[Z-NEWS] 2025 ZR1 "Is The Most Expensive Corvette We'll Be Doing"; Spotted In Wild... And More!

Welcome to CorvSport’s ZR1 recap, where we highlight some of the news you may have missed over the past couple of weeks. If you’ve recently been around social media, you know that the new 2025 ZR1 is taking the Corvette community by storm, so we’ll begin today’s Z-NEWS recap with a quick overview of why this amazing piece of machinery is astonishing enthusiasts across the globe.

Then, we’ll dig into Tadge Juechter’s quote about the ZR1, which has many wondering what the ZORA will bring to the table (or if it will even exist in C8 form). After that, we’ll round out the coverage with some recent spy photos from GMAuthority, which show off some ZR1 colors in the wild that you may not have seen yet! As always, our extensive CorvSport C8 ZR1 archives will be included after the close, in case you missed any coverage and need to brush up for Monday’s water cooler session. Let’s get after it!

1) 2025 Corvette ZR1 Overview

Powertrain: A flat-plane crank (FPC) twin-turbocharged 5.5 liter LT7,
Power: A whopping 1,064 HP with 828 lb-ft of torque! Record milestone numbers for the brand.
Performance: “Significantly faster than 212 mph” and “under a 10-second quarter mile,”
Pricing: Car and Driver reports a starting price in the range of $180,000 to $205,000,
Transmission: A “strengthened” 8-speed TREMEC DCT (from Stingray & Z06),
Dry Weights: 3,670 lbs (Coupe) and 3,758 lbs (Convertible)
Availability: The 2025 model year is confirmed.
Torque Monster: Nearly all its torque, 800 lb-ft, is available from 3,000 to 6,500 RPMs!
The first turbocharged Corvette ever!
The first factory Corvette to surpass 1,000 HP!
The most powerful V8 ever produced in America by an auto manufacturer.
No electric motors are on the front wheels; speculation is the hybrid will be reserved for the ZORA.
There is an 8000 RPM redline (down 600 from the C8 Z06’s LT6 to accommodate the turbos).
According to Tadge Juechter, the LT7 has numerous engineering upgrades, including thicker forged titanium rods, and there is no cylinder deactivation.
The iconic Split Window design is back!

The revolutionary LT7 that is shaking up the world! Photo Credit: NCM

2) Tadge Juechter: “Corvette ZR1 is the Most Expensive Corvette We’ll Be Doing”

Wait, what? I thought that was going to be the ZORA! And while we’re at it, I thought the ground-breaking 1,000+ horsepower variant was going to be reserved for the ZORA. If you were taken aback by Tadge’s quote, you are not alone. There are many YouTubers and bloggers who have posted on this recent revelation, but notable enthusiast Justin from HorsePower Obsessed covered the ins and outs of this latest development best in his recent YouTube release.

Here are the notable timestamps with cliff notes:

[0:14] Will the ZORA even exist? Details on Tadge’s remarks, made during a Car and Driver video.
[0:22] In addition to the “most expensive” quote, Tadge also said the 2025 ZR1 would be the “range-topper.”
[0:35] The sequence of performance variants for the C8 was leaked sometime around early 2020.
[1:04] A leaked chart showing the progression of C8 models indicated the ZR1 would be below the ZORA; Justin goes line by line with each speculation.
[3:20] “They (GM) may not continue with the ZORA in the traditional sense…”
[7:04] Bonus Material: A deeper dive on the ZR1’s carbon fiber wheels

3) GMAuthority Breaks First Real-World Photos Of 2025 ZR1 In Rapid Blue And Red Mist Metallic Tintcoat

Recently, spy photographers caught the new ZR1 in the wild, showcasing two colors we have yet to see in the real world. This Rapid Blue example (paint code GMO), captured on the streets of Detriot by GMAuthority photographers, “gives the mid-engine sports car an electrifying, exotic appearance,” as GMAuthortiy so succinctly put it.

Click here to go directly to GMAuthority’s article on this Rapid Blue ZR1

Both screenshots are fully credited to GMAuthority.com

Click here to go directly to GMAuthority’s article on this Red Mist Metallic ZR1

Thanks, CorvSport readers, for continuing to join us on this adventure of all things Corvette! If you want to keep up to date with all the fresh Corvette news and maintain a pulse on the lifestyle and culture of this exciting, iconic brand, CorvSport has the fastest-growing Corvette community on our Facebook page, with over 171,000 followers (52,000 since January 2023!). Come join other hardcore enthusiasts and say hello, Douglas B.

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