This is the big one. We’ve all grown wary of hyperbole, but truly, everything in the Corvette’s history has been building up to this car. It’s the ultimate version of the mid-engine Corvette, fantasized about since the 1960s—but don’t call it a Zora. It’s named the ZR1X, and it makes 1,250 horsepower from a twin-turbo, 5.5-liter V8 that’s paired to a more potent version of the E-Ray’s hybrid all-wheel drive system. The numbers don’t stop there, so let’s keep going.
Chevrolet estimates real customers in real-world conditions will be able to hit 60 miles per hour in under two seconds. After that, they can scoot through the quarter-mile in under nine seconds with a trap speed of more than 150 mph. All of the brand’s marketing material says “hypercar this” and “hypercar that,” but in this case, it’s valid.
Everything to do with the flat-plane crank LT7 V8 carries over from the normal ZR1, including its 76-millimeter turbos. The internal combustion engine makes 1,064 hp and 828 lb-ft of torque on its own, meaning the electric drive unit up front adds 186 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque. Now, that power difference is greater than the gap between the E-Ray and the regular Corvette Stingray it’s based on, and that’s because Chevy upgraded the drive unit for the ZR1X. The battery capacity is identical between the two cars, at 1.9 kilowatt-hours, but the usable capacity has been increased to provide more juice.
The flagship Corvette’s electric motor disconnects at 160 mph on its way to a top speed of 233 mph, but what it does before that is important. Chevrolet is treating it as far more than a sheer power adder by incorporating some techniques developed in IndyCar. The ZR1X’s push-to-pass mode is one, as it deploys max power on demand from the electric battery. There are two other modes: Qualifying, which optimizes the power strategy for the ultimate lap time, and Endurance, which Chevy says “adjusts the battery’s energy storage strategy for extended lapping and consistent eAWD output for a full tank of fuel.” Smart.
Chevy is rolling out a new drive setting called PTM Pro on all 2026 Corvettes, including the ZR1X. It kills traction control and stability control, though launch control is still available. It also utilizes front axle pre-control, which actively manages the inside front brake pressure so corner-exit traction is as good as possible.
And speaking of brakes, the ZR1X wears some massive ones. The car comes standard with Chevy’s J59 braking package (it’s optional on the normal ZR1), which means it has 10-piston Alcon front brake calipers and six-piston rears on 16.5-inch carbon ceramic rotors all around. Supposedly, engineers saw 1.9G of deceleration when slowing from 180 to 120 mph. I can’t tell you how that feels from experience, but for comparison’s sake, it’s about the same as a Formula 3 race car.
You can still get the ZR1X with either the standard chassis or the ZTK Performance package. The former is more on-road focused with less extreme aero and Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, while the latter is track-focused with Pilot Cup 2R rubber, higher spring rates, and a Gurney lip over the front heat extractor. Oh, and don’t forget the dinner-table-sized rear wing, which helps ZTK Performance cars achieve 1,200 pounds of downforce.
Chevy hasn’t said how much the ZR1X will cost, so we’ll need to wait until closer to production to find that out. The non-X ZR1 starts at $174,995 after destination, so it’s fair to anticipate that this will exceed $210,000. The E-Ray starts at $38,600 above the Stingray, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the gap between ZR1 and ZR1X is bigger still. No matter, though, because it’s sure to be a heckuva lot cheaper than the $2 million McLaren W1 that makes only a skosh more power—25 hp, to be exact.
Got a tip or question for the author? Contact them directly: caleb@thedrive.com
From running point on new car launch coverage to editing long-form features and reviews, Caleb does some of everything at The Drive. And he really, really loves trucks.
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