Listen: This is the 2026 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1

Though it’s not the bargain it once was, the Chevy Corvette remains one of the best values in performance cars, especially with its move to a mid-engine layout. The Corvette Z06 debuted for the 2023 model year, bringing the car’s performance to a new level with its flat-plane-crank V8, and now, the automaker is nearing the release of an even crazier variant: The ZR1.

While we don’t know for sure, Chevy’s new teaser video for the car includes acceleration sounds that hint at a turbocharged flat-plane-crank engine. That aligns with rumors about the car’s powertrain, which have pointed to the ZR1 having the first turbocharged mill ever fitted to a Corvette. That would likely result in a significant power gain over the already-bonkers Z06, which sees 670 horsepower from its 5.5-liter V8.

The 2024 Corvette Z06 starts at $111,795 for the Coupe and $118,795 for the convertible, so we expect the ZR1 to take that pricing to a whole new level. Given the spread between the MSRPs of the “regular” Stingray and the hotter Z06, the ZR1 could crest the $150,000 mark or more with options.

It’s fun to speculate about future cars like the ZR1, but we don’t have long to wait for full specifications. Chevy will detail the car this summer ahead of its rollout for the 2026 model year. That said, the extreme measures some buyers have had to pursue to get behind the wheel of the Z06 indicate that the ZR1 will likely be a difficult vehicle to find and even more difficult to find at or near Chevy’s MSRP.

[Images: Chevrolet/GM and Chevrolet via Youtube]

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