Chevrolet to unveil all-new Corvette ZR1 this summer (2024)

Nothing's been revealed yet, but rumours are flying about 800 or more horsepower and torque

Author of the article:

Jil McIntosh

Published Apr 10, 2024Last updated 15hours ago2 minute read

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Chevrolet to unveil all-new Corvette ZR1 this summer (1)
  • Chevrolet’s early April teaser video promises a new Corvette ZR1 to be unveiled this summer
  • No official information is available yet, but rumours suggest 800 to 900 horsepower
  • That means you can expect it to be the most powerful Corvette ever

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You have to give Chevrolet credit: it just lit up the Internet with a 21-second video that shows virtually nothing, save for a vague outline and some wicked exhaust noise. The big deal is that it’s a teaser for the 2025 Corvette ZR1, which the automaker plans to unveil this summer.

That’s all we know, but of course the rumour mill is churning, and so there are more than a few hypotheticals being tossed around regarding what this upcoming Corvette will be all about. The last car to wear the badge emerged in 2019, and that was also the last ZR1 to have its engine under the hood — the current C8-generation Corvette is mid-engine, of course, so all that power will be behind the driver’s head.

It’s likely that Chevrolet will start with the 5.5L V8 that’s in the current Corvette Z06, where it makes 670 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque, and where it’s mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission. The general consensus among Corvette enthusiasts is that twin turbochargers will be added to push as much air as possible into those cylinders.

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Where you place your bet in terms of the resulting output is the big question, but we’re hearing anywhere from 800 horses and 800 lb-ft; to as high as 900 ponies. By comparison, the 2019 ZR1 used a supercharged 6.2L V8 that made 755 horsepower and 715 lb-ft of torque.

We’ve also heard speculation that Chevy’s engineers could pop over to the Corvette E-Ray Hybrid assembly line, and maybe grab the electric motor that powers that Vette’s front axle. On the E-Ray, that motor’s immediately-available 125 lb-ft of torque gives it slightly faster acceleration than the gas-only Z06, and also provides all-wheel-drive, which would be a first for any ZR1 — or, for that matter, any Corvette that doesn’t have “E-Ray” in its name. It does increase the car’s weight, but we’re not yet about to entirely discount the possibility.

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In any case, the tagline on the video is “The Unthinkable is Coming this Summer,” and so nothing even remotely run-of-the-mill is likely to be under the covers when the grand reveal happens. Some say they’ve spotted camouflaged copies undergoing testing at the Nürburgring, where they noticed that, compared to the Z06, there were more side air intakes, larger front air ducts, and a huge rear spoiler.

Of course, pricing will have to wait until after we’ve seen this beast in person, but it will certainly sit at the top of the Corvette lineup; the 2024 Z06 in Canada starts at $146,299, and the E-Ray at $153,799, and that’s before all the delivery fees and luxury tax and whatever options you want to heap on top. But you only live once, and we’re looking forward to first seeing this fire-breathing ‘Vette when the wraps come off, and even more, driving it to see what it’s all about.

Chevrolet to unveil all-new Corvette ZR1 this summer (4)

Jil McIntosh

Jil McIntosh specializes in new-car reviews, auto technology and antique cars, including the two 1940s vehicles in her garage. She is currently a freelance Writer at Driving.ca since 2016

Summary

· Professional writer for more than 35 years, appearing in some of the top publications in Canada and the U.S.

· Specialties include new-vehicle reviews, old cars and automotive history, automotive news, and “How It Works” columns that explain vehicle features and technology

· Member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) since 2003; voting member for AJAC Canadian Car of the Year Awards; juror on the Women’s World Car of the Year Awards

Education

Jil McIntosh graduated from East York Collegiate in Toronto, and then continued her education at the School of Hard Knocks. Her early jobs including driving a taxi in Toronto; and warranty administration in a new-vehicle dealership, where she also held information classes for customers, explaining the inner mechanical workings of vehicles and their features.

Experience

Jil McIntosh is a freelance writer who has been writing for Driving.ca since 2016, but she’s been a professional writer starting when most cars still had carburetors. At the age of eleven, she had a story published in the defunct Toronto Telegram newspaper, for which she was paid $25; given the short length of the story and the dollar’s buying power at the time, that might have been the relatively best-paid piece she’s ever written.

An old-car enthusiast who owns a 1947 Cadillac and 1949 Studebaker truck, she began her writing career crafting stories for antique-car and hot-rod car club magazines. When the Ontario-based newspaper Old Autos started up in 1987, dedicated to the antique-car hobby, she became a columnist starting with its second issue; the newspaper is still around and she still writes for it. Not long after the Toronto Star launched its Wheels section in 1986 – the first Canadian newspaper to include an auto section – she became one of its regular writers. She started out writing feature stories, and then added “new-vehicle reviewer” to her resume in 1999. She stayed with Wheels, in print and later digital as well, until the publication made a cost-cutting decision to shed its freelance writers. She joined Driving.ca the very next day.

In addition to Driving.ca, she writes for industry-focused publications, including Automotive News Canada and Autosphere. Over the years, her automotive work also appeared in such publications as Cars & Parts, Street Rodder, Canadian Hot Rods, AutoTrader, Sharp, Taxi News, Maclean’s, The Chicago Tribune, Forbes Wheels, Canadian Driver, Sympatico Autos, and Reader’s Digest. Her non-automotive work, covering such topics as travel, food and drink, rural living, fountain pen collecting, and celebrity interviews, has appeared in publications including Harrowsmith, Where New Orleans, Pen World, The Book for Men, Rural Delivery, and Gambit.

