What happens when you smash the latest Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 – the fastest, most unhinged Corvette ever – into the first ever electrified Corvette, the E-Ray? Well, you get the absolutely insane ZR1X, a hybrid, all-wheel-drive beast in the running to be one of the quickest cars in the world.
Chevy calls this a true American hypercar, and while purists may take offence to the term being bestowed on essentially an uprated sports car, the ZR1X does at least have the performance to back it up. As the name suggests, the vehicle uses the building blocks of the “regular” ZR1, including the same 5.5 litre LT7 twin-turbo flat-plane-crank V8 that churns out an already astonishing 1,064 hp and 1,123 Nm of torque.
But while all that continues to be sent to the rear wheels through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, the front axle receives a version of the E-Ray’s electric motor. Except here it’s been boosted to 186 hp and 197 Nm, resulting in a scarcely believable total output of 1,250 hp.
The battery, located within the car’s spine, retains a 1.9 kWh capacity but possesses higher usable energy to better hot lapping ability. And no, the ZR1X is not a plug-in hybrid, just like the E-Ray – all the electrical energy comes from regenerative braking.
The performance figures make for quite some reading – zero to 60 mph (97 km/h) in under two seconds and a quarter-mile (402 m) in under nine seconds, which would have been useful in the first Fast and Furious. The latter figure has been helped by the front axle disconnect now happening at a higher speed of 258 km/h, 17 km/h more than in the E-Ray.
Power distribution across both axles is constantly adjusted to suit driver inputs and vehicle conditions, helping to improve responsiveness and traction management. On track, the ZR1X benefits from several specialised powertrain modes to manage electrical output, including an Endurance mode for extended hot lapping, Qualifying mode that optimises power strategy over a single lap, and a push-to-pass function for maximum available power on demand, such as when overtaking.
Elsewhere, the ZR1X’s Performance Traction Management (PTM) gets a new mode called PTM Pro, which disables traction and stability control while maintaining torque vectoring via regen braking, launch control and a front axle pre-control that uses the front brakes to maximise corner-exit traction.
Meanwhile, the brakes, hidden behind 20-inch front and 21-inch rear alloy wheels (carbon rollers are optional), are the upgraded J59 carbon ceramic units that are optional on the ZR1 but standard here, coming with ten-piston Alcon callipers (clamping 420 mm discs, the largest available on a Corvette) at the front and four-piston units at the back. The stoppers are claimed to generate 1.9 g in deceleration from 290 km/h to 200 km/h. Magnetorheological dampers are standard fitment.
Those looking for a fresh new look to go with the increased performance will be disappointed to learn that the ZR1X looks practically identical to the ZR1 which, in turn, doesn’t appear to be much different from the naturally-aspirated Z06. The distinguishing features between the three cars remain the same – an aggressive front air intake design, a jutting front splitter, trilobe-shaped side air intakes and a massive rear diffuser incorporating quad tailpipes, with a vented bonnet being the only ZR1 and ZR1X differentiator.
Just like the ZR1, the ZR1X can be optioned with a carbon fibre aero package that includes front flics, a gurney flap around the bonnet extractor vents and a giant rear wing, altogether delivering a claimed 544 kg of downforce. This package comes standard as part of the ZTK Track Performance Package that also adds stiffer dampers and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tyres (Michelin Pilot Sport 4S rubber come standard).
Inside, the ZR1X receives the updated interior coming to all 2026 model year Corvettes, ditching the infamous “button wall” on the passenger side. Those buttons are now positioned below the larger 12.7-inch infotainment display, while the 14-inch digital instrument display has been supplemented by a 6.6-inch auxiliary touchscreen on the left for vehicle information and PTM settings.
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