If the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray’s 495 horsepower wasn’t enough, and if the Z06’s 670 hp wasn’t enough and even if you were such a glutton for power that the manic Corvette ZR1’s 1,064 hp couldn’t quite scratch that itch, Chevrolet has an answer for you with the 2026 Corvette ZR1X.
The ZR1X is a tantalizing mix of both the E-Ray and the ZR1 in that it uses the same flat-plane crank and twin-turbocharged V8 the ZR1 does, with the E-Ray’s front-axle e-motor. That means it gets all the tech from the Z06’s V8 – combined manifold and turbo housing, anti-lag controls, massive 76 mm turbos – as well as the additional 186 hp and 145 pound-feet of torque from the e-motor. That means that – deep breath – the ZR1X is good for a colossal 1,250 hp, so General Motors makes no bones about calling it a “hypercar”. It also means it’s all-wheel-drive, which I guess is why they’ve added “X” to the name.
That one set of numbers is impressive but what can the ZR1X do with them? Well, how about a 0-97 km/h time of under two seconds? What about a sub nine-second quarter-mile time and a 150 miles-per-hour trap speed? They haven’t yet announced a top speed but if the ZR1 can reach 230-plus mph, you have to think this will be in that vicinity.
To help generate all that performance, the ZR1X’s battery sits low within the spine of the chassis and has been tuned to quickly switch from between charging the e-motor and providing bursts of motive force. The battery’s 1.9 kWh size is the same as the E-Ray’s, but it’s been tweaked to provide more usable energy so that those that want to take their ZR1X to the track will be able to do so. The e-motor will also stay engaged all the way through to 160 mph to help provide more acceleration, even as speeds increase.
To help get the most out of the powertrain, Chevrolet has developed three drive modes — Endurance, Qualifying and an F1-style Push-to-Pass – all with different parameters to get the most out of the powertrain for the given application.
Of course with heavyweight power comes the need for some heavyweight braking and chassis tech, and the ZR1X answers the bell with 10-piston front and six-piston rear brake calipers. Those squeeze standard carbon ceramic rotors to the tune of almost 2.0 G-levels of braking – watch your eyeballs. The brakes are included on both available chassis set-ups – Standard and ZTK Performance – that tweak certain aspects of the chassis and tires; standard gets Michelin PS4S rubber, while the ZTK adds hi-po Michelin Cup 2Rs, for example. Also standard on the ZTK and optional otherwise is a carbon aero package that adds dive planes, underbody strakes, and enlarged rear wing. Just for the sake of it, here’s yet another big number: 1,200, or the amount — in pounds — of downforce the aero package provides at top speed. Yee-haw!
2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X
2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X
2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X
2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X
2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X
2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X
Believe it or not (but those that know Corvettes probably will), the ZR1X will be available as either a coupe or hardtop convertible when it arrives, likely late this year.
No pricing has been announced but speaking of big numbers, well, expect that to be yet another one.