As a teenager and young adult, I formed many opinions from Top Gear. And one of the prevailing images I took away was Jeremy pushing in the plastic bumper of a C6 Z06. Rubbish. That was nearly twenty years ago, and this new 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is Chevrolet’s biggest attempt yet to kill the car’s sketchy past.
All it took? 1,064 horsepower.
All the king’s horses. Every. Single. One.
I wonder what Clarkson would think of the C8. No, it’s not European in its build quality. The E-Ray had crooked stitching on the doors – Porsche builders would have been taken around back and never heard from again if that happened on a 911.
But I must tell you, I don’t care. The Z06 is pretty much a match for the 911 GT3 RS for visceral feel and speed, and I love it. The Stingray broke the mid-engine Corvette cherry, the E-Ray broke the hybrid Corvette rules, and now this.
The LT6 is already an unconventional engine for a Corvette, with its DOHC layout, flat-plane crank and 8,500 RPM redline. The ZR1 adds twin turbochargers good for 20 PSI of boost, but it’s much more than that, hence the new engine code. There’s a new intake system, stronger connecting rods, and both port and direct injection. There’s also an anti-lag system for the turbos, and new piston heads for a lower compression ratio.
Phew.
Net result: 1,069 horsepower, 828 lb-ft of torque. The ZR1 gets the DCT from the Z06, also fortified with protein shakes and gym days, with 800 lb-ft available by 3,000 RPM. The ZR1 is rear-wheel drive only.
Expect 9-second quarter mile times.
All we know is, he’s called the Stig
Muscle cars just can’t shake that “straight line only” stigma, even though the Mustang has been quite capable for well over a decade. Well, the ZR1 isn’t a Mustang, and it’s going to crush you in corners.
Gone is the frunk, replaced by a flow-through hood for air management. In fact, there’s lots of cooling ducts for the rear brakes and engine in the rear hatch, including the return of the split window. There will be a convertible version of the ZR1, but I dunno…I think we want the coupe here, yes?
Select the ZTK package for more hardcore (this is where we need Stiggy). With it, you get 20 and 21-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. Also added are front dive planes, underbody strakes, a tall Gurney flap that attaches to a lip on the hood, and a large rear wing. All together, this Vette has 1,200 pounds of downforce and is good for 200 miles an hour – 215 if you skip the aero bits.
All the carbon
Scared yet? Chevrolet helps by adding the largest brakes ever on a Vette – carbon ceramics, 15.7 in front, 15.4 in back. I get that more weight is in the back, but I can’t remember another car with brake sizes so close at all four corners.
Every ZR1 gets a removable carbon fiber roof, and options include carbon fiber wheels. Carbon trim inside too.
Magnetic Ride 4.0, which is really the best system on the market, keeps the hardcore Vette under control. About the only thing carried over unchanged from lesser Vettes is the interior. That’s not a bad thing – it is, at the very least, functional and comfortable.
I want one
Imagine being married to a super model, and a super model who’s also a chemist, astronaut, and philanthropist walks by.
Sit in that feeling for a moment, because that’s every single Z06 owner right now.
The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1’s pricing isn’t out yet, but with the ZKT pack, I can’t imagine it being much less than $200,000. For 1,000 horsepower, that’s a steal.
Why is this car such a big deal to me? Maybe it’s because I know how good the Z06 is already. I can tell how much love when into its design. I’m hardly a Vette fanboy, but as good as the 911 GT3 is, this Vette will be much faster, just as raw, and much cheaper.
Will the bumper still push in easily like it did on Top Gear? Good luck catching one to find out.
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