Enough details are out there to give us an idea as to what the new Chevrolet Corvette C8 ZR1 will be like, with the potential of a twin-turbo V8.
We are potentially looking at the most powerful edition of the ZR1 in history. A twin-turbo V8 with extra power over the regular C8 is likely the powertrain of choice. While like the last generation of the ZR1, it should feature more aggressive bodywork and styling over the standard sports car.
The First Mid-Engined 2024 C8 Corvette ZR1 Will Have 800-HP
Under the hood, sites such as Muscle Cars & Trucks have reported that the next generation of the ZR1 will have a new, uprated LT7 V8 engine under the hood. An upgrade over the current LT6 that is in the C8 Z06 Corvette. The engine will be a 5.5-liter twin-turbo DOHC V8. With a pair of turbochargers making it the most powerful production V8 General Motors has ever produced. Power levels are set to be around the 800-850 hp mark and have at least 825 lb-ft of torque. That is a big jump over the 755 hp of the CR ZR1.
Gearheads may be happy to learn it’s unlikely the new ZR1 will have hybrid power. Although the possibility exists that the C8 ZR1 could be the last ever ZR1 to be solely powered by an ICE powertrain. And one of the last ICE-only Corvettes in history. The twin-turbos will add some weight to the ZR1, and the expected weight gain is likely going to be around the 200 lbs mark. That does come with nearly 200 more hp than we find in the standard C8 Corvette.
The 2024 C8 Corvette ZR1 Will Have Aggressive New Bodywork
The ZR1 usually boasts several aerodynamic upgrades and bodywork changes over the standard Corvette. The C7 ZR1 featured a large rear wing on top of the tailgate which was part of the more aggressive ZTK aero package. That rear wing produces an impressive 947 lbs or 430 kg of extra downforce for the ZR1. As standard on the C7 ZR1, the front sees the Corvette gain a lip spoiler to increase the front-end downforce. Features like this are likely to make their way onto the C8 ZR1, with spy shots revealing some aspects of the new design.
Outlets such as GM Authority have posted spy images and video of the next ZR1 testing over the past few months. Chevrolet has wrapped the prototype in heavy vinyl camouflage, hiding many of the key changes. What we can see in these images though is a splitter protruding from the bottom of the sports cars front fascia. Giving the new ZR1 the menacing look we would expect it to have. There appears to be a large, central ridge running down the center of the front air intake vertically. This is also flanked with deep intakes near the bumper’s corners.
The C8 ZR1 May Have An Entirely New Rear Wing And Wheel Design
Something that has really stood out on the ZR1 prototype are the massive wheels that the car has. The new design is mostly covered by circular covers but the Z06 Spider aluminum wheels look to be replaced with a new design. Nor are they same wheels that you get on the C8 Stingray. The size of the wheels themselves are huge, with as much footprint as possible to help put that extra V8 power onto the tarmac.
2024 Corvette ZR1 Would Lead To The 1,000 HP Zora Corvette
While the ZR1 will be the ultimate in the C8 range when it launches, Chevrolet won’t rest on their laurels. The new ZR1 will lead us into a new, 1,000 hp next-level Corvette which has been tentatively given the name Zora. Something our very own digital artist Rostislav Prokop recently created. Under the hood of this Corvette will be the same 5.5-liter V8 that the new ZR1 is set to have. But paired with it will be two electric motors at the front of the car, adding around 200 hp to what the V8 has. This will push the Zora’s figure up to the 1,000 hp mark.
This will make the Zora the most powerful regular production Corvette in history. And create an all-wheel drive Corvette with the electric motors driving the front wheels. The engine is expected to spin up to 8,600 rpm and this will all create what is a Corvette hypercar. It will have a power figure to rival the likes of the Mercedes-AMG ONE, the 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 hypercar with its F1 derived engine producing 1,049 hp. Unlike the AMG ONE, the Corvette Zora isn’t likely to cost anywhere near the $2 million mark.
Zora isn’t likely to hit production until after the new ZR1, so potentially 2025 or 2026. The car is likely to be a heavy Corvette. Around the 4,000 lbs mark, but its hybrid power will still ensure fast 0-60 mph times and a top speed likely well over 200 mph. The name Zora comes from Zora Arkus-Duntov, the man credited with turning the Corvette into the world-class sports car it is today. He worked at GM for 22, almost exclusively on the Corvette, becoming its chief engineer in 1967. Arkus-Duntov would set a Pikes Peak record that stood for 13 years in a pre-production 1956 Chevrolet four-door hardtop.
When Will The New 2024 ZR1 Corvette Appear?
Chevrolet has not confirmed any key details yet on the upcoming ZR1. The prototype shows it is on the way, but beyond that there is no official information. It would be a surprise if the multiple sources reporting on the powertrain were wrong. But we must stress these could change before production. The ZR1 is likely to come for the 2024 model year at the earliest. Potentially, Chevrolet may push it back to 2025 to allow for a bigger gap from the E-Rays launch.
The early details hint at the C8 ZR1 being a hugely impressive vehicle, in the same way that the C8 Z06 was. The addition of Zora to the Corvette lineup following it will ensure the Corvette range is as diverse as it has ever been.