Chevy ZR1X Isn’t the End: More Corvette C8 Power Coming originally appeared on Autoblog.
There’s seemingly no end in sight to what can be achieved with the C8’s platform
The one question that nobody asked after Chevrolet revealed the Corvette ZR1X last month is: What’s next? With 1,250 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of under two seconds, most of us were more than happy to accept that the ZR1X represents the apex of the Corvette C8 story. But such is the capability of the C8 platform that Corvette chief engineer Tony Roma said that an even fiercer version of the supercar is coming at some point. The ZR1X’s performance is already well within hypercar territory, so where could the Corvette go from here?
ZR1X Just The Latest Chapter, Not The Final C8
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“The backbone we’ve built into the C8 is proving to be super capable,” said Roma when speaking to Top Gear. “The things we’ve learned from creating the various models so far and the opportunities we have in the future with this chassis are incredible. The ZR1X is not the end of the story, it’s just the latest chapter. The team that works on it has a very ‘what can we do, and how can we do it?’ attitude. They see possibilities and not challenges.”
Since the base C8 launched with 490 horsepower, Chevy has steadily improved the car with variants like the E-Ray hybrid, the Z06 with its flat-plane crank V8, and the potent 1,064-hp ZR1. The ZR1X takes the best of the ZR1 and adds a hybrid system, enabling AWD and over 1,200 hp.
Related: Every Corvette C8 Ranked By Horsepower
Lap Times And Speed Records Excite Supercar Buyers
Roma said that although it doesn’t expect customers to use the top Corvettes to their full capabilities, record speed runs and lap times excite this demographic.
“Speed is only relevant these days for bragging rights. For a car to have a certain amount of provenance, we have to offer a version of that car that’s capable of doing those silly numbers. The ZR1’s top speed attempt was not in expectation that our customers would ever repeat it, or even get remotely close, because you can’t legally do that.
“We had to go through a lot of testing to set that speed: travel to Papenburg, hire the track for three days, get a bunch of mechanics over and so on. But the fact that the car has proven it can do it is precisely why people buy cars like this. Having the crazy lap times and ridiculous acceleration is part of what makes these cars what they are.
“So I think we are going to continue to make the car faster for those bragging rights, because our customers appreciate that. It’s the same with any performance car manufacturer - we push each other with Nürburgring lap times for that reason.”
Related: Corvette Boss Says ZR1 Might Not Be The Nürburgring Record-Breaker We Hoped
Chevy is known to be conducting high-speed runs at the Nürburgring with the ZR1, and while we expect a spectacular time, Roma said recently that it may not steal the record from the Mercedes-AMG ONE, an F1-inspired rocket with a much higher price.
When the ZR1X arrives, it will no doubt set another series of Corvette speed records. Whatever model comes after that may not have more power, but Chevy could further tweak the platform to extract more performance, possibly reducing weight for a stripped-down track special.
Whatever comes after the ZR1X, it’s sure to be worth the wait.
Chevy ZR1X Isn’t the End: More Corvette C8 Power Coming first appeared on Autoblog on Jul 15, 2025
This story was originally reported by Autoblog on Jul 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
