The Corvette has blossomed into a bona fide supercar with the move to a mid-engine layout, but the latest ZR1X is a serious stab at making a hypercar. The surreal power figures of the Corvette ZR1X outweigh its rakish styling. With 1,250 horsepower and an electrified all-wheel drive system, it is taking the Corvette name to the hypercar world dominated by ludicrous but exotic machines. The Corvette ZR1X does not knock at the door of the Koenigsegg’s and the Hennessey, but smashes the door with its arsenal. The main talking point is the LT7 twin-turbo V8 with 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm, which is then combined with a 186-horsepower front-axle electric motor. 0-60 is under 2 seconds, and you must believe that number,r looking at the powertrain. Interestingly, GM always had these ambitions and developed the mid-engine Corvette architecture with ZR1X in mind.
The hand-built 5.5-liter Gemini small-block V8 gains two turbos and generates a whopping 1,064 horsepower and 828 lb-ft of torque. That’s more V8 power than any American manufacturer has ever made. However, to lay down all that power, the ZR1X has all-wheel drive, thankfully. It is an improved unit from the one on the E-Ray, and that means there is an additional 26 hp and 20 lb-ft of torque. The front axle is engaged and can apply power through 160 mph before disconnecting. The ZR1X is a speed machine and one for the track while getting a plethora of features like regen brake, torque vectoring, and much more. Brakes are important too, and it has got the largest ever fitted to a Corvette.
It’s a hybrid all-wheel drive Corvette, which takes the same route as the hypercars in adding electrification to boost performance. If anything, the ZR1X Convertible with ZTK Performance Package looks more exotic, including that huge rear wing and various carbon bits strewn all over. That adds a bit of exotic appeal. We think, while the car goes very fast, the interior and exterior could have gotten greater differentiation since it is supposed to be a hypercar.
That said, the interior is decked up in screens and has a larger digital driver display plus a touchscreen. This will be the most expensive Corvette ever, but it still costs a small fraction of what hypercar makers charge. It is a disruptor and adds a new layer of desirability to the Corvette name. Can it pull it off? With these numbers, it just might!
