The New Chevy Corvette ZR1 Debuts This Week — Here's Everything We Know

• The new Chevy Corvette ZR1 will debut on July 25.
• The expectations for this one are extremely high.
• Here's what you can expect from the most hardcore Corvette yet.

Obvious (and massive) aero upgrades

The Corvette Z06 is already a wailing good supercar, but the ZR1 is going to take that formula to the next level. The most obvious visual change is the ZR1's massive rear wing and, thanks to our spy photographers, we've actually seen two types. The first is a lot like the one found on the Corvette Z06 with its Z07 high-performance package. The mounting points are closer to the center of the wing and it makes a sort of "W" shape as it moves toward the wing tips. 

The second wing is the one we're more interested in, mainly because it looks like it's been ripped straight from the Pratt & Miller C8 Corvette GT3 race car. It looks manually adjustable at the joints where the support beams meet the main plain, and it is truly gigantic. The ZR1s of the past have been offered with a ZTK high-performance track pack, and we're expecting something similar on the new car.

There are also far more inlets at the rear of the ZR1. The Corvette Stingray, E-Ray and Z06 make do with massive side intakes to feed their respective V8s, but the ZR1 will have a bit more going on under its hood. We'll come to that in a moment. For now, focus on the extra ducting at the front of the car — there's a huge S-duct (à la the Ferrari 488 Pista) where the frunk would normally go and there are massive canards at either side of the front bumper. 

There are also two new ducts around the rear of the car. One is resting on the Corvette's rear shoulder, just behind the big intake you'll find on any other C8, and one looks to be integrated into the rear hatch area. Why so many more intakes and outlets around the back? Because the Z06's V8 is getting a big boost. 

The Z06's engine, taken to a new level

The 670-horsepower 5.5-liter V8 in the Z06 is already a sensational engine. It has one of the highest specific outputs of any engine fitted to a production car, revs all the way to 8,600 rpm, and is the most powerful naturally aspirated V8 in history (from any automaker, not just GM). It makes a sensational noise too. 

Some of that noise will be muffled in the ZR1, however, thanks to the addition of two turbochargers. Yes, Chevy is basically going full Ferrari here and turbocharging its flat-plane-crank V8. Output is estimated to be somewhere near 800 hp, making it the most powerful Corvette ever. 

That power will be put through the same Tremec TR-9080 eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission as the Z06 and sent to the rear wheels only. How Chevy is going to manage to put all that power to the ground is an engineering marvel, but we expect very wide Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires. Unlike the E-Ray, the ZR1 won't have a battery and electric motor powering the front axle; Chevy is reportedly saving the combination of an electric motor, AWD, and the same insane twin-turbo Z06 motor for the Corvette Zora, which will come much later in the C8's life cycle.

How much will the 2025 ZR1 cost?

The gap between the Stingray and the Z06 is about $40,000 (at their base prices). A similar price jump from Z06 to ZR1 makes sense to us. Expect the 2025 Corvette ZR1 to start around $149,000.

What about the rest? 

There's more to a car than aero and horsepower (except maybe in the case of this here Vette), but you can expect the rest of the ZR1 experience to be similar to the C8. The same suspension setup (albeit with track-minded changes), the same interior space, and the same removable targa top. While the ZR1 might not be as usable every day as some other C8s, its performance on track will likely more than make up for its everyday deficits. 

Edmunds says

We can't wait to get all the details later this week. Stay tuned.