General Motors revealed its most powerful Corvette ever — with a top speed of some 215 mph and an eye-watering price tag to match.
The 2025 Corvette ZR1 will feature a twin-turbocharged, 5.5-liter, V8 engine capable of a whopping 1,064 horsepower — exceeding the 755 horsepower of the current model, the Detroit company said Thursday.
“This thing pulls like a freight train,” Corvette Executive Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter said during a media event, as reported by CNBC.
“We expect this car to be essentially the fastest car we’ve ever built by a long measure.”
Chevrolet has not announced how much it will cost, but Car and Driver estimates the starting price at $180,000.
The ZR1 was able to exceed 215-plus mile-per-hour on its speedometer while going for a test spin with a Car and Driver reporter at GM’s proving grounds in Milford, Mich., the outlet reported.
Chevy will start manufacturing the sports car next year at the General Motors Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky, where the company also makes the Corvette Stingray, Z06 and E-Ray.
“Corvette ZR1 is about pushing the envelope with raw power and cutting-edge innovation,” Chevrolet’s Scott Bell said.
“From Stingray, to Z06, E-Ray, and now ZR1, the Corvette family continues to elevate with each new iteration — and challenge the best in the world.”
Buyers can choose from new colors, like “Competition Yellow, Hysteria Purple and Sebring Orange,” and have other interior and exterior color customization options.
The 2025 ZR1 will also feature a split rear window – retro-Corvette style.
Prior to the 2025 model, Chevrolet’s most recent version of the ZR1 hit the market about six years ago, that sells for $120,000.
The 2025 ZR1 will join the expanding “Corvette family,” as Bell called it – which includes the $112,000 Z06 supercar, $105,000 hybrid E-Ray and $70,000 Stingray.
“The ZR1 is the range-topper. It’s the halo vehicle. It’ll bring tons of attention to the car and actually help sell the other models,” Juechter said. “It’s part of the ongoing business strategy to keep the product relevant over a relatively long lifecycle.”
The announcement comes at the end of a dismal week for US automakers.
Ford Motor shares plunged nearly 20% on Thursday after the company missed Wall Street estimates – leading to the worst single-day stock decline for the automaker since 2009.
General Motors and Stellantis also fell Thursday, dropping 5% and 7.7%, respectively.
GM — which owns brands including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac — reported second-quarter results Tuesday that beat Wall Street expectations.
The automaker even raised its guidance for the year, but investors reportedly feared the success would be short-lived.
Wall Street analysts have been recommending General Motors expand its Corvette offerings to boost sales.
The company has said a fully electric Corvette is coming, though it hasn’t released a timeframe yet. The brand has also reportedly considered a Corvette SUV for years, according to a CNBC report.
The automaker has sold roughly 34,500 Corvettes during each of the past two years, according to a CNBC report.
General Motors introduced the first Corvette in 1953, which was “an instant hit,” the automaker said.
Corvette’s average transaction price has risen to around $106,000, according to a CNBC report. This average is expected to continue increasing thanks to the introduction of the ZR1 and Z06 sales.
General Motors also plans to increase production of the hybrid E-Ray to 10% of total production capacity, Brad Franz, director of Chevy marketing, said, according to CNBC. Sales of the hybrid car will also boost revenue.
