2026 CChevrolet Corvette ZR1X Debuts With 1,250 HP Hybrid Powertrain and Sub-2 Second 0–60 Time

Most Powerful Corvette Ever Built

Fast, faster, fastest. Chevrolet has rolled out an ever more potent series of Corvette variants since the mid-engine Stingray made its 2020 debut. But it may now be pushing the limits with the debut of the 2026 Corvette ZR1X.

Melding the 5.5-liter Gemini V8 only recently introduced in the Corvette ZR1 with the hybrid powertrain found in the Corvette E-Ray, this new variant promises dizzying levels of performance that, at least on paper, will put foreign exotics like the Porsche 911 GT3 and Bugatti Chiron to shame.

“This is the most revolutionary platform in Corvette history, supporting the widest range of American sports cars and delivering world-class performance at every level,” said General Motors senior vice president Ken Morris.

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0-60 MPH in Under 2 Seconds

Chevy has dubbed the ZR1X “a true American hypercar.” And it certainly has the bona fides, producing a stunning 1,250 horsepower capable of launching the two-seater from 0-60 mph in “under 2 seconds.” Top speed, according to the factory, is a blindingly fast 231 mph, (or 225 mph if you opt for the Carbon Aero package).

The ZR1X picks up on most of the new features introduced on the ZR1, including the completely revised interior package with its three-screen display.

All versions get the J59 braking package available only as an option on the ZR1. Designed for minimum fade, even on the track, according to Cody Bulkley, Corvette’s chief chassis control engineer, this “clean-sheet design” features Alcon 10-piston front and 6-piston rear calipers, with 16.5-inch rotors fore and aft. They’re a carbon ceramic design with continuously woven carbon fiber threads.

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ZR1X Hybrid Powertrain Combines Gemini V8 with E-Ray Tech

Just now in Chevy showrooms, one can hardly downplay the Corvette ZR1 with its new, and completely hand-built, 5.5-liter Gemini V8. With 1,064 hp and 828 lb-ft of torque, it has plenty going for it, with its flat-plane crankshaft, finger-follower valvetrain, and dry-sump lubrication. Chevy engineers also came up with a novel design integrating the twin turbos into the exhaust manifold to minimize lag time.

And that’s where the new hybrid drivetrain kicks in, adding another 186 hp and 145 lb-ft of instantaneous torque. It’s an upgraded version of the electric assist system found in the E-Ray. While they share a 1.9 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, ZR1X’can draw deeper into it, for additional torque. Bearings and other components have been upgraded to handle the additional power.

The V8, in traditional Corvette fashion, drives the rear wheels, here through an 8-speed double-clutch transmission, the single-speed hybrid system putting power to the front axle, “You can take advantage of the torque” said Bulkley, “to dig you out of a corner.”

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New Driver Modes Tailored for Track, Endurance, and Boost

Chevy adds several new modes allowing a driver to tune the battery drive system depending on where and how they’re driving:

Endurance Mode, triggered by the new “Charge+” button, “adjusts the battery’s energy storage strategy for extended lapping, Chey explains;
Qualifying Mode tunes the system for the “ultimate” lap time; and
Push-to-Pass yields the absolute maximum power the driveline can deliver.

Separately, even though it disables traction and stability control, the new PTM Pro setting maintains regen-brake torque vectoring and front axle pre-control, which manages inside front brake pressure for maximum corner-exit traction.

The ZRX1 also features Launch Control which helps a driver achieve best possible 0-60 times.

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Coupe or Convertible? ZR1X Offers Track and Touring Setups

As with the rest of the Corvette family, the 2026 ZR1X will be offered in both coupe and convertible body styles.

Buyers can choose from a standard setup which is primarily designed for touring – though it will be more than capable of the occasional track day. It features Michelin PS4S tires and a magnetic ride control suspension.

The ZR Performance Package also gets the active suspension, albeit with higher spring rates, with its wheels shod with Michelin Pilot Cup ZR tires.

Corvette’s Evolution: From Stingray to American Hypercar

It’s been a long-standing tradition for Chevy to roll out a series of ever more powerful Corvettes over the course of each generation’s lifecycle. And it’s stuck with that strategy since the launch of the C8. Even the base Stingray is an impressive package, delivering as much as 495 hp. And the new ZR1 pushed above 1,000 ponies for the first time in a street-legal Vette.

It’s been long-rumored that the bow-tie brand would deliver something to get the European exotics looking over their shoulder, and ZR1X certainly follows through. The one disappointment for some Corvette loyalists is the name. It had been widely expected the automaker would top out the line-up by honoring the sports car’s legendary chief engineer Zora Arkus-Duntov.

Will There Be an All-Electric Corvette After the ZR1X?

Asked if there could be something even more mind-boggling to follow, ‘Vette execs downplayed that possibility, admitting it would be pretty hard to go still further – though they wouldn’t rule that out entirely.

For now, at least, “This certainly is the pinnacle. The ZR1X really is a Corvette hypercar,” proclaimed Chief Engineer Josh Holder in a media background briefing.

Certainly, he and Bulkley said, it would be difficult, if at all possible, to push any further without a hybrid system. And that raised the obvious question. General Motors President Mark Reuss several years ago hinted that a pure electric Corvette might be in the works. Might one follow? “Not soon,” was all Holder would say.