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Auto Blog
17 hours ago
- Automotive
- Auto Blog
Chevy ZR1X Isn't the End: More Corvette C8 Power Coming
By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. There's seemingly no end in sight to what can be achieved with the C8's platform The one question that nobody asked after Chevrolet revealed the Corvette ZR1X last month is: What's next? With 1,250 horsepower and a 0-60 mph time of under two seconds, most of us were more than happy to accept that the ZR1X represents the apex of the Corvette C8 story. But such is the capability of the C8 platform that Corvette chief engineer Tony Roma said that an even fiercer version of the supercar is coming at some point. The ZR1X's performance is already well within hypercar territory, so where could the Corvette go from here? 0:05 / 0:09 Chevrolet says a next-gen Camaro is still possible. What could it look like? Watch More ZR1X Just The Latest Chapter, Not The Final C8 'The backbone we've built into the C8 is proving to be super capable,' said Roma when speaking to Top Gear. 'The things we've learned from creating the various models so far and the opportunities we have in the future with this chassis are incredible. The ZR1X is not the end of the story, it's just the latest chapter. The team that works on it has a very 'what can we do, and how can we do it?' attitude. They see possibilities and not challenges.' Since the base C8 launched with 490 horsepower, Chevy has steadily improved the car with variants like the E-Ray hybrid, the Z06 with its flat-plane crank V8, and the potent 1,064-hp ZR1. The ZR1X takes the best of the ZR1 and adds a hybrid system, enabling AWD and over 1,200 hp. Lap Times And Speed Records Excite Supercar Buyers Roma said that although it doesn't expect customers to use the top Corvettes to their full capabilities, record speed runs and lap times excite this demographic. 'Speed is only relevant these days for bragging rights. For a car to have a certain amount of provenance, we have to offer a version of that car that's capable of doing those silly numbers. The ZR1's top speed attempt was not in expectation that our customers would ever repeat it, or even get remotely close, because you can't legally do that. Autoblog Newsletter Autoblog brings you car news; expert reviews and exciting pictures and video. Research and compare vehicles, too. Sign up or sign in with Google Facebook Microsoft Apple By signing up I agree to the Terms of Use and acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe from email communication at anytime. 'We had to go through a lot of testing to set that speed: travel to Papenburg, hire the track for three days, get a bunch of mechanics over and so on. But the fact that the car has proven it can do it is precisely why people buy cars like this. Having the crazy lap times and ridiculous acceleration is part of what makes these cars what they are. 'So I think we are going to continue to make the car faster for those bragging rights, because our customers appreciate that. It's the same with any performance car manufacturer – we push each other with Nürburgring lap times for that reason.' Chevy is known to be conducting high-speed runs at the Nürburgring with the ZR1, and while we expect a spectacular time, Roma said recently that it may not steal the record from the Mercedes-AMG ONE, an F1-inspired rocket with a much higher price. When the ZR1X arrives, it will no doubt set another series of Corvette speed records. Whatever model comes after that may not have more power, but Chevy could further tweak the platform to extract more performance, possibly reducing weight for a stripped-down track special. Whatever comes after the ZR1X, it's sure to be worth the wait. About the Author Karl Furlong View Profile
The Drive
19 hours ago
- Automotive
- The Drive
Chevy's Intends To Dominate Ford (and the Nürburgring) With the Corvette
The latest car news, reviews, and features. The team at Chevrolet wants to have the fastest American car, and it has a specific place in mind: the Nürburgring. The Chief Engineer for the Corvette, Tony Roma, told Top Gear , 'we've done some testing, and all I can say is … stay tuned. We want to be the fastest American car – that's an accolade we'd love to have again.' Roma was referring to setting a lap time, notably a record, at the Nürburgring. Roma was being coy. A record might have already been set. The Corvette team was in Europe for three weeks in June and rented the Nürburgring. Multiple variants of the Corvette, including the ZR1 and ZR1X, were spotted lapping the 'Ring. On June 28, the Corvette Instagram account posted a brief clip of a yellow C8 Corvette blasting down a section of the Nürburgring. It's unclear if the model in the clip is a ZR1 or ZR1X, but it was moving. The caption? 