The Corvette is getting faster. Ridiculously so...
The C8 Corvette is one of the most impressive American sports cars we have seen in a while. The C8 might be five years into its production run, but its engineering are showing no signs of slowing down any time soon. And while the ZR1 was impressive in the numbers department, the ZR1X is undoubtedly the maddest Corvette yet.
Corvette describes the ZR1X as the pinnacle of performance and the most advanced model ever. That's a bold statement, and according to the numbers, it doesn't seem like an unbelievable claim, especially considering the complex power unit that lives under the bonnet. It's called the LT7 5.5-litre DOHC twin-turbocharged V8 with a flat-plane crankshaft. In other words, it’s an American V8 with a more European crankshaft that allows for higher rpms, paired with an 8-speed DCT and topped off with a front axle-mounted electric motor.
This equates to a total power output of 932kW and, more impressively, a 0-100km/h time of under two seconds. Plus, it couldn’t be an American sports car without a quarter-mile time, so for those who are interested, it does the quarter-mile in under nine seconds too. But if you clip it into stealth mode, you can drive up to 8km in full EV mode with a top speed of 72km/h.
Unlike past Corvettes, the addition of its front-mounted electric motor allows the ZR1X to make use of all-wheel-drive, which helps to achieve these ridiculous acceleration numbers. But this also improves handling over the already rapid rear-wheel-drive ZR1, so it will, by all appearances, be a weapon on the track. To further enhance its track focus, its aerodynamics have been enhanced over the standard C8 for high top speeds and fast lap times. As for the ZR1X Carbon Fibre Aero Package, a carbon fibre rear wing, bonnet-lip Gurney, dive planes and underbody strakes are added and produce a total achievable downforce of 544kg, the highest-ever number on a production Corvette.
It’s still early days in the ZR1X story, so we expect to see a few lap record attempts and more noise to be made over the coming months. If international reports are anything to go by, it appears that the C8 Corvette is one of the more desirable performance cars of this decade as the ZR1X will hit roads in other markets in 2026.
So, the C8 is now more mental and not only threatens the likes of the SF90 from Ferrari but also drastically outguns it in a straight line. I didn’t think there would be a day when a Corvette might be the preferred option over a Ferrari, but the performance boffins at Chevy seem to be pushing the pencil in a huge way. It remains a disappointment that we don’t receive Corvettes in South Africa, but it's exciting to see brands adapt to the ever-changing global automotive demands with ever crazier examples.
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