GM News