'Fast as green hell. #Corvette #Nurburgring.' View this post on Instagram A post shared by Corvette (@corvette) It would be weird for a global automaker to spend any amount of money or time to tease its top-shelf supercar lapping the 'Ring if it wasn't already sitting on an impressive lap time number. A number that might set a record. And that record would be a lap of less than seven minutes. Roma even acknowledged the mark to hit noting, 'None of our customers will go and run a sub-seven-minute lap time, but they want to know if they could.' At least the man in charge is aware none of this actually matters aside from bragging rights at Cars & Coffee. Currently, Ford holds the record for fastest American production car around the Nürburgring. The Blue Oval announced the Ford Mustang GTD stole the record from the Dodge Viper ACR (which died eight years ago, RIP) with a lap time of 6:57.685. That's quicker than the Porsche 911 GT3. Unsatisfied, Ford went back to the 'Ring and beat itself by 5.5 seconds with a new lap time of 6:52.072 announced in May. The C7 ZR1 never set an official lap time, and the C8 Chevy Corvette Stingray ran the 'Ring in 7:28.30 with a Z51 Performance Package in 2019. If nothing else, it's clear the measuring contest for who goes the hardest and quickest in the shortest period of time is alive an well. Sounds like we might have a new American world-beating champ here real soon. Got a tip? Send it our way at tips@
Yahoo
a day ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
As If The C8 ZR1X's 1,250 Horsepower Isn't Enough, Chief Corvette Engineer Hints At An Even Wilder Model
We've hardly had a chance to wrap our heads around the absurdity of the 1,250-horsepower, 233 mph-capable Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X after it was unveiled last month, and Corvette's chief engineer Tony Roma is already hinting at the possibility of an even wilder C8. The Corvette ZR1X and its hybrid V8 powertrain may be the quickest, fastest, and most powerful performance car that Chevrolet has ever produced, but the latest hints add the wonderful qualifier of ...for now. In an interview with Top Gear, Roma said, "the ZR1X is not the end of the story, it's just the latest chapter." He goes on to say that the C8 Corvette's mid-engine platform is proving to be very capable, and that the engineering team is on board with pushing the Corvette's limits even further. The ZR1X uses a twin-turbocharged version of the 5.5-liter LT7 V8 found in the already very powerful Corvette Z06 to drive the rear wheels, and a front axle–mounted electric motor sending power to the front wheels. Its electric motor is slightly more powerful than the front axle motor in the Corvette E-Ray, the other high-performance version of the C8. Read more: These Are The Most Annoying Things About Your Cars Ford and its bonkers Mustang GTD usurped the title of fastest American car around the Nürburgring from the 2017 Dodge Viper ACR last year, with a blistering 6:52.072 lap time, and Chevrolet is itching for its chance at that title. Roma said, "Having the crazy lap times and ridiculous acceleration is part of what makes these cars what they are, so I think we are going to continue to make the car faster for those bragging rights, because our customers appreciate that. It's the same with any performance car manufacturer – we push each other with Nürburgring lap times for that reason. We've done some testing, and all I can say is... stay tuned. We want to be the fastest American car - that's an accolade we'd love to have." Whenever new mention is made about a more powerful Corvette, the internet sets ablaze with speculation that it might be the rumored Zora. Zora Arkus-Duntov was known as "The Father Of The Corvette" because he convinced Chevy that a proper performance car and halo car was a necessity for the brand in the sixties, and he championed a mid-engine design. The world has waited for an "ultimate Corvette" named after Zora for many years now, but such a model has yet to exist. Before the ZR1X's name was announced but it was known that a new and more hardcore Corvette was in the works, it was assumed to be the Zora, but those hopes faded once the ZR1X's name was made official. It is possible, though, that this latest rumor could finally be the fabled Corvette Zora, so we certainly will stay tuned and keep our fingers crossed. Want more like this? Join the Jalopnik newsletter to get the latest auto news sent straight to your inbox... Read the original article on Jalopnik.
