- The 2024 Chevy Corvette ZR1 comes powered by a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V-8 producing 1,064 hp and 828 lb-ft of torque, making it the most powerful Vette to date that is going into production.
- The presence of an LT1 engine makes the 2025 ZR1 the first turbocharged Corvette.
- With this sports car, you can get an estimated top speed of 215 mph and a downforce of about 1,200 pounds.
- The optional ZTK package can help you make the ZR1 more track-oriented and thrilling.
- Chevrolet plans to start production of the 2-25 Corvette ZR1 sometime next year.
With the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, Americans finally have a supercar that can compete head-on-head with German automakers. This badass ride comes with a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8 engine, which produces jaw-dropping 1,064 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque, giving it a top speed of 215 miles per hour.
What’s so special about the Chevy Corvette ZR1? Well, this 2025 model is the first turbocharged Vette and the first production model of Chevrolet to produce over 1000 hp, which is a milestone for the company itself.
The power output numbers of the new ZR1 are impressive. But you will not understand the significance of this achievement until you make a comparison. I must say, putting the 2025 ZR1 against other popular sports cars, supercars, and even hypercars out there, I have come to realize how monstrous this thing is.
The Roaring 1064 HP
The four-digit power output is an outstanding achievement for Chevrolet. It is the most powerful Corvette the company has ever produced. The last C7 Corvette ZR1 came powered by a 755 hp supercharged 6.5-liter V8 engine. But with the new launch, you get a 1,064 hp twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V-8 engine, making all the obvious difference.
What’s more impressive is that the new ZR1 is more powerful than the Mercedes-AMG One. Despite having a higher price tag and an F1 engine under its hood, the AMG One makes 1,063 hp, getting beaten up by one horsepower.
828 Lb-Ft Torque Output Comparable To Heavy Duty Pickups
Heavy-duty pickup trucks, especially the diesel ones, are known for their torque output. Getting torque in huge numbers from such gigantic rides is acceptable, but having those numbers reflected by a vehicle like a Corvette is worth talking about.
Compared to the popular Ram 2500 diesel truck, which produces 850 lb-ft of torque with its 6.7-liter 6-cylinder diesel, the ZR1 producing 828 lb-ft of torque with its 5.5-liter V-8 engine shows what this sports car is capable of.
Insane Power-To-Weight Ratio
Currently, Chevrolet has only listed a dry weight of 3,760 pounds for the ZR1. There are no exact numbers for the power-to-weight ratio. However, if we use the revealed dry weight of ZR1 as an estimate, it gives us a calculated power-to-weight ratio of around 580 horsepower per ton. With such a number, there is nothing wrong with saying that the ZR1 (even with fluids) can easily beat models like the Bugatti Veyron (474 hp/ton) and the Porsche 918 (485 hp/ton).
It Is Lightweight
As Chevrolet has only listed a dry weight of 3,670 pounds for the Corvette ZR1, we cannot know exactly how much it weighs compared to other popular models in the same class.
But when we made comparisons of the Corvette with popular models like the Tesla Model S Plaid and the Lucid Air Sapphire, it turned out to be 1,096 pounds lighter than the Model S and 1,666 pounds lighter than the Air Sapphire.
What’s stirring is that even with the fluids, ZR1 will be way lighter than these well-known performance EVs. The carbon-fiber roof of this ride sure has a role to play.
Optional Package For More Downforce
The new 2025 ZR1 comes with an optional ZTK package, which will add a rear wing, front dive planes, and a Gurney flap to the hood of the ride. It has up to 1,200 pounds of downforce at speed, which is not as good as some other street legal track cars like the Porsche 911 GT3, but it surely does better than others, among which the Lamborghini Huracan STO is a prime example.
Ready To Take-On
The Chevy Corvette has come a long way in terms of its looks, power, style, and elegance. Year after year, it has proven it can take pricier exotic sports cars head-on, and with its upcoming generation, Chevy has shown it is not scared of the competition.
For the upcoming release, Chevy ditches the front trunk in the ZR1 to make it more balanced on the track. The duct built into the side air intakes and more cooling ducts for the engine in the rear hatch are Zr1’s clever cooling tricks.
This futuristic car is available in both coupe- and convertible-body styles. However, out of the two, the coupe turns out to be way cooler, all thanks to its split rear window with some modern take.
Magnetic Ride 4.0 dampers, a carbon-fiber roof, and carbon-ceramic rotors are standard across every Corvette ZR1. Whereas, the carbon-fiber wheels are optional.
Production and Release
The 2025 Chevy Corvette ZR1 does not go into production until sometime next year. Thus, there is no exact release date yet. However, we do know that it is going to be built at GM’s factory in Bowling Green, Kentucky, along with Chevrolet’s other models like the Stingray, E-Ray, and Z06.
