Even hotter Chevrolet Corvettes to come, but don't count on an EV

7NEWS

6 days ago

There are even hotter versions of the current C8-series Chevrolet Corvette in the works despite the heroics of the flagship ZR1X – the most potent, rapid production Corvette in the nameplate's 72-year history.
Currently the performance pinnacle of the C8 Corvette range, launched in 2020, the 2025 Corvette ZR1X packs a combined 1250hp (932kW) from its twin-turbo 5.5-litre LT7 V8 petrol engine and front-axle electric motor, with a staggering 0-100km/h time of 2.0-seconds flat.
Just when Corvette fans thought things couldn't get any better, GM Performance lead engineer Tony Roma has told Top Gear there's even more to come from the current model.
'The ZR1X is not the end of the story, it's just the latest chapter,' Mr Roma told the British publication.Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now.
'The backbone we've built into the C8 is proving to be super capable. 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 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.'
Sadly, the ZR1X won't be offered in Australia, with the slow-selling Corvette E-Ray hybrid V8 remaining the most capable Corvette locally here – although its performance stats barely edge out the more expensive Z06.
Mr Roma says both the E-Ray and the Z06 provided learnings the engineering team applied to the ZR1X – and even more capable C8 Corvettes to come.
That includes posting higher top speeds, with Chevrolet not supplying a top speed for the ZR1X – which, given its capability, should be higher than the Z06's staggering 233mph (375km/h) v-max.
'Speed is only relevant these days for bragging rights,' Mr Roma told Top Gear.
'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.
'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.
'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.'
Those speeds will be achieved with a V8, despite GM teasing a battery-electric Corvette concept back in 2022, with a recent follow-up earlier this year.
Mr Roma told another UK title, this time Autocar, an electric Corvette must be about more than numbers – and that given the increasingly rapid performance in everyday EVs, Corvette buyers will be looking for something beyond acceleration times.
'We talk about what it would take to make a capable enough car, but right now it's still science fiction,' Mr Roma told Autocar.
'And so that's our challenge – to come up with something different, that something engaging.
'When you're buying a car like a Corvette, why are you buying it? You're buying it because you want something special. You want to be engaged in the art of driving.
'And so, when we can figure out how to do that, and as we put more electrification in the car, we will, but we're not going to do an electric version of this car just to do it. That would defeat the entire purpose.'