2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1: Love The 1,000 HP, Hate The Weight

All the information for the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has been released. Chevrolet’s newest version of America’s sports car is going to make 1,064 horsepower at 7000 RPM and 828 pound-feet of torque at 6000 RPM. Redline is around 8000 RPM, which is a little lower than the flat-plane crank V8 that was in the Corvette Z06, which makes sense because while this is another flat-plane crank V8 with high RPM potential, it’s also going to have a lot of power driven by two ball bearing turbo chargers. Chevrolet probably wants to be careful with how fast it spins.

The engine has a cool LT7 acronym to go along with the all that power, and it will be hooked up to the same 8-speed automatic found in other Corvettes. This version of the automatic has been beefed up top-to-bottom to handle over 1,000 hp, and all of that power goes through the rear wheels. Enthusiasts hoping for a manual transmission option in the new Corvette ZR1 will be disappointed, but not surprised.

That’s an impressive pedigree so far, but we also know it’s got a lot of carbon fiber exterior pieces, including lower front and rear diffusers, side air intakes, and side sills. There’s a basic trunk rear wing as standard equipment, but the ZTK package will add a larger rear wing, a Gurney flap on the hood, stiffer springs, and stickier tires. These upgrades make the ZR1 capable of producing up to 1200 pounds of downforce at high speeds. A good thing, because Chevrolet says the top speed is “in excess of 215 mph”.

Pricing for the ZR1 hasn’t been announced yet, but with the 670 horsepower Z06 costing around $115,000 it’s realistic to assume a price for the Corvette ZR1 around $150,000. That’s a lot of car for the money, though they won’t go for that kind of money. Let’s be honest, dealers will charge, and first-on-the-blockers will pay, north of $300,000 for the first ZR1 to hit lots. But, in theory, if you could actually buy one for around $150,00 it would be a lot of car for the money.

Now let’s talk about the bugaboos with the Corvette, the same one that hinder the Z06. It still has the big two-sets-of-golf-clubs friendly trunk (…yay…), and its dry weight has been quoted between 3,600 and 3,700 pounds. That should translate to around two tons when it’s got all its fluids. My understanding is that if you get the carbon fiber wheels that are available you can juuuust get in under 4000 pounds in terms of real-world curb weight.

Even with 1,064 horsepower, that’s a lot of weight. Two-ton sports cars have not traditionally done well in the high-end performance market. The last generation Acura NSX pulled impressive acceleration and lap times, with the help of a turbo V6, electric motors, and all-wheel drive to offset its 3,900 pound curb weight. Yet it still struggled to find buyers and was cancelled after 6 years. Even without the dual powertrains and all-wheel drive the Corvette ZR1 will likely weigh more than the NSX…

Of course the Corvette has a much larger and more loyal following than the Acura NSX ever had, so waitlists and dealer gouging will be plentiful during its first couple years of ZR1 production. But just like the C8 Z06, and the Z06s and ZR1s from earlier generation Corvettes, supply will eventually meet demand, and buyers who want a 1,000-plus horsepower Corvette will have plenty of ZR1s to choose from.