We've hardly had a chance to wrap our heads around the absurdity of the 1,250-horsepower, 233 mph-capable Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X after it was unveiled last month, and Corvette's chief engineer Tony Roma is already hinting at the possibility of an even wilder C8. The Corvette ZR1X and its hybrid V8 powertrain may be the quickest, fastest, and most powerful performance car that Chevrolet has ever produced, but the latest hints add the wonderful qualifier of ...for now.
In an interview with Top Gear, Roma said, "the ZR1X is not the end of the story, it's just the latest chapter." He goes on to say that the C8 Corvette's mid-engine platform is proving to be very capable, and that the engineering team is on board with pushing the Corvette's limits even further.
The ZR1X uses a twin-turbocharged version of the 5.5-liter LT7 V8 found in the already very powerful Corvette Z06 to drive the rear wheels, and a front axle–mounted electric motor sending power to the front wheels. Its electric motor is slightly more powerful than the front axle motor in the Corvette E-Ray, the other high-performance version of the C8.
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Ford and its bonkers Mustang GTD usurped the title of fastest American car around the Nürburgring from the 2017 Dodge Viper ACR last year, with a blistering 6:52.072 lap time, and Chevrolet is itching for its chance at that title. Roma said,
"Having the crazy lap times and ridiculous acceleration is part of what makes these cars what they are, so I think we are going to continue to make the car faster for those bragging rights, because our customers appreciate that. It's the same with any performance car manufacturer – we push each other with Nürburgring lap times for that reason.
We've done some testing, and all I can say is... stay tuned. We want to be the fastest American car – that's an accolade we'd love to have."
Whenever new mention is made about a more powerful Corvette, the internet sets ablaze with speculation that it might be the rumored Zora. Zora Arkus-Duntov was known as "The Father Of The Corvette" because he convinced Chevy that a proper performance car and halo car was a necessity for the brand in the sixties, and he championed a mid-engine design. The world has waited for an "ultimate Corvette" named after Zora for many years now, but such a model has yet to exist.
Before the ZR1X's name was announced but it was known that a new and more hardcore Corvette was in the works, it was assumed to be the Zora, but those hopes faded once the ZR1X's name was made official. It is possible, though, that this latest rumor could finally be the fabled Corvette Zora, so we certainly will stay tuned and keep our fingers crossed.
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