[SPIED] C8 Corvette ZR1s Testing with a Ferrari SF90 Stradale at the Milford Proving Ground – UPDATE: These are the ZORA!

STOP THE PRESSES…UPDATE!

I got these spy photos this morning and wrote up this blog post, and it was only after I published it did I realize I made a huge mistake. Looks like only one of these cars is a ZR1…the other two of these prototypes appear to be the rumored ZORA C8 Corvette with a performance hybrid battery and front motor. How do we know? We believe these are the ZORAs due to the E-Ray style vertical cooling radiator on the front left side:

These vertical radiators were spied on both the no-wing prototype as well as the Really High Wing car. The Prototype with the Z06 style wing doesn’t have the additional cooling radiator installed.

When we last caught sight of the upcoming C8 ZR1s, they were being testing in Ohio and Pennsylvania and both Tadge Juechter and Harlan Charles were along for the ride. As the engineering group was also benchmarking a Ferrari SF90 Stradale performance hybrid plug-in, we looked for the E-Ray style radiators during that stop but didn’t see them.

Now it looks like the cars are back in Detroit. Of course, we just had the announcement last week that the upcoming C8 Corvette ZR1 will be revealed on July 25th, although many are questioning exactly what kind of reveal it will be. Will we see a full car, or, will it be just a glimpse (or a preview of what’s coming)?

Regardless, the team is continuing with their testing and our spy photographers in Detroit managed to capture three C8 Corvette ZR1/ZORA prototypes entering the Milford Proving Ground with the Black Prancing Horse along for the ride.

It appears that all three C8 prototypes entering the Milford Proving Ground are Coupe models and they are all differentiated by three different aero packages on the car. We see the base spoiler available on the Z06 as well as the Z06’s Z07 style high wing. And finally, there’s the Really High Wing that will most likely be part of the ZR1’s ZTK Performance Package. You can also see that all three versions (flavors?) have aggressive front splitters in place on all three prototypes.

As the Ferrari SF90 Stradale is performance hybrid with three electric motors that together with its high performance 4.0-liter twin turbo V8 generates 986 horsepower, it’s been a real head scratcher as to why engineers may be benchmarking it against a non-hybrid Corvette. Our spy photographer reminds us that the SF90 was caught testing on the North-South straight at the Milford Proving ground nearly two years ago on August 12, 2022, and so it could be that the ZR1 is an “overachiever” or perhaps there is something else lurking under those C8 engine hatches.

As we reviewed these photos we noticed a sticker on the no-spoiler car and checking the original high-res photos shows that it’s a sticker for the Tucson Dragway. Generally speaking, cars are only adorned with a racetrack’s sticker for actually running on the track. So we wonder if during one the C8 prototypes engineering trips out west if the engineers on the Corvette team were also looking at quarter mile times?

If there is one thing we do know, it’s that July 25th can’t come soon enough! Enjoy these spy photos of the C8 Corvette ZR1/ZORA prototypes with a Ferrari SF90 Stradale:

Source:
Glenn Paulina / KGP photography

Related:
[SPIED] C8 Corvette ZR1 Prototypes with Tadge Juechter and Harlan Charles Along for the Ride
[SPIED] Quick Sighting of C8 Corvette ZR1 Prototypes with the Ferrari SF90
[SPIED] GM is Benchmarking a Ferrari SF90 Stradale, Are these the C8 Corvette Zora?

Subscribe Now: