Corvette engineers seem to flip the script with every single variant of the C8. From the base car bringing supercar engineering to the masses, to the ZR1 pushing the thousand-horsepower envelope, each variant is progressively more bonkers than the last. Now, with this latest 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, we’ve pretty much reached peak bonkers.
Think of the 2026 ZR1X as the Corvette E-Ray and ZR1 melded into one convenient — and completely bonkers — package. It keeps the twin-turbocharged, 5.5-litre, flat-plane-crank V8 from the ZR1, putting out an already impressive 1,064 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque on its own. That’s augmented by the same front-axle-mounted electric motor and 1.9 kWh battery pack from the E-Ray, but GM found enough extra electrons resulting in a power bump. In total, you’re looking at a whopping 1,250 horsepower. The electrified running gear adds about 250 pounds to the ZR1X’s bottom line, but that doesn’t compromise performance one bit. GM quotes a zero-to-60 mph (96 km/h) run in under two seconds and a quarter-mile run in under nine seconds.
Among the extensive updates baked into the Corvette ZR1X, standouts include absolutely massive 10-piston front and six-piston rear brakes that can generate a wild 1.9 lateral G of deceleration force, multiple drive modes including Qualifying and Push-to-Pass — the former estimates how much extra battery juice you’ll need to set your best lap around a track, while the latter unleashes all fury until the battery is fully depleted, and an optional ZTK performance package that adds firmer springs and super sticky, track-ready Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires.
Chevrolet hasn’t specified pricing yet for this certifiably insane track monster just yet, but production for the Corvette ZR1X kicks off later this year in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The idea of a mid-engine, hybrid, all-wheel-drive ZR1 might seem blasphemous, but we’re talking performance you’d expect from a multi-million-dollar hypercar in something a fraction of the cost is one helluva mic drop.
