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LOS ANGELES () — Chevrolet is making some history right now with a new model that sits at the top of the Corvette horsepower charts.
Shad Balch of Chevrolet Communications took us up the power ladder for the 2026 Corvette lineup.
“Starting with the Stingray you get 495 horsepower. Then with the eRay, you get 655 horsepower. Up to the Z06 with the flat-plane crank, you’re at 670 horsepower,” he said.
“Then there’s the ZR1 with 1064 horsepower, and the ZR1X: 1250 horsepower.”
The new ZR1X is a jaw-dropper, and its output bears repeating: 1250 total horsepower.
An amazing number for any car, but this is a Chevrolet, and is not a limited production vehicle.
Credit goes to the engineering behind the current generation of the ‘Vette, which was created with a mid-engine design to utilize electric technology from the get-go.
The revolutionary eRay model was added to the lineup in 2024 with hybrid power, using an electric motor to drive the front wheels.
A variation of that system gives the ZR1X the edge over the already-impressive ZR1, with the hybrid battery and electric motor contributing 186 horsepower to the total.
It takes America’s sports car, as it’s often known, into another realm.
“It is a true Corvette that is keeping up with hypercars across the world that cost millions of dollars more,” noted.
So, where the heck can you use this kind of power?
Okay, an empty freeway onramp lets you feel it to a degree, and the acceleration up to traffic speeds is blisteringly quick. Chevrolet says the ZR1X can leap from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in just two seconds.
But this Corvette, while 100% street legal, is ideally suited for a track, away from public roads. And driving instruction from a pro is highly recommended.
There’s even a dedicated Corvette school at Spring Mountain raceway in Nevada, about an hour from Las Vegas.
Anyone with the means to afford this car (base price is just over $207,000) should definitely look into some instruction to get the most out of it.
Here’s a little perspective on the kind of power and performance this new top Corvette makes.
Back in the late 1960s during the Detroit horsepower wars, you could get a Corvette with a 427 cubic inch V8 that was rated at 435 horsepower.
It may have been underrated for insurance purposes, but they also measured horsepower differently back then.
Fast-forward to 2026 and the ZR1X is producing nearly three times that amount of power, and it does so while meeting current emissions standards.
An achievement by the Corvette engineering team, for sure. So now, what’s next? This has to be the end of things, right?
“There always is something next, so we’re just going to have to wait and see,” beamed Blach.
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