Motor 1
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Motor 1
'Not the End of the Story:' An Even Crazier Corvette ZR1X Could Still Happen
With 1,250 horsepower from a hybridized V-8, the new ZR1X is the pinnacle of the C8 Corvette—the culmination of all things possible. At least, so we thought. Even as the fastest, quickest, and most powerful performance car the company has ever produced, Chevrolet seemingly isn't satisfied. In a recent interview with Top Gear , chief engineer Tony Roma hinted at the possibility of an even more ridiculous Corvette down the line. "The ZR1X is not the end of the story," he says, "it's just the latest chapter." 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X Photo by: Chevrolet While not an outright confirmation that Chevy is working on a more potent ZR1 or ZR1X, Roma's quotes do indicate that the company is at least exploring ways to extract even more out of the C8 platform. One thing that Roma does say, though, is that he and his team want to make sure that the ZR1X is even faster than the standard ZR1, which hit 233 miles per hour at the ATP Automotive Testing facility in Papenburg, Germany, earlier this year. He said: 'I think we are going to continue to make the car faster for those bragging rights, because our customers appreciate that. It's the same with any performance car manufacturer—we push each other with Nürburgring lap times for that reason.' As of yet, Chevrolet hasn't topped out the ZR1X. But the company is confident it should exceed the ZR1's 233-mph speed. As for the Nurburgring, Ford currently holds the fastest lap time for an American car, with the Mustang GTD lapping the Green Hell in 6 minutes, 52.072 seconds. Chevrolet has that record in its sights with the ZR1X. "We've done some testing, and all I can say is… stay tuned," Roma tells Top Gear . "We want to be the fastest American car—that's an accolade we'd love to have. Again, it comes down to theory. None of our customers will go and run a sub-seven-minute lap time, but they want to know if they could." We'll definitely stay tuned, indeed. More On the ZR1X 'Never Say Never:' An Electric Corvette Isn't Completely Off the Table The ZR1X Is the Fastest Corvette Ever. Chevy Tells Us How It Happened Source: Top Gear Share this Story Facebook X LinkedIn Flipboard Reddit WhatsApp E-Mail Got a tip for us? Email: tips@ Join the conversation ( )
Top Gear
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Top Gear
Wait, what? Corvette's head of engineering says the ZR1X is *not* the final boss
USA Tony Roma also hinted the C8 will soon attempt to contest the Mustang GTD's 'Ring record Skip 11 photos in the image carousel and continue reading Think the part-hybrid, part-savage 'ZR1X' is the ultimate form of the C8? Think again. Because Corvette chief engineer Tony Roma hinted there'll be even more to come from the mid-engined supercar. 'The backbone we've built into the C8 is proving to be super capable,' said Roma. 'The things we've learned from creating the various models so far and the opportunities we have in the future with this chassis are incredible. The ZR1X is not the end of the story, it's just the latest chapter. The team that works on it has a very 'what can we do, and how can we do it?' attitude. They see possibilities and not challenges.' Advertisement - Page continues below Interesting. It's unlikely whatever work will be carried out on an even harder ZR1X would involve more power, given the 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 and front-mounted e-motor produce a combined 1,250bhp. That's… a lot. Enough to get this thing from 0-60mph in under two seconds. Roma confirmed the top speed hasn't yet been tested, but said there's no reason why the ZR1X won't match the ZR1's 233mph rating. But really, what is the point of all this speed and power in the first place? You might like 'Speed is only relevant these days for bragging rights. For a car to have a certain amount of provenance, we have to offer a version of that car that's capable of doing those silly numbers. The ZR1's top speed attempt was not in expectation that our customers would ever repeat it, or even get remotely close, because you can't legally do that. 'We had to go through a lot of testing to set that speed: travel to Papenburg, hire the track for three days, get a bunch of mechanics over and so on. But the fact that the car has proven it can do it is precisely why people buy cars like this. Having the crazy lap times and ridiculous acceleration is part of what makes these cars what they are. Advertisement - Page continues below 'So I think we are going to continue to make the car faster for those bragging rights, because our customers appreciate that. It's the same with any performance car manufacturer - we push each other with Nürburgring lap times for that reason.' Ah yes, that place. During the UK launch of the softer Corvette E-Ray at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, Ford was stationed right next door with its brutish, wide-bodied Mustang GTD. Its team even decided to give it a few revs during the E-Ray's presentation for a bit of friendly fire - almost like a pre-match mind game from José Mourinho. The GTD is currently the fastest-ever American car around the Green Hell with a time of 6m 52.072s, and that's surely got to be the target for the ZR1X. 'We've done some testing, and all I can say is… stay tuned. We want to be the fastest American car - that's an accolade we'd love to have. Again, it comes down to theory. None of our customers will go and run a sub-seven-minute lap time, but they want to know if they could .' Looking for more from the USA? Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Look out for your regular round-up of news, reviews and offers in your inbox. Get all the latest news, reviews and exclusives, direct to your inbox.
