As has been the case since they introduced the mid-engine Stingray in 2020, Chevrolet has been hard at work advancing the eighth-generation Corvette into ever-faster, ever-more-exclusive iterations of “America’s Sports Car.” This week, one of the photographers at Corvetteblogger.com happened to be in the right place at the right time to capture some of the first images of the latest example of the mid-engine Corvette – the 2025 Corvette ZR1. Despite being wrapped in camouflage, these powerful prototypes were spotted on the streets of Detroit being test driven by Chevrolet engineers.
Our friends at Corvetteblogger.com have shared an entire portfolio of amazing images (several of which you can view below) from this encounter. They also speculated on what they believed was hidden beneath all that camouflage. Keith Cornett, owner/author/editor of Corvetteblogger, writes: “So what do we see here? The cars are wearing that heavy black cladding that hides many of the details, but from first glance it appears that the front spoiler is even more aggressive than that on the Z06, but that could just be the covers exaggerating those details. Through the front mesh, we are seeing some of the same design details on the front fascia that are also on the widebody Z06/E-Ray.
On the back we are seeing a rear high wing that is very similar to that on the Z06s. We also see a couple of the cars with what looks to be the Z06’s base aero.
The wheels have the round covers to hide the rims and brake rotors, but we can through the center openings that show a new set of wheels based on the spoke design. It was over a year ago that these wheels were first seen on a camouflaged prototype. We can confirm they are wearing Michelin Cup 2 Rs with 275/30 ZR20s up front, with 345/25 ZR21s at the rear.”
While details on the new ZR1 remain sketcky, with most being little more than heresay at this point, it has been rumored that Chevrolet’s latest take on their supercar Corvette will feature the same 5.5-liter, LT7 V8 engine as its Z06 counterpart. Unlike the Z06 however, the new ZR1 will come packaged with a pair of twin turbos. If so equipped, it is rumored that the new ZR1 powerplant would boast an engine output of 850 horsepower!
It is important to note that these early iterations of the ZR1 (which is expected to arrive in 2025) may not yet incorporate many of the exterior elements that will be featured on the production model. Based on the images we have today, these cars appear to be akin to the current Z06, but time alone will tell whether or not Chevrolet goes even wider on the body styling, or adds other details to enhance the “form follows function” mantra that has been part of Corvette’s DNA for decades.
We know this much – we can’t wait to see what’s under the camouflage. The 2024 Z06 and Corvette E-Rays are both spectacular. Even so, we suspect the best is yet to come!
For even more spy photos of the 2025 Corvette ZR1, please click the link below and visit our friends at Corvetteblogger.com. Special thanks to Keith Cornett and team for breaking this story!
