2025 Corvette ZR1 Starts Just Shy of $175K—and That’s a Bargain
A top speed of 233 mph. Acceleration times that beggar belief. A twin-turbo, flat plane-crank V-8 producing 1064 horsepower. Enough aerodynamic bodywork to make an IMSA car blush. It’s the sheer insanity of stats and accolades like these that make the 2025 Corvette ZR1‘s starting price of $174,995 still feel like a relative steal.
“It was important for us to stay true to Corvette’s promise of a vehicle whose world-class capabilities completely outmatch its price,” said Scott Bell, vice president of Global Chevrolet.
With the full pricing details now out, allow us to give that box a red, white, and blue checkmark. Let’s get into it.
That $174,995 price (including a $1695 destination fee) is for a 1LZ coupe; if you want a hard-top convertible, that party starts at $184,995. Chevy will offer 1LZ and 3LZ variants of each, with the 3LZ being the more lavish configuration for each body type. (We’ll break down the upgrades for the 3LZ in a moment.)
No matter which top or which trim you choose, your Corvette ZR1 will come standard with the following: a hand-assembled, twin-turbo V-8 producing 1064 hp and 828 lb-ft of torque; a visible carbon fiber roof; carbon ceramic brakes at all four corners; an integrated and rather intelligent performance data recorder, and carbon fiber ground effects and side intakes.
True to form with the C7-generation ZR1, the 2025 Corvette ZR1 will offer a separate package that takes its performance to the uppermost realm—two, actually. First, there’s the ZR1 Carbon Fiber Aero Package, which, for an additional $8495, will supplant the standard aero package and give you a larger, high-downforce rear wing, front dive planes, and a tall hood spoiler. Additional underbody strakes also help to improve the downforce.
Not extreme enough for you? In that case, the ZTK Performance package will also give you ultra-aggressive Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, stiffer springs, and a specific track calibration for the Magnetic Ride Control suspension. To get the $1500 ZTK pack, you’ll have to first splash for the Carbon Fiber package, so achieving the absolute meanest ZR1 will cost roughly $10,000 in total.
So is the 1LZ a total stripper, then? Hardly. The more modest configuration of the ZR1 includes your choice of GT1 or competition sport seats (both with 8-way power adjustability), a rear vision camera and a rear-view mirror that can display a camera feed, a 10-speaker Bose sound system, a 12-inch digital instrument cluster, and an engine appearance package.
Splash for the 3LZ, and you’ll get most of the goodies from the 1LZ package but also heated and vented Napa leather GT2 or competition sport seats with more adjustability; an additional camera for the front, a 14-speaker Bose sound system, custom leather wrapping for the instrument panel, door trim, and console; and a leather-wrapped steering wheel with carbon-fiber trim and shift paddles.
On both the coupe and the hardtop convertible ZR1s, upgrading to the 3LZ trim will add $11,000 to the cost. We’ll let you decide whether or not the extra scratch is worth it there.
No matter how you feel about the trims, it’s worth reiterating just how much car this is for the money. Consider a few of the European supercars that the ZR1 will inevitably hunt: A 2024 Porsche 911 GT3 RS will run you at least $241,300; a ZR1 produces more than double the horsepower and torque of the Porsche.
What about McLaren’s potent 765LT? That one starts around $380K and only wrings 755 hp and 590 lb-ft from its 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8. It can break 200, but only just—the car lists a 205-mph top speed, still well off the ZR1.
Meanwhile, Ferrari’s SF90—a car we know Chevy was benchmarking for the ZR1—starts north of half a million dollars and still falls short in the power department (1016 hp and 590 lb-ft combined from the hybrid system).
At least on paper, Chevy’s new apex predator has these cars licked. Of course, stats are just that—fodder for barstool racing—but we don’t expect the ZR1 to be anything short of wicked on a racetrack.
Chevy expects production for the 2025 Corvette ZR1 to start at the Bowling Green Assembly plant in Q2 of this year. If you’re interested in grabbing a build slot, Chevy recommends working with your preferred Corvette dealer for ordering details.
No that is a real steal. There is so much more car here per dollar than most exotics.
And you can take it to a Chevy dealer for service. Of course, not all dealers will have the trained technicians, but I am pretty sure most major metro areas will be able to offer service. Try that with any Euro exotic.
It won’t be long before people at home will be working on them.
You will also get service parts local.
The Corvette has always been a performance bargain since the 1960s. But frankly it’s hard to imagine more performance being needed by any sane and rational human being (or even some not so sane) than is provided by the ZR1 and all with a warranty! Totally nuts that it can beat a Ferrari F80 (at a mere $4m plus) and provide all the luxury of a daily driver user-friendly car. Technology has given us the golden age of performance at a price point that seems almost silly. Hats off to Chevrolet and the Corvette Team for a homerun that sets a new performance benchmark for a real, daily driver performance car.
Definitely an amazing bargain at list price. Good luck getting it without some crazy dealer markup on it.
I’ll take 2, please. Red and Blue.
Maybe now you will able to purchase a ZO6 or an ERay at MSRP!
You forgot to include the mandatory $100,000 Stealership ADP.
Will the “competition” seats accommodate a 5 or 6 point harness?
WOWEEEE! What a bargain! Does it come with a bottle of wax and a folding chair too? You know, so I can sit with the rest of the geriatrics that own Corvettes and talk about how great they are. Then I have to pack up so I don’t miss the early bird special or the big BINGO game afterwards. I’m sure the dealership would NEVER take advantage of the ZR1 buyer and tack on an ADDTIONAL $174K because that would be elder abuse.
I’m having a hard time understanding GM’s approach to this car. Who in their right mind will order one of these with low line trim??? There should be two choices coupe or convertible. Other than that it’s got everything! When will they ever understand they are not selling an econobox!!!
I cannot imagine the carnage that will ensue, when the typical octogenarian owner accidentally goes WOT in his new 1,04HP Corvette!
Call it C&C&CC
Cars & Coffee & Corvette Crashes
typo, my bad…..1,064 HP!
With their history of creating track version cars that can’t withstand the demands of tracking, GM is going to have to prove these are true performers. Straight line numbers mean little in the world of super cars.
C8’s are challenging Mustangs as the most annoying cars on the street. Why do owners insist on obnoxious exhaust notes, over revving and traffic weaving to be part of the “look at me” persona? The more of these there are, the harder they try.
Every new homolgation cheapens the lesser iterations. This is not isolated to GM, Mercedes has played this game ad nauseum. Look what it’s doing to valuations…..C8 owners have been hit hard from this practice, driving down valuations.
And, lastly, over powering street cars leads to dangerous road behavior. This kind of power requires clear heads, restraint and common sense. In the wrong hands, these are death machines.
Time will tell how these evolve.