America’s most powerful production V8 yet

America’s most powerful production V8 yet

The American automotive world is unique, and many models that make waves in the US market, sadly, never reach our roads, and for the most part, we are fine with that. But there are a few cars that enthusiasts are forced to love from a distance, and the new Corvette ZR1 is making sports car owners froth at the mouth. 

This new Corvette is the most powerful American V8 production car yet. Its bonnet hosts a 5.2-litre twin-turbocharged flat-plane-crank V8, which produces a meaty 783kW and 1,123Nm. With so much power running through an 8-speed DCT to the wheels, the ZR1 can reach a top speed of 362km/h and complete a quarter-mile run in under 10 seconds. 

Oddly enough, the ZR1 shares components with the Z06, like the engine block, with improved engine components and twin ball-bearing turbochargers. Corvette further added a ZTK handling package, which adds a massive rear wing to the equation as well as front dive planes and a gurney bonnet lip for a total downforce rating of 544kg. Now add the benefit of stiffer suspension, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres and you will dominate the racetrack.

Power makes a car fast, but lightness is just as important, and to ensure the ZR1 is as nimble as it is fast, components like carbon ceramic brake discs and carbon fibre wheels help to tip the scales at 1,665kg. That’s a lot of power for a sports car that’s relatively light. 

In the American market, the ZR1 is estimated to cost around R2,750,000, and production will begin in 2025. Although we will likely never see this car on our road, except for a few imports, it is great to see Corvette continue to push the boundaries in the current global manufacturing environment, and it looks the part too.

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