Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Returns as Most Powerful ‘Vette Ever

The king of street-going Corvette performance is coming back, ready to melt minds and tires the way only an American V8 icon can. Enter: the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, the most powerful production Corvette ever, a claim backed by an official rating of 1,064 horsepower and 828 lb-ft of torque.

That represents a massive climb over the C7 ZR1’s 755 hp, and with this newfound power comes a GM-estimated top speed over 215 mph and a sub-10-second quarter-mile time. At the heart of this purebred, mid-engine American supercar, and making those times achievable, is a twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, also making the C8 ZR1 the first Corvette to be turbocharged from the factory.

This LT7 engine is a dual-overhead cam, flat-plane crank design, engineered with a plethora of upgrades to reach that four-figure output– a new intake system, CNC machined combustion chamber, optimized valve timing and lift profile, and more. The 76 mm mono-scroll turbos are integrated into the exhaust manifold and supported by “intelligent anti-lag engine calibration.” The engine, paired up to the Corvette’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, also enhanced, will be hand-built in the Performance Build Center of GM’s Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky.

But horsepower isn’t the only record smashed by the 2025 ZR1, as purposeful aerodynamics generate over 1,200 pounds of downforce at top speed. The ZR1’s stock spoiler features adjustable wickers, and various aero elements are forged in carbon fiber, such as the front splitter and side rockers. Air entering the front grille exits through the hood after passing through the intercooler heat exchanger, keeping things cool and increasing downforce. Meeting the tarmac is a staggered set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, 275/30ZR20s guiding the charge and 345/25ZR21s putting down the muscle. Stopping power is supplied by six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers, clamping down on carbon ceramic rotors; and stability is bolstered by a magnetic suspension system, found on the “standard” ZR1 and those enhanced by the optional ZTK performance pack.

For maximum aero, the ZTK mounts a taller, angrier rear wing, front dive planes and a hood Gurney lip– you guessed it, all forged from carbon fiber. Those tires remain Michelin in origin, now upgraded to the Pilot Sport Cup 2 R design, backed by stiffer suspension tuning.

All of these carbon elements will separate the ZR1 from your neighbor’s Stingray, but the most prominent exterior signifier may just be the returning split rear window, serving as both a callback to C2 Corvettes of the 1960s and a functional heat extractor for the engine, mounted just below. The cockpit sees unique badging, new upholstery and stitching, and a boost gauge for the turbos; however, you’ll still find the driver-centric layout the C8’s cabin is known for.

Those of you already pining for the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will have to wait until production ramps up next year. Details on exact availability and pricing are yet to be confirmed, but we’ll know more soon enough.

General Motors made headlines when they mounted the Chevrolet Corvette’s engine behind the driver in 2020; and despite some uncertainty from enduring fans, the C8 generation has more than proved itself, with entries like the latest Z06 and all-new E-Ray defining this era of GM performance and converting many of those initial naysayers.