GM Confirms Two More High-Performance Corvette Variants
The C8 Corvette Stingray, C8 Corvette Z06, and upcoming C8 Corvette E-Ray are only the beginning when it comes to the eighth-gen Chevy Corvette C8, with The General currently developing several other Corvette variants, per previous GM Authority coverage. Now, GM President Mark Reuss has confirmed that the automaker is cooking up two new high-performance models, namely the C8 Corvette ZR1 and C8 Corvette Zora.
During the recent GM Investor Day event held last week, Reuss discussed two upcoming high-performance Corvette model variants, and although he declined to specifically name the new models, he did provide some interesting insights to help build hype.
With regard to the upcoming C8 Corvette ZR1, Reuss said that “as C8 was designed as an early architecture, we keep stepping it up, so this will again set the standard of the world for performance for Chevrolet, and I couldn’t be more excited for that.”
For those readers who may be unaware, the C8 Corvette ZR1 is set to be a highly capable all-round performer offering ultra-high-performance for both the road and the track. Making this possible will be the new twin-turbocharged 5.5L V8 LT7 gasoline engine, which will arrive as a boosted variant of the 5.5L V8 LT6 that motivates to current C8 Corvette Z06. Output from the new ZR1 is expected to peak at 850 horsepower and 850 pound-feet of torque. A pallet carrying the LT7 name recently foreshadowed the development of the new twin-turbocharged engine, as GM Authority covered previously.
Meanwhile, with regard to the upcoming C8 Corvette Zora, Reuss teased that “the next version of the C8 at the very top of the line [would be] something you won’t be able to imagine from a performance standpoint,” adding, “we’ll put the world on notice with this car, it’s our platform of excellence.”
The C8 Corvette Zora will stand out thanks to its twin-turbo, hybrid V8 powerplant and all-wheel-drive system, similar to the forthcoming C8 Corvette E-Ray. Output from the Zora, however, is expected to surpass 1,000 horsepower and 1,000 pound-feet of torque.
SOURCE: GM AUTHORITY