CONFIRMED: C8 Corvette ZR1 Coming This Summer

The 2025 C8 Corvette ZR1 should become the most powerful and first turbocharged factory Corvette in history.

First a total solar eclipse, now some great news from Chevrolet confirming that the C8 generation Corvette ZR1 is not only real — which we all knew — but is also “coming this summer.” What a week! In a new 22-second video, posted to Chevrolet’s YouTube channel and various social accounts, a car races past, leaving a trail of mist in the darkness. A silhouette of the eighth-generation Corvette. The computer-generated imagery takes us through the current C8 models — Stingray, Z06, and E-Ray — before the beloved ZR1 logo appears along with a slogan —

The unthinkable is coming this summer.

What do you want in a C8 Corvette ZR1? Let us know in the forums HERE.

What We Can See & Hear

Will it be twin-turbo? Will it be all-wheel-drive or rear-wheel-drive? How much will it cost? There’s still so much to debate and learn, but we can at least dive into this new video. First, let’s talk about the soundtrack. To our ears, the engine still very much sounds like the 5.5L flat-plane-crank V8 found in the C8 Z06. However, it also sounds a touch muted, which to me indicates that the long-rumored-but-mostly-confirmed LT7 will house twin turbos, which would make this the first factory-turbocharged Corvette in history. Something legendary Corvette engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov wanted to do decades ago, but only achieved after he retired with a 1-of-1 prototype.

Looking at the computer-generated visuals, the ZR1 looks very much like car we saw testing at the Ring back in October 2023. We can see that the Corvette engineers have added a massive rear wing that’s rumored to be active (or at the very least adjustable) —

Next, taking a look at this silhouette, we can see a few hidden details in the shadow —

That become clearer when you raise the shadows —

We can see the massive front coolers and a revised front fascia (which on the camouflaged testers from October revealed a slightly larger center grille). Also, canards! What we can’t see, is the revised hood vent that, again, was visible back in October. Still, it looks like the most extreme C8 so far.

A Quick History of the ZR1

The Corvette ZR1 first debuted as a package in the C3 generation Corvette for the 1970-72 models years. Back then, it was a stripper model tuned for performance and handling, not luxury. The badge returned in 199o in the C4 generation. That ZR-1 featured a Lotus-designed dual-overhead cam V8 making 375 peak horsepower (bumped to 405 in 1993). It was the the fastest Corvette ever made and opting for one could double the base C4’s MSRP.

For the 2009 model year, Chevrolet brought back the ZR1 for the C6 generation. It was the first factory-supercharged Corvette in history. And the first one capable of topping 200 mph. (Coincidentally, this model convinced the engineers that future Corvettes needed to become mid-engine for the sake of traction, but that’s another story.) Under the hood, a 6.2L supercharged V8 — the LS9 — made 638 horsepower.

The last time we saw the Corvette Zr1 was in 2019 for the C7 ZR1. Under the hood, another supercharged 6.2L V8. This one produced 755 peak horsepower. Throw in carbon ceramic brakes, the last year of the manual transmission, and up to 950 lbs of downforce from all the aero, and remains arguably most insane Corvette in history. But it was also incredibly hard to drive.

The C8 Corvette ZR1 has been long rumored to be powered by the LT7 powerplant, a twin-turbocharged version of the flat-plane-crank LT6 powering the current generation Z06. With a pair of turbos, the LT7 should make around 850 horsepower. Another rumor indicates that a special Zora Edition could blow past 1,000 horsepower by adding in the E-Ray’s front-drive electric motor system. What’s unclear — along with a whole bunch of details — is whether or not the Zora edition will be a ZR1 package, or a future standalone model.

Stay tuned for more.

Images: Chevrolet