2026 Corvette ZR1X is a Hybrid AWD Rocket with 1,250 HP

The fastest, most powerful, most advanced Corvette ever has officially been revealed. The 2026 Corvette ZR1X combines the engine from the ZR1 with the hybrid all-wheel-drive system from the E-Ray, to create a Ferrari-rivalling hypercar.

Chevrolet threw everything it had at the new mid-engine model, starting with the LT7 twin-turbo V8 from the non-hybrid, rear-wheel-drive-only Corvette ZR1. An impressive enough engine to begin with, it makes 1,064 hp at 7,000 rpm and 828 lb-ft of torque and 6,000 rpm.

To that, the automaker has added the front axle electric drive unit from the Corvette E-Ray. It is completely independent from the mid-mounted engine and sends no power to the rear wheels, focusing all of its attention on the front wheels instead. Although the ZR1X gets the same 1.9 kWh battery pack as the E-Ray, Chevrolet has improved its ability to discharge, meaning that it can now deliver enough charge to allow the automaker to squeeze an extra 26 hp and 20 lb-ft of torque out of the electric motor, for a total of 186 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque.

All in, the power unit is rated to make 1,250 hp, with the electrified AWD system helping out at speeds of up to 257 km/h (160 mph). The added power and the extra driven wheels more than make up for the additional 180 lbs that the hybrid powertrain adds. Chevrolet estimates that the Corvette ZR1X will be able to reach 96 km/h (60 mph) in under two seconds, and will be able to run the quarter-mile in under nine seconds. For reference, the unelectrified ZR1 takes 2.3 seconds to reach highway speeds and runs the quarter-mile in 9.6 seconds.

The improvements aren’t just useful in a straight line, though. Cody Bulkley, a chassis development engineering who works on the Corvette, told media that the AWD system helps claw the Corvette’s front end out of corners and shifts the centre of gravity forward ahead of the ZR1X's officialy unveiling. That means that although the hybrid Corvette's suspension is the same as the ZR1’s from a hardware perspective, it’s tuned slightly differently, which has had the effect of improving front-end grip.

Naturally, with over 1,000 hp behind the driver, the ZR1X is still capable of shredding tires. “This car is incredible for the abuse it takes,” Bulkley said.

Fundamentally, the Corvette ZR1X is designed to be on the racetrack. The team behind the car claims its ability to stop is just as impressive as its ability to go forward. Not only does it receive 10-piston calipers in the front with 6-piston calipers at the back, it also gets 16.5-inch carbon ceramic brake rotors, the largest ever offered on a Corvette. The team claims that its drivers were able to generate 1.9G of deceleration thanks to those brakes and that they stay usable for longer thanks to their ability to avoid overheating.

The braking system is as technically impressive as it is mechanically so. Like many other hybrid vehicles, the ZR1X uses regenerative braking to slow itself down as it recharges the battery. Here, though, the system is designed to help turn the car, too, with what Chevrolet call regenerative brake torque vectoring. The system demands more energy from the inside front wheel to slow it more than the outside wheel, and to encourage the vehicle to turn into a corner more eagerly.

Meanwhile, drivers can control how quickly they draw down the battery’s power based on what kind of driving they’re engaged in. There are three relevant driving modes for the battery: Endurance, Qualifying, and Push to Pass.

The first mode doles the battery power out carefully to ensure that a driver has constant access to the same amount of energy no matter how many laps of a racing circuit they want to complete. The second estimates how much power you’ll need for a single lap of a given track and works to empty the battery by the end of it (but no sooner). Finally, the push to pass mode simply gives drivers maximum power for as long as the battery can offer it. In addition to that, the Corvette ZR1X also has a launch control mode that delivers full power from a standing start.

The ZR1X will be offered in two chassis configurations: the standard model and the ZTK Performance package. Both feature magnetic ride control, but the standard model gets Michelin PS4S tires to make it more comfortable on public roads. The latter gets Michelin Pilot Cup 2R tires and firmer springs to make a veritable track monster.

The ZTK Performance package also comes with a Carbon Aero package that adds dive planes, underbody strakes, a gurney lip over the heat extractor at the front of the car, as well as a big rear wing. Also available as an option on the standard car, the package is capable of generating 544 kg (1,200 lbs) of downforce at the Corvette’s top speed of 375 km/h (233 mph). The ZR1X will be available as a coupe or a hardtop convertible.

Inside, the 2026 Corvette ZR1X will be equipped with the model line’s newly updated interior, which features three screens, a revised button layout, and improved ease of use. Production is set to kick off at Chevrolet’s Bowling Green Assembly plant in Kentucky later this year. Further information, including pricing, will be announced at a later date.