The wizards behind the Chevrolet Corvette seem to want to put Hennessey out of business. At a time when most performance cars are increasingly going electric or hybrid to leapfrog each other, Chevy’s best engineers did the American thing and went all gas. The result? The 2025 Corvette ZR1, a literal dyno destroyer.
At the heart of the 2025 Corvette ZR1 is the Gemini LT7. Building on the naturally-aspirated LT6 engine made for the Z06, LT7 is a 5.5-liter DOHC flat-plane crank twin-turbocharged V8 engine. It is the most powerful V8 ever produced in America, maxing out at an unbelievable 1064 horsepower and 828 lb-ft. of torque. The ZR1 can go from 0 to 60 mph in just 2.6 seconds, run a 1/4-mile in under 10 seconds, and has an estimated top speed of over 215 mph. Bugatti numbers everywhere.
To maximize its output, the ZR1 also has an improved 8-speed dual-clutch transmission as well as a suite of aerodynamic and cooling features. It has a flow-through hood for both increased front downforce and cooler temps, carbon fiber side air ducts to cool the rear brakes, and carbon fiber inlets on top of the rear hatch to cool the turbo compressor. If you need all the downforce in the solar system – and why wouldn’t you with this car’s absurd power – you can get the optional ZTK performance package.
The ZTK package – seen here in the yellow ZR1 – adds a huge rear wing, front dive planes, and a tall hood gurney lip, all made of carbon fiber. The package also swaps the standard front underwing stall gurney with underbody strakes for even more front downforce. Track-oriented suspension tuning with stiffer springs and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires are also included in the ZTK package. All of that aero adds up to 1200 lb. of downforce – more than a Porsche 911 GT3.
Yep, that is indeed a split rear window. More than just a callback to past Corvettes, the carbon fiber spine between the windows also help cool the engine on the coupe version.
Although I must say, I find the standard ZR1 with its tiny wing a lot sexier. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if more people opt not to get the ZTK package just to keep this look.
It’s not like the standard ZR1 won’t be fast on the road. It’s already filled with carbon fiber parts as it is, including optional 10-spoke bare carbon fiber wheels, which cut nearly 43 lb. of unsprung mass. The roof is carbon fiber as well, even the retractable one in the convertible variant.
Still shots don’t do this car justice, especially since Chevrolet’s photographer seems to have just discovered HDR and just went to town with it. So best look for a video from your favorite auto show, such as this one from Top Gear:
There’s no official price and release date for the 2025 Corvette ZR1. Just expect it to be significantly above the $112,700 starting price of the turbo-less Corvette Z06.