The Corvette ZR1, from the 1970 racing package to 1,064 hp

Corvette ZR1 history

The first ZR1 was a limited-production package for the third-generation Corvette that Zora Arkus-Duntov designed for SCCA racing. Built around the LT-1 small-block, it was a $968.95 option that included a cold-air hood, a close-ratio four-speed manual and performance shocks. It was offered from 1970 to 1972, and only 53 cars were built.

The name came back as the ZR-1 for 1990, nicknamed the 'King of the Hill.' Its LT5 V8, developed with Lotus and built by Mercury Marine, was rated at 375 hp, then 405 hp, and 6,939 were built through 1995. The C6 ZR1 of 2009–2013 used the supercharged 6.2-liter LS9, certified at 638 hp, and had a top speed of well over 200 mph.

The C7 ZR1, revealed in Dubai in November 2017 as a 2019 model, revived the LT5 name for a supercharged 6.2-liter V8 rated at 755 hp. The mid-engine C8 ZR1 followed for 2025 with the twin-turbo 5.5-liter LT7, rated at 1,064 hp, and reached 233 mph in testing. A hybrid all-wheel-drive ZR1X adds a front electric motor for 1,250 combined hp.[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[8]

Years and production numbers

Generations and key variants

Engine and drivetrain facts

• The C4 ZR-1's LT5 was Corvette's first overhead-cam, 32-valve V8.
• The C7 ZR1's LT5 is based on the Z06's LT4 but uses a supercharger with 52 percent more displacement, according to launch coverage.
• The C8 ZR1's LT7 shares its basic architecture with the Z06's naturally aspirated LT6 and adds twin 76 mm turbochargers; it is hand-assembled at the Bowling Green Performance Build Center.
• Chevrolet rates the LT7 at 1,064 hp and 828 lb-ft, the most power ever from a factory Corvette.

Sources:[1],[3],[4]

What changed, generation by generation

1. 1970ZR1 racing package for the C3, built around the LT-1; 53 built through 1972.
2. 1990C4 ZR-1 'King of the Hill' launches with the 375 hp LT5.
3. 1993ZR-1 output rises to 405 hp; production ends with the 1995 model year.
4. 2009C6 ZR1 with the 638 hp supercharged LS9 and a top speed of well over 200 mph.
5. 2019C7 ZR1 with a 755 hp supercharged LT5, revealed in Dubai in November 2017.
6. 2025C8 ZR1 with the 1,064 hp twin-turbo LT7; GM scheduled production at Bowling Green to begin in the second quarter of 2025.
7. 2026ZR1X adds hybrid all-wheel drive and 1,250 combined hp.

Sources:[1],[2],[3],[5],[6],[8]

What to check before you buy one

• Be clear about which ZR1 you are buying: each generation uses a different engine, and the C4 car's LT5 shares only its name with the C7's.
• For a C4 ZR-1, find a specialist familiar with the LT5; it is a unique engine with its own service needs.
• On C6 and C7 ZR1s, ask about track use and look at the condition of the brakes, tires and cooling system.
• On a C8 ZR1, confirm options such as the Carbon Fiber Aero Package and ZTK Performance Package with the factory build record.
• Run the VIN through NHTSA's recall lookup (nhtsa.gov/recalls) and confirm open campaigns have been completed.

Corvette ZR1 prices and values

Launch pricing (GM release, Jan. 9, 2025): the 2025 Corvette ZR1 started at $174,995 including destination for the 1LZ coupe and $185,995 for the 3LZ coupe.[1],[5]

Collector market (Hagerty, 2017): a 1970–72 ZR1 coupe sold for $220,000 at Barrett-Jackson's 2014 Scottsdale auction, while the highest auction price for a C4 ZR-1 was $48,600, for a 1995 car in 2015.[1],[5]

How to verify a Corvette ZR1's factory options

ZR1s share their VIN structure with other Corvettes of the same generation, and option packages such as the C8's Carbon Fiber Aero Package and ZTK Performance Package change both performance and price. The factory build record can confirm what a 1990-or-later car was ordered with. GM's build data lists the ordered-option RPO codes for the VIN, not every code on the car's original equipment label, and coverage varies by car.

Standardized 17-character VINs began with the 1981 model year, so the 1970–72 ZR1 package cars predate them; every ZR-1 and ZR1 from 1990 on has one.[10],[11]

For pre-1981 cars, the body (trim) tag and engine stampings carry the original factory codes, and the GM Heritage Center publishes vehicle information kits for many past GM models.