The hybrid-AWD ZR1X is a blackhole. A 5.5L twin-turbocharged hype vacuum sucking up all the spotlight from Corvetteland and the wider automotive universe with its monstrous 1,250 combined horsepower. Especially with an exotic industry-shattering MSRP barely north of $200,000, the level of attention on the X is warranted, but it’s the “regular” RWD ICE-only ZR1 that the blue-chip establishment should be watching.
Making record amounts of power by boosting a traditional internal combustion powerplant with electric motors is still a novel and exciting concept in Corvette and other sporting circles, but in the pricing stratosphere, hybridization has completely taken over the menu since it debuted on the “hypercar holy trinity” of LaFerrari, P1, and 918 Spyder over a decade ago.
If you look at the cars that could have challenged the ZR1 during its forced solo run at U-Drags, they’re all hybridized exotics. Ferrari, Lamborghini, and, at the top of its portfolio, even McLaren keep jumping straight to their all-powerful hybrid à la ZR1X, depriving customers the choice of a lighter, more engaging, ICE-only, RWD version and keeping the ZR1 completely unique in the 800+ HP midengined supercar segment.
Photo Credit: Ferrari
To wit, the two Lambos make 1,001 and 907 HP, respectively, by pairing their traditional powertrains with a trifecta of AC motors. The latest and greatest from Ferrari and McLaren, the F80 and W1 build on the legacy of the aforementioned LaFerrari and P1 by surpassing 1,000 HP with a twin-snail ICE engine (V6 from Italy, and V8 from England) paired with electrical boost. Even Bugatti has gone hybrid, trading out the quad-turbo W16 of the Chiron for a naturally aspirated V16 x three e-motor setup in its new $4.3 million Tourbillon.
If the Italians and their rivals were to create their own ZR1s “below” their takes on the X, the wealthy would have the extremely compelling RWD internal-combustion options at their high-end dealer of choice:
- Lamborghini Revuelto: 6.5L (396 cubic inch!) V12, 814 naturally aspirated horsepower, 9,500 RPM redline.
- Lamborghini Temerario: 4.0L Flat-Plane, Twin-Turbo V8, 789 horsepower, 10,000 RPM redline.
- Ferrari F80 and 296 GTB: 3.0L Twin-Turbo V6, 654-900 horsepower, 9,200 RPM redline.
- McLaren W1: 4.0L Flat-Plane, Twin-Turbo V8, 916 horsepower, 9,200 RPM redline.
- Bugatti Tourbillon: 8.3L V16, 986 NA horsepower, 9,000 RPM redline.
Photo Credit: Lamborghini
While none of them can match the ZR1’s LT7 in terms of raw horsepower, they’d certainly make the modern super and hypercar ecosystem a much more interesting place than the AWD hybrid convergence rich buyers are currently saddled with, and they would sell like hotcakes (or whatever aristocrat types buy quickly and in large quantities), to boot! While values for the “trinity” cars have been flat, ZR1-style throwbacks have seen off-the-charts demand. As Hagerty notes, analog supercars like the Ferrari F40 LM, F50, Koenigsegg CCXR, and Maserati MC12 led the way and set individual records at the Monterey Car Week Auctions. Meanwhile, Singer’s “reimagined” 911s go for double what even marked-up examples of the most desirable current models command, and people are ready to give Gordon Murray just about any sum he can think of for one of his self-branded McLaren F1 recreations.
Most convincingly, though, was Ferrari’s staggering $26,000,000 sale of the extra unit of its only non-hybrid modern halo model. If these manufacturers would follow the money and scale their own ZR1 operations, not only would they – along with the market and enthusiasts – benefit, but the extra options with more prestigious badges would likely also deter high-net-worth individuals from our ZR1s and keep prices of the working man’s (or, at least in the working man’s neighborhood) supercar from flying to over double its intended price!
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I like the ZR1 but it is about as quick in the quarter and 0 to 200 km as a Ferrari 296 GTB. Lightly used 296s are for sale at prices less than what you’d pay for a ZR1 with ADM. That is, if you can even get a Chevy dealer to talk about one as they’re seemingly only for stars and influencers.
Stop with the ADM scare… Two weeks ago my dealer notified me that he had 6 ZR1s coming in at MSRP plus roughly $10K for Paint Protective Film and $2K for ceramic paint coating. That’s a pretty small ADM which blows the “lightly used 296 comparison” out the window. I passed on the ZR1s because the colors weren’t to my taste and the option combo was not what I would order. The ZR1 is not a limited production car and they will build as many as there is customer demand. Basically the ZR1 will sell at MSRP with no markups in a year or less because the list of corporate executives, athletic sports stars and celebrities will have been satisfied. Why wet your pants to get one immediately?
The oligarchs need these insane cars to fill their toy boxes.
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