The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Is a 1,250 HP American Hypercar
The new 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X is here and it’s more overpowered than Ultra Instinct Goku. With 1,250 horsepower on tap this new Corvette just leveled up from supercar to hypercar like a main character in a final battle arc. What’s with all the anime references today? Anyway, if you’re one of the few people that thought the mighty ZR1 didn’t quite have enough power, then the ZR1X is what you’ve been waiting for.
Electric Horses
On the back half of the new ZR1X just behind the driver is the same 5.5-liter, twin-turbo, 1,064 horsepower LT7 V-8 engine from the ZR1. The difference is up front, where a 186 horsepower electric motor resides. The non-plug-in hybrid system on the ZR1X is the same one found in the Corvette E-Ray, but here it’s tuned for a bit more power. The hybrid system exclusively handles the front axle while the V-8’s only concerned with the rear wheels. Combined, the twin powertrains give the Corvette ZR1X all-wheel-drive capability as well as staggering total of 1,250 horsepower and 828 lb-ft of torque.
How Fast Is It?
It’s true that the hybrid system likely adds a few hundred pounds of weight to what would otherwise be a ZR1 but considering the four-digit horsepower and nearly as much torque, it’s doubtful that the extra weight will be noticeable to most drivers. Furthermore, in exchange for the weight, you get a car that can get from a standstill to 60 mph in under 2 seconds according to Chevrolet. The automaker also says that the ZR1X will turn a 1/4 mile in “under 9 seconds.” So, if you take this thing to the track you better make sure you have all the proper 9-second car safety requirements in place lest you get banned.
Like the E-Ray, the electric motor is only present on the ZR1X to augment the power of the V-8 behind the driver and not for fuel economy. The battery feeding the motor is only 1.9 kWh so don’t expect to find an electric only mode that will give you enough range for your daily work commute. The electrons are for thrust only. Once the ZR1X gets up to 160mph the electric motor backs off and lets the V-8 do all the work.
It Should Stop, Grip, and Turn as Well As It Goes
The 2026 Corvette ZR1X will come standard with GM’s J59 braking package which is an option on the ZR1. The package includes Alcon brake calipers—10 piston in front and 6 in back—with 16.5-inch carbon ceramic brake rotors at all four corners. GM didn’t provide stopping distance numbers, but it did reveal that the ZR1X generated 1.9Gs of deceleration from 180 mph to 120 mph.
The ZR1X’s staggered wheels come wrapped with Michelin PS4S tires, but if buyers opt for the ZTK Performance Package the rubber is upgraded to a set of Michelin’s Pilot Cup 2R tires. Magnetic ride control is standard, but the performance package offers stiffer spring rates.
For increased downforce, a carbon fiber aero package is available as an individual option or comes included with the ZTK Performance Package. The aero package adds dive planes, underbody strakes, a hood gurney lip over the front heat extractor and a rear wing. According to GM the aero package is good for 1,200 pounds of downforce at top speed.
How Much Will the ZR1X Cost?
The 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X doesn’t have an official price tag yet. However, considering that the non-hybrid ZR1 starts at about $175k, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to suspect a starting price over $200k for the ZR1x. That’s no small amount of money, but considering that this car is meant to take on hypercars from the likes of McLaren, Lamborghini, and Ferrari all of which range from $500k to a cool million, $200k for equivalent performance is a bargain—before the inevitable dealer mark ups anyway.