Major awards won by the author

2016 AJAC Journalist of the Year; Car Care Canada / CAA Safety Journalism award winner in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2013, runner-up in 2021; Pirelli Photography Award 2015; Environmental Journalism Award 2019; Technical Writing Award 2020; Vehicle Testing Review award 2020, runner-up in 2022; Feature Story award winner 2020; inducted into the Street Rodding Hall of Fame in 1994.

Contact info

Email: jil@ca.inter.net

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jilmcintosh/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JilMcIntosh

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Chevrolet to unveil all-new Corvette ZR1 this summer (2024)

FAQs

How much horsepower does the 2024 ZR1 have? ›

Power is expected to hit 850 horsepower – or more than 630kW – up from 500kW (670hp) in the US-market 'C8' Corvette Z06s, and 563kW (755hp) in the previous-generation, front-engined 'C7' Corvette ZR1.

How much does a ZR1 Corvette cost? ›

We estimate that the 2025 Corvette ZR1 will start around the $150,000 mark when it reaches dealerships. The ZR1 may be offered with a more extreme Z07-style track package like on the Z06, but we won't know the specifics of the vehicle lineup until closer to the ZR1's on-sale date.

Is a ZR1 faster than a Z06? ›

The Z06 needs just 3.6 and 8.3 seconds for the same tasks, while the ZR1 hits 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and 100 mph in a stellar 7.6 seconds. That 100-mph time betters the likes of the Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911 Turbo, and Ferrari F430.

What does ZR1 stand for? ›

ZR1 was first used on the C3 Corvette, where it indicated a strengthened transmission, more powerful brakes, upgraded cooling, and stiffer suspension; similar enhancements remained hallmarks of later ZR1s.

What is the fastest speed of the Corvette ZR1? ›

Traveling the opposite direction, the ZR1 managed to top out at 210.20 mph as it faced additional wind resistance. The two recorded speeds were then averaged, resulting in an official Vmax of 212 mph.

Which is faster ZR1 or Grand Sport? ›

Corvette ZR1 is the fastest by a small margin. This comparison has been viewed 348 times.

Is the Corvette ZR1 street legal? ›

The ZR1 moniker first emerged in 1970 as a stealthy, unadvertised option that transformed the already potent Corvette into a street-legal race car.

What is so special about the Corvette ZR1? ›

The 2019 Corvette ZR1 was about more than good times, it was about FAST times. It could leap from 0-60 in just 2.85 seconds and blast down the quarter-mile in 10.6 seconds. Yeah, a bone-stock 10-second factory sportscar not even designed for drag racing.

What is the most expensive Corvette in the world? ›

As of 2021, the 1967 Corvette L88 Coupe is the most expensive Corvette ever sold at auction, with a sale price of $3.85 million. There were only 20 Corvettes ZR1s built in 1971 making them some of the rarest and most expensive Corvettes in the world.

Which Corvette has 1000hp? ›

The 'H1000' Chevrolet Corvette C7 ZR1, upgraded to 1000 HP by Hennessey Performance, is an exciting and thrilling demonstration of power and speed.

What is the fastest Corvette yet? ›

The 2024 Chevy Corvette E-Ray posted a 2.5-second 60-mph time in our instrumented performance testing—the quickest ever for a Vette.

Is a ZR1 faster than a demon? ›

The Corvette best the Demon by more than a full second. The ZR1 clocked a quarter-mile time of 10.2 seconds at 137.24 miles per hour while the Dodge earned an 11.59-second quarter-mile run at 134.17 mph.

Who built the ZR1 engine? ›

The engine was designed by GM's Group Lotus Division, was further developed by GM, and is built under contract by Mercury Marine in Oklahoma, a facility with more than a passing familiarity with high-muscle aluminum engines.

What is the nickname of the ZR1? ›

The C6 ZR1 is nicknamed the "Blue Devil," as it was developed under the code name "Blue Devil Project." This project aimed to create a Corvette that could surpass the 200 mph barrier, and the ZR1 did just that, reaching a top speed of 205 mph.

How much horsepower does the 2025 ZR1 have? ›

The ZR1 will likely make more than 900 horsepower combined and be, literally, a land missile with tires. You can also expect the latest in GM's go-fast tech to be applied here, with a ton of aero upgrades to generate downforce, huge tires for more mechanical grip, and McLaren and Ferrari levels of performance.

What engine is in the Corvette ZR1 2024? ›

Although the Chevy brass did not provide any details or specs, it was hinted that the new ZR1 would equip a twin-turbocharged V8 engine. GM Authority was the first to report that the ZR1 would rock a forced-induction powerplant, specially a twin-turbocharged variant of the 5.5L V8 LT6 that motivates the C8 Z06.

What is the 2024 ZR1 specs? ›

Engine. GM Authority expects the Corvette C8 ZR1 to be powered by a twin-turbo 5.5L V8 LT7 engine. The motor is expected to feature a Dual OverHead Cam (DOHC) configuration with 32 valves. Horsepower is expected to be around 850, while torque should land around 750 pound-feet.

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