corvette
corvette

Fastest, most powerful Corvette ever!

Riley Riley

Chevrolet has taken the wraps off The Fastest, Most Powerful Corvette Ever.

And it reckons the V8 in the coupe is the most powerful V8 ever produced  by an auto manufacturer in America.

With mind-bending specs and iconic design, the ZR1 has what it takes to challenge the world’s best supercars, in both coupe and convertible variants.

The 5.5-litre twin turbo DOHC flat-plane crank V8 engine (dubbed the LT7) produces 873kW of power at 7000 rpm and 1123Nm of torque at 6000 rpm.

Top speed is an estimated 346km/h and it will dispatch the quarter mile in less than 10.0 seconds.

The aero kit generates more than 544kg of downforce.

LT7 produces more power than two LS7 engines, the legendary 7.0L V-8 from the sixth-generation Corvette Z06 – akin to one LS7 engine per bank.

Unique to the 5.5L LT7 twin-turbo V8:

  • Head castings with unique ports and a larger combustion chamber
  • Valve train timing and lift profile optimized for forced induction with higher exhaust temp enabling exhaust valves
  • Completely new intake system tuned for twin turbochargers
  • CNC machined combustion chamber, exhaust and intake ports specific to the LT7
  • Dual, ported shroud, ball bearing, mono-scroll (76 mm) turbochargers integrated with the exhaust manifold to reduce the volume and distance from the exhaust valve to the turbine wheel for quick response with electronic wastegates
  • Intelligent anti-lag engine calibration techniques specifically for ZR1 that adapt and react to driving style

From Stingray, to Z06, E-Ray, and now ZR1, the Corvette family continues to elevate with each new iteration.

ZR1 revives one of the most iconic styles in Corvette history: the split rear window.

“We went into the ZR1 program with lofty goals, but even our first development tests on-track showed the teams were already exceeding them,” said Tadge Juechter, executive chief engineer, Corvette.

“As we worked to develop this car, we continued to leap past expectations, and we knew we had a special Corvette on our hands.”

On its first lap at the Milford Proving Ground’s MRC test track, the new ZR1 clocked a faster peak speed than the production C7 ZR1.

Engineers clocked a sub-10-second quarter-mile time on the Corvette ZR1’s first launch.

All four test drivers clocked over 322km/h (200 mph) on their very first laps at the Nürburgring with ease.

Corvette ZR1 will enter production in 2025 and will be built at General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky.

It joins Corvette Stingray, Corvette Z06 and Corvette E-Ray to continue elevating the Corvette family.

Further details on price and availability will be shared closer to production.

 

CHEVROLET CORVETTE ZR1 SPECs

ENGINE

Type:

LT7 Twin-Turbocharged 5.5L DOHC VVT DI

Bore & stroke (in. / mm):

4.104 x 3.150 / 104.25 x 80

Block Material:

A319 cast aluminium with cast-in iron cylinder liners and four-bolt main bearing caps

Oiling System:

Seven-stage dry sump (8-qt. capacity) with oil-spray piston cooling

Oil Type:

Dexos R 5W50 synthetic

Cylinder Head Material:

A356 T6 cast aluminium

Combustion Chamber Volume:

59.92cc

Compression Ratio:

9.8:1

Valvetrain:

Dual overhead camshafts (four valves per cylinder) with mechanical finger-follower valvetrain and dual-coil valve springs; dual-independent camshaft phasing

Valve Size (in. / mm):

1.77 / 45 titanium (intake) & 1.37 / 35 sodium filled Nimonic (exhaust)

Fuel Delivery:

PDI (DI – Max pressure: 5,076 psi (35 Mpa / 350 bar) & Port Fuel Injection)

Firing Order:

1-4-3-8-7-6-5-2

Throttle Body:

Twin 65mm single bore (electronic)

Charging:

Twin 76 mono-scroll ported shroud ball bearing turbos (67mm MAR compressor), E-Waste gates

Charge Cooling:

Dual engine-mounted water to air charge coolers

ECU:

GM E68 (32-bit processing)

Horsepower (hp / kW):

1064 / 873 @ 7000 rpm

Torque (lb.-ft. / Nm):

828 / 1123 @ 6000 rpm


TRANSMISSION & AXLE

Type:

M1K 8-speed dual clutch (DCT)


CHASSIS & SUSPENSION

Front Suspension:

Short/long arm (SLA) double wishbone, forged aluminium upper and cast aluminium L-shape lower control arms; monotube shock absorbers; Magnetic Selective Ride Control 4.0. Specific calibration with available ZTK package. Adjustable front lift with memory is available

Rear Suspension:

Short/long arm (SLA) double wishbone, forged aluminium upper and cast aluminium L-shape lower control arms; direct-acting stabiliser bar; monotube shock absorbers; Magnetic Selective Ride Control 4.0. Specific calibration with available ZTK package

Steering Type:

Variable-ratio rack-and-pinion with electric power assist; includes Active Steer Stops

Steering ratio:

15.7:1

Turning Circle (ft. / m):

38 / 11.1

Brake Type:

Front and rear eBoost-assisted carbon ceramic discs with six-piston/monobloc front calipers and four-piston/monobloc rear calipers

Brake Rotor Size (in. / mm):

Front: 15.7 x 1.5  / 400 x 38
Rear: 15.4 x 1.3 / 390 x 34

Wheel Size:

Front: 20-inch x 10-inch (w/5 x 120mm bolt pattern)
Rear: 21-inch x 13-inch (w/5 x 130mm bolt pattern)

Tire Size:

Front: 275/30ZR20
Rear: 345/25ZR21


EXTERIOR DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase (in. / mm):

107 / 2723

Overall Length (in. / mm):

185.9 / 4722

Overall Width without mirrors (in. / mm):

79.7 / 2025

Overall Height (in. / mm):

48.6 / 1234

Track (in. / mm):

Front: 66.3 / 1685
Rear: 66.1 / 1678


INTERIOR DIMENSIONS

Headroom (in. / mm):

37.9 / 963

Legroom (in. / mm):

42.8 / 1087

Shoulder Room (in. / mm):

54.4 / 1382

Hip Room (in. / mm):

52 / 1321


WEIGHTS & CAPACITIES

Dry Weight (lb. / kg):

3670 / 1665 (coupe)
3758 / 1705 (convertible)

Cargo Volume (cu. ft. / L)1:

9.1 / 258

FUEL TANK CAPACITY (approx.)

70 litres

 

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Riley