With the current generation of Corvette, General Motors (GM) have turned up their muscle car with each variant, and the ZR1 variant is no exception. How have they done this? Well the headline for the ZR1 is it’s powered by the most powerful V8 ever produced in America for a road car. To give some context, the 5.5 litre twin-turbo V8 in the ZR1 produces more power than the 8.0 litre quad-turbo W16 that was found in the middle of the Bugatti Veyron. 

Let’s take a dive into the beating heart of the ZR1: the 5.5 litre flat-plane crank twin-turbo V8. The architecture of the engine is the same that’s found in the naturally aspirated Z06.

While turbocharged Corvettes are nothing new, with GM and the aftermarket tuners having experimented with and offered these for years now, this is the first all GM Corvette to be turbocharged; the 2025 ZR1 gains two which are integrated with the exhaust manifold. The result of this is a reduced volume and distance between the exhaust valve and turbine wheel, resulting in quicker response.

Additional, unique changes made to the V8 for the ZR1 include a new intake system tuned for its two turbochargers, intelligent anti-lag calibration which adapts to your driving style, a larger CNC machined combustion chamber, exhaust and intake ports. A change that doesn’t add any performance but does stay in line with past ZR1 models is the Edge blue engine cover. All the changes result in the powerplant being assigned the LT7 code. 

The engine produces 1,064 bhp and 828 lb ft (1,123 Nm) of torque. The result is a top speed of over 215 mph, according to GM estimations. There is no 0-60 mph time released as of yet, but there is an estimated quarter-mile time of less than 10 seconds. 

With the increase in power and torque, the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission has also undergone extensive work to handle the performance. Changes have been made to the inner and outer input shafts, an increased gear capacity with strength increased through shot peening for all gears, refinements to the final drive and increased control valves for the higher required clutch clamp load.

1,064 bhp is a lot of power to transfer to the asphalt. To help the ZR1 get this power down, there has been extensive aerodynamic work throughout the car, seeing a revised bonnet that allows air to flow through it, carbon fibre air ducts to help cool the rear brakes and air ducts at the top of the rear hatch which to help cool the turbo compressor inlets. However, if these changes aren’t quite hardcore enough for you, there’s an option called the ZTK Performance Package. According to Chevrolet themselves the ZTK package “unlocks a true track weapon.” 

What do you get as part of this? Well, one of the most noticeable changes is a huge rear wing which helps push the Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires into the road. You also get canards at the front of the ZR1 and a Gurney lip on the bonnet.

As with nearly all cars in this sector, these additions are finished in carbon fibre. There has also been work to the underbody of the ZR1, with strakes replacing the front Gurney on the underside. The ZTK package also offers stiffer springs for the suspension. All of the revised aerodynamic work on the ZR1 provides 544 kilos of downforce at top speed.

To help slow down the new ZR1, there are 400mm carbon ceramic discs at the front with 390mm discs at the rear. How effective are the new brakes? Well the ZR1 can accelerate from 80 mph to 200 mph and back to 80 mph in just 24.5 seconds. Compared to the previous generation of the ZR1, the C7, the C8 does this 22 percent quicker.

The C8 ZR1 also sees the return of one of the most iconic design features of a Corvette: the split rear window. Directly referencing the C2 Corvette of 1962, the 2024 ZR1 puts a modern take on this feature, as the spine is finished in exposed or painted carbon fibre. The return of the split window isn’t just for show, it serves a purpose, it helps with extracting heat from the engine bay. Around the exterior, there are more unique touches for the ZR1, some as standard and others being optional. These include a carbon fibre roof to lower the centre of gravity, unique aluminium wheels, carbon-fibre wheels which reduce unsprung mass by 19.4 KG. 

The new ZR1 will begin production in 2025 as a coupé and a roadster, with pricing and availability to be announced in due course. When the Mustang GTD was announced, I didn’t think we would be seeing a direct rival from the States, but how wrong was I? The “regular” C8 Corvette is available in the UK with right-hand drive, and I sincerely hope that the 1,064 bhp ZR1 will be too.