General Motors has unveiled its most powerful Corvette ever, boasting a top speed of approximately 215 mph and a jaw-dropping price to match.
The Detroit company said Thursday that the 2025 Corvette ZR1 will be equipped with a twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter V8 engine that will produce 1,064 horsepower, up from the current model’s 755 horsepower.
“This car pulls like a freight train,” Corvette executive chief engineer Tadge Juechter said at a media event. According to a CNBC report:.
“We expect this car to be, without a doubt, the fastest car we’ve ever built.”
Chevrolet hasn’t announced pricing, but Car and Driver estimates The starting price is $180,000.
During a test drive with a Car and Driver reporter at GM’s proving grounds in Milford, Michigan, the ZR1 managed to top 215 mph on the speedometer. The media reported..
Chevrolet will begin producing the sports car next year at General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky, where the company also builds the Corvette Stingray, Z06 and E-Ray.
“The Corvette ZR1 is designed to push the boundaries with pure power and cutting-edge innovation,” said Chevrolet’s Scott Bell.
“From the Stingray to the Z06, E-Ray and ZR1, the Corvette family continues to evolve with each new model, challenging the world’s best.”
Buyers can choose from new colors such as “Competition Yellow, Hysteria Purple and Sebring Orange,” with other interior and exterior color customization options available.
The 2025 ZR1 will also feature a retro Corvette-style split rear window.
Ahead of the 2025 model year, Chevrolet’s latest version of the ZR1 was released about six years ago and priced at $120,000.
The 2025 ZR1 will join a growing group of models that Bell calls the “Corvette family,” which includes the $112,000 Z06 supercar, the $105,000 hybrid E-Ray and the $70,000 Stingray.
“The ZR1 is our top-of-the-line model, our flagship model. It will generate a lot of attention and help sell other models,” Juechter said. “Maintaining the presence of our products over a relatively long life cycle is part of our ongoing business strategy.”
The announcement comes at the end of a dark week for U.S. automakers.
Ford Motor Co. shares plunged nearly 20% on Thursday after the company missed Wall Street expectations, marking the automaker’s worst one-day drop since 2009.
General Motors and Stellantis also fell 5% and 7.7%, respectively, on Thursday.
GM, which owns brands including Chevrolet, Buick, GMC and Cadillac, reported second-quarter results on Tuesday that beat Wall Street expectations.
Although the company raised its outlook for the current fiscal year, investors are reportedly concerned that its success may not last.
Wall Street analysts have recommended that General Motors expand the Corvette lineup to boost sales.
The automaker has said it will launch an all-electric Corvette but has not yet said when, and CNBC reports that the company has been considering a Corvette SUV for years.
According to a CNBC report, the automaker sold about 34,500 Corvettes in each of the past two years.
General Motors introduced the first Corvette in 1953 and, according to the company, it was an “instant hit.”
According to a CNBC report, the average transaction price for a Corvette has risen to about $106,000, and that average price is expected to continue to rise with the launch of the ZR1 and Z06.
General Motors also plans to increase production of the hybrid E-Ray to 10% of its total capacity, Chevrolet marketing director Brad Franz said, according to CNBC. Hybrid sales will also boost revenue.
