When Chevrolet deemed the Corvette ZR1X a “true American hypercar,” the automaker wasn’t kidding. The most extreme ‘Vette yet already set the lap record for a U.S.-made ride at the Nurburgring last year. Now, the ZR1X has just officially laid claim to America’s quickest production car title after clocking a 0-60 mph time of 1.68 seconds to surpass the previous record holder, the all-electric Lucid Air Sapphire, which completed the acceleration benchmark in 1.89 seconds.
In the same run on a prepped surface, Corvette development engineer and test driver Stefan Frick also squeezed out a quarter-mile in 8.675 seconds at 159 mph out. Chevy astutely pointed out that, in addition to the Lucid Air Sapphire, the ZR1X bests almost all of the quickest automobiles on Earth. The Pininfarina Battista hits 60 mph in 1.79 seconds, the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut in 2.4 seconds and the Bugatti Tourbillon in 1.9 seconds. Only the Rimac Nevera R—the world’s quickest production car to 60 mph—beats the ZR1X by a mere .02 seconds.
“There are many different parts and subsystems on this car, with teams across the company responsible for them,” said Frick. “We were all motivated by the mission to break into the eights—this is a powerful example of the in-house skill at GM, and the level of performance we developed into this car.”
“When we made the revolutionary shift to a mid-engine platform, this is the type of performance we knew was possible,” added General Motors President Mark Reuss.
The heart of this hellacious hybrid the ZR1’s twin-turbocharged LT7 V8, which on its own is good for 1,064 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque that’s sent to the rear wheels through an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. Extra output comes from an improved version of the E-Ray’s high-voltage battery pack and electric motor, bringing the ZR1X’s total output to 1,250 horsepower.
But a true hypercar doesn’t just need to barrel down a dragstrip, it has to be superior on a race track, too. The ZR1X utilizes specialized energy strategies that are tailor-made to make the most of the electrified output on a closed course. A Charge+ button adjusts the battery’s energy storage strategy for extended lapping and consistent eAWD output over a full tank of fuel, a Qualifying mode optimizes power delivery for single-lap times, and Push-to-Pass provides bursts of power when a rival needs to be put in their place.
But the most impressive part about the Corvette ZR1X, given its company, is its price. While every aforementioned competitor (aside from the Lucid Air) starts from $2 million to $4 million, buyers can get the most extreme Corvette in its highest performing spec for between $250,000 and $300,000. In that value race, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X wins by a mile.
