2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 Review and Test Drive

The 2025 Corvette ZR1 offers astonishing speed and grip on the racetrack.

Tim Stevens | 

May 30, 2025 | 4 min read

Tim Stevens

Sports cars are about more than straight-line speed, though. To truly test the mettle of the ZR1, you need a racetrack — and Austin's Circuit of the Americas is among the best in the United States. After a day running lap after lap in the fierce Texas sun, I was blown away by just how close this $174,995 machine gets to the world's greatest hypercars, some of which cost hundreds of thousands more.

Immense Power From the Twin-Turbo LT7

On the last-generation Corvette, Chevrolet engineers extracted a then-remarkable 755 horsepower from the Corvette ZR1's 6.2-liter V8 by adding a supercharger on top. For the new 2025 Corvette ZR1, Chevrolet returns to the forced-induction concept, but this time it employs a pair of turbochargers.

Big turbochargers. They measure 76 millimeters to be exact, but an advanced electronic anti-lag system helps ensure good throttle response. The result is 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 828 pound-feet of torque at 6,000 rpm. Acceleration to 60 mph requires just 2.3 seconds, and the quarter-mile flashes by in 9.6 seconds.

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Advanced Aerodynamics Keep Things Planted

You can probably guess by the big wing that there's a lot of aerodynamic work at play in the ZR1, but that's just a part of the story. Where the standard Corvette Stingray has a small front trunk, or frunk, good for carrying groceries or an overnight bag, the ZR1 instead has an airflow channel, which sends air through the hood.

That design adds downforce at the front of the car, while the wing on the back handles the same task at the rear. Not into the big-wing look? Don't worry — it's optional. By going without it, however, you're also giving up 1,200 pounds of downforce and some remarkable grip.

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Two Packages With Two Personalities

The 2025 Corvette ZR1's personality changes depending on which options you choose. The base car has all the power and torque but does without the big rear wing, resulting in a more subtle but still brutally fast machine. It also has an adaptive Magnetic Selective Ride Control 4.0 suspension and rolls on Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. They're sporty but not extreme.

The optional Carbon Fiber Aero ($8,495) and ZTK ($1,500) packages kick things up a notch. Add those, and the car has all the carbon-fiber aero bits, along with stickier Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires.

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The 2025 Corvette ZR1 Is a Track-Day Superstar

The base ZR1 without the ZTK package is remarkable on the track. It still has the same sensations as the regular Stingray in that it feels safe to push to the limit, with the front end tending to wash away first before the rear steps out. But it's fast, fun, and brutally quick, as you'd expect from a car with 1,064 horsepower.

Adding the ZTK package really does dial everything up to 11, though. The grip from the Cup 2 R tires feels ferocious, so much so that driving turns into a real workout. In corners, I saw g-forces exceeding 1.3, and I hit nearly 180 mph on the track's back straight. The ZR1 ZTK literally took my breath away.

The ZTK-equipped car displays fundamentally different dynamics. At lower speeds, when all the aerodynamics are least effective, the car's nose feels utterly stuck to the pavement. Turn into a hairpin bend too quickly, or too aggressively, and it's the rear that quickly comes around. It's easy to catch and delightfully fun — but not for the faint of heart.

When all the downforce is working at higher speeds, and that big mid-mounted V8 is screaming behind your head, the ZR1 is a delight. It's brutally fast and incredibly rewarding, and though the nearly $200,000 you'll spend for a top-shelf model with the ZTK package may sound extremely pricey, when compared with a Ferrari SF90 Stradale or Lamborghini Revuelto, it's a bargain.

Chevrolet provided the vehicle for this 2025 Corvette review and paid for airfare, lodging, and meals during the evaluation period.

Tim Stevens

Tim is a freelance automotive and technology journalist with more than 25 years of experience. He is a frequent contributor to major domestic and international online, print, and broadcast news outlets, sharing his insights and perspectives on everything from cybersecurity to supercars. Tim also serves as a juror for the World Car Awards and regularly acts as speaker and moderator at major industry events such as CES, Web Summit, SXSW, NAIAS, and AutoMobility LA. He formerly served as editor-at-large and vice president of content at CNET. Before that he was editor-in-chief of Engadget and editorial director at AOL Tech.