
Chevrolet’s Corvette is an icon because it represents the quintessential American sports car – it’s an accessible, aspirational, and multi-generational car that’s no stranger to pushing boundaries. With its 1,064 horsepower ZR1, the most powerful production Corvette C8 on sale today, it’s a full-throttle statement that American supercar performance is evolving with ferocity. But it’s just been trumped by the 1,250 hp, all-wheel-drive ZR1X, which isn’t just a new chapter in Corvette’s storied history, it’s a bold statement that elevates it to the rarified atmosphere of world’s most elite performance machines.
During Chevy’s presentation of the ZR1X, the word “hypercar” was mentioned on multiple occasions, and it’s in the headline of its press release. Surely, that’s a term reserved for the realm of Bugatti, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, McLaren, Pagani, or Rimac? And when we’re talking American hypercars, we must mention Hennessey’s amazing Venom F5, the 3D-printed Czinger 21C and the wild SSC Tuatara. But what truly defines a hypercar? Let’s ponder the following…

Extreme performance: that box is ticked here with a 233-mph top speed, a claimed 0-60 time of 1.9s, and a power output substantially north of 1,000 horses. Advanced technology: a front-axle electric motor turns the ZR1X into a four-wheel drive machine, the 5.5-liter V8 engine that motives the rear axle is boosted by two massive turbochargers, and it sports a carbon fiber roof and advanced stability controls. It has also increased usable battery energy from the E-Ray model by about 26%, and this elevated range of energy is what delivers more power to the front-drive unit and achieves additional torque from the front axle.
What it won’t boast – although we don’t know for sure yet! – is a seven-figure price tag, like every other hypercar out there today. Or how rare it will be, given that it’s a mass production manufacturer that’s fond of satisfying demand rather than creating it by strangling supply. Chevrolet has sold 160,000 of the mid-engined eighth-gen Corvettes, and is on track to sell more C8s by the end of this calendar year than C7’s full generation. It’s reported that only 300-500 ZR1s will be made in 2025, but that’s likely to be a moving target as it moves into the 2026 model year.
Perhaps that’s the strongest indication why Chevrolet continues to roll out more Corvette models; people clearly like it, therefore produce more of them. Incidentally, Corvette’s Marketing Manager Megan Dally reports that C8 customers are younger, more affluent and more diverse than previously – which is always a welcome direction of travel for any OEM.
“America’s true hypercar has arrived,” she declared. “It’s the true hypercar level, where we’re blending in that LT7 engine with the electric all-wheel-drive technology to truly see what’s capable up at the top end… We’re putting the world on notice with this car, showing what Corvette and America’s true supercar is capable of.”

Josh Holder, Corvette’s Chief Engineer, stated that the ZR1X was always planned to “be the bookend” to its eighth-generation offerings. “The team worked very hard to get as most performance as possible,” he said. “It brings learnings from the ZR1 and the E-Ray and combines them to create an unbelievable driving experience. The ZR1X brought an opportunity to develop performance in Corvette like we’ve never done.”
He added: “From the 1,064 horsepower, twin turbo LT7, we increased the usable battery energy in the ZR1X to achieve even more power from the front drive motor, 125 ft pounds of torque went to 145 ft pounds of torque, and another 26 horsepower for 186 horsepower on the front axle.” That all combines to give 1250 horsepower, putting it just 8 hp away from the $2 million McLaren W1!
Cody Bulkley, Chassis Controls Engineer, explained: “With a big horsepower number of 1250, it nets massive performance. You’re talking 1.3 Gs of longitudinal acceleration, throwing your whole body into the seat, and with this beautiful electrified all-wheel drive system, you can manage Gs of lateral and longitudinal acceleration at the same time. This is performance like none other, and it is so sustainable, so easy to drive.”
The ZR1X offers a brand-new drive mode called ‘Qualifying,’ which strategically deploys the energy in the best way possible to get single lap racetrack pace, and a performance traction management mode called ‘Pro’ for maximum traction. It also boasts a push-to-pass button that deploys all 1250 horsepower on demand.

Bulkley added: “We started with the blank whiteboard and went over everything we could to get the ultimate pace out of the car. Now, for the ultimate mic drop: 0 to 60 in under two seconds and a quarter mile under nine seconds.”
But power is nothing without control. He added that the new J59 carbon ceramic brake system is “incredible” and sports Alcon calipers, featuring 10-piston fronts and six-piston rears, with 420-millimeter rotors, and claimed the system provided over 1.9 Gs of deceleration at the Nürburgring Nordschliefe’s daunting Tiergarten section. The car also offers a higher-downforce ‘Carbon Aero’ offering as part of its ZTK Performance Package, that clips its top speed back to a mere 225 mph.
Externally, the difference between the ZR1 and the ZR1X isn’t drastic, because it’s underneath the car where significantly altered strakes have shifted its balance slightly forward to take advantage of the all-wheel drive. It also weighs “180-ish more pounds” than a ZR1.
“The unique design features on the exterior aren’t there to just create the look,” explained Vlad Kapitonov, its Advanced Design Manager. “They’re there to really contribute to the hypercar performance. No detail is frivolous.”

This car stays true to Chevy’s aim that the Corvette should be aspirational, while being accessible, and always pushing boundaries. All hypercars are supercars, but not all supercars are hypercars… However, the new Corvette ZR1X somehow blurs the dividing line, in a similar vein to Ferrari’s SF90 Stradale. Perhaps it’s best to say that this is hypercar-level performance for a supercar price; or that these cars are ‘hypercar adjacent’. It certainly promises to be a lot of machine for the money when it goes on sale towards the end of the year.
Image Source: Chevrolet