Corvette ZR1 drops mic with 2.3-second 0-60 mph dash

Posted by Talbot Payne on December 27, 2024

The records keep on coming.

Corvette’s rear-wheel-drive ZR1 supercar continues to set the bar for fastest Corvette ever. It’s equipped with the highest horsepower (1,064) and highest top speed (233 mph) ever recorded by a production ‘Vette, and now Chevrolet has revealed its jaw-dropping acceleration numbers.

Sixty mph goes by in just 2.3 seconds, on par with expensive exotics like the Porsche 918 Spyder and Aston Martin Valkyrie. Its quarter-mile time? Just 9.6 seconds, putting it in rare, sub-10 second dragster category. Credit the eighth-generation Corvette C8’s mid-engine layout — a first for ‘Vette — which gives better traction to the rear wheels. When it was introduced in 2020, the standard C8 dropped an incredible, sub-three second 0-60 time (2.9 seconds) with its 495-horsepower, 6.2-liter V-8 engine.

The 2025 CorvetteZR1 reaches 60 mph in a breathtaking 2.3 seconds, rivaling much more expensive, exotic supercars.

The 2025 CorvetteZR1 reaches 60 mph in a breathtaking 2.3 seconds, rivaling much more expensive, exotic supercars. Richard Prince, Chevrolet

Performance models of the C8 have followed with the RWD, normally-aspirated, 5.5-liter, 670-horsepower Z06 putting up a 2.6-second 0-60 mph time. With an electric motor driving the front wheels, the all-wheel-drive Corvette E-Ray went even quicker at 2.5 seconds.

To achieve its new benchmark, the ZR1 strapped twin-turbochargers on the back of the Z06’s high-revving DOHC V-8. The Z06 engine is the most powerful, normally-aspirated V-8 engine on the market, and the ZR1 mill is the most powerful American-made V-8 engine produced, period.

“The 2025 Corvette ZR1 yet again exceeded our expectations,” said Corvette Chief Engineer Josh Holder. “Combined with a top speed record of 233 mph — which is unrivaled by any current production car priced under $1 million — the Corvette ZR1 delivers on its mission to provide customers unrelenting power.”

Only the Dodge Challenger Demon 170 (1.66 seconds) and Dodge Challenger SRT Demon (2.1) are quicker among rear-wheel-drive cars and the Dodge brothers use special drag radial tires and a prepped drag-race surface to achieve their stunning times. Among its mid-engine supercar peers, the ZR1 is matched only by the $4 million Aston Martin Valkyrie in a 0-60 sprint. The ZR1 is estimated to cost just under $200,000 when it goes on sale next year.

The ZR1 recorded its 2.3-second time when equipped with the optional ZTK package, which includes high-downforce carbon fiber wing and other aerodynamic elements, and sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires. To achieve its insane, 152-mph quarter-mile trap speed, the ZR1 wore its standard wardrobe — making it 2 mph faster than the ZTK-equipped ZR1.

2025 CorvetteZR1 on track.

2025 CorvetteZR1 on track. Chevrolet Richard Prince, Chevrolet

The fastest supercar 0-60 mph times tend to be recorded by all-wheel-drive cars, which have inherently better traction. The fastest Ferrari, for example, is the $530k, AWD Ferrari SF90 XX Stradale at 2.3 seconds, while the fastest Porsches are the $2 million, hybrid-powered, AWD 918 Spyder at 2.2 seconds and the electric Taycan Turbo S at 2.3 seconds.

Before Corvette went mid-engine with the C8, the fastest-recorded front-engine Corvette was the 2019 ZR1 at 2.85 seconds. In addition to better traction through mid-engine and AWD setups, modern cars benefit from digital advancements like launch control to help achieve their bullet-quick acceleration. The 2025 Corvette ZR1’s launch control manages tire spin, transmission clutch application rate, and other elements to achieve repeatable 0-60 mph sprints.

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or @HenryEPayne.

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