The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Could Be the First Factory Twin-Turbo Corvette Ever
General Motors and Chevrolet are reviving the storied Corvette ZR1 after five years of dormancy. It’s big news for the nameplate; the C8-generation ZR1’s predecessor, the 2019 C7 ZR1, still reigns as the most powerful factory ‘Vette ever. As such, we expect asphalt-kicking power and apex-clipping performance out of the upcoming ZR1. However, the upcoming 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 is also likely to be the first factory twin-turbo Corvette ever.
The 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 teaser piped in high-revving engine soundtracks and suggests another version of the 5.5L LT6 V8, perhaps with twin turbos
The upcoming Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 has some serious competition in its own family. The C8-generation Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and E-Ray produce 670 and 655 horsepower, respectively. Better yet, both cars, a fuel-guzzling flat-plane monster, and the other a hybrid supercar will hit 60 mph in around two and a half seconds. However, the upcoming C8 ZR1 is, as Chevrolet calls it, “unthinkable.”
Popular expectations for the C8 ZR1 include two turbos plonked onto the Z06’s already brilliant 5.5L LT6 V8, per Car and Driver. That’s monumental news for several reasons. For starters, the upcoming eighth-generation Corvette range-topper will likely produce over 800 horsepower. Power like that will instantly immortalize the ZR1 as the most powerful Corvette ever. That is until the appropriately named “Zora” rolls off the line with near-as-makes-no-difference 1,000 horsepower.
However, the C8 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 will break another record: if it packs a twin-turbo setup, it will be the first factory turbo ‘Vette of its kind. However, it’s not the first time Chevrolet and GM toyed with the idea of a turbocharged Corvette. In 1979, Chevrolet experimented with its L82 C3 ‘Vette, swapping in the tamer L48’s cam and adding a turbocharger.
In another attempt, GM produced a C3-based concept Corvette with an all-aluminum 5.7L V8 and a turbo. However, the visionary ‘Vettes never reached production. As such, the supercharged LS9 in the C6 Z06 was the first factory Corvette heart with forced induction. And that wouldn’t arrive until 2009.
