2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Is a 1250-HP Hybrid Hypercar of a C8 'Vette
2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Is a 1250-HP Hybrid Hypercar of a C8 'VetteSo, you bought a ZO6 to have the fastest Vette? And then traded it in on am E-Ray? Up pops the ZR-1 and now ...
Zero to 60 miles per hour in less than two seconds, a quarter-mile in under nine seconds at more that 150 miles per hour. The numbers easily draw comparisons to cars like the Ferrari F80 and McLaren W1, both of which cost millions of dollars and are all spoken for from a list of invited clients. The Corvette should cost a bit less. Taking the base price of the ZR1 ($178,195) and adding the premium of the E-Ray hybrid compared to the base Stingray ($38,600) suggests the ZR1X could start under $250,000; a good deal less expensive than the offerings from Maranello and Woking, and probably easier to acquire as well. Production will start in late 2025 as a 2026 model year car.
Granted, the ZR1X doesn’t have the exotic carbon-fiber construction of the Ferrari and McLaren, or 3D-printed suspension parts. In fact, it’s largely similar to the two-wheel-drive ZR1, with the same bodywork. As with its sibling, the X will be offered in coupe and convertible form, and with and without the big-wing aero package and ZTK suspension.
[img width=780 height=1189.5 alt=2026 chevrolet corvette zr1x title=2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X]https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/2026-chevrolet-corvete-zr1x-split-1-68509e11dad67.jpg?resize=980:*[/img]See More Photos[/url]
Andi HendrickThe main difference between ZR1 and ZR1X is the hybrid setup. Borrowed from
the Corvette E-Ray, the motor comes with an extra 26 horsepower and 20 pound-feet of torque (for a total of 145 pound-feet). The general components are unchanged, with the extra output coming from more aggressive programming for the controller, as well as new bearings and structure to handle the extra torque. Similarly, the battery pack is the same unit from the E-Ray but uses slightly more of the available 1.9 total kilowatt-hours for 1.5 kWh of usable power. The hybrid system's weight of around 250 pounds should push the total curb weight to just under 4100 lbs.
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Video By Andi HendrickCounteracting the additional power and mass are massive new Alcon carbon-fiber brakes. They're 420 millimeters in diameter – that’s 16.5 inches – front and rear, with 10-piston front and 6-piston rear calipers. The discs themselves use the same long-strand construction as the ZR1. Those brakes will also be available as part of the ZTK package on the two-wheel-drive ZR1 starting with the 2026 model year.
[img width=780 height=1189.5 alt=2026 chevrolet corvette zr1x title=2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X]https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod/images/2026-chevrolet-corvete-zr1x-split-3-68509e587fc48.jpg?resize=980:*[/img]See More Photos[/url]
ChevroletFor track use, the ZR1X will offer Endurance Mode and Qualifying Mode. The former preserves some of the battery capacity for extended lapping, while the latter maximizes power for one to two hot laps, depending on the length of the circuit. In both modes, a push-to-pass mode will deploy maximum power to the e-motor while the button is pressed and the throttle is pinned. Instead of a dedicated button, this function co-opts the cruise control switch on the steering wheel ... because, you know, you won’t be using that on the track.
Also new, and part of the
2026 update to all Corvettes that includes an updated instrument cluster and infotainment screen, is the PTM Pro drive mode. This includes an additional setting for the Performance Traction Management system beyond the traction control-on, stability control-off Race 1 and Race 2 settings, which allows the driver to easily switch to and from a zero-intervention mode. In the ZR1X, as in the E-Ray, some controls on the front axle remain active, such as regenerative brake torque vectoring and brake control on the front inside wheel to help with corner exits.
For as extreme and unique as the ZR1X is, the name does feel like a bit of a letdown: "X" seems both outdated and a generic placeholder. Granted, ZR2 was taken: Once a big-block version of the original C3 ZR1 track package, it’s now the off-road package for Chevy trucks. ZR4? Sure, that signals four-wheel-drive, but is nearly as meaningless as any other alphanumeric. And Zora? No offense to the godfather of the Corvette, but he didn’t have much to do with this car, and there’s no need to steal the limelight away from the hundreds of people who actually made it happen. (If you want to learn more about
why the new car isn't called Zora, we asked GM about it; you can read all about it here.)
Once the Corvette ZR1X
throws down a Nurburgring lap time, however, it’s likely to be fast enough to render any criticism of the name moot.
Mike AustinExecutive Editor[/font][/size]
