Chevrolet's engineers have been busy. They transformed the eighth-generation Corvette into a speed monster. They call it the ZR1, and it can hit speeds of up to 233 mph. This isn't just any car. It's a 1, 064-horsepower beast. But how does it handle on a real track? The Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, provided the perfect test.

    The track is no joke. It's three and a half miles of twisting roads. It's been hosting the Formula One United States Grand Prix since 2012. This place is all about testing how well the car handles turns and straightaways. The ZR1's downforce is a big deal here. More downforce means better grip, but it usually comes with more drag. That's where the ZTK trim comes in. It has a massive rear wing and other aerodynamic parts. It gives you 1, 200 pounds of downforce. But you won't hit 233 mph with it. Instead, you get a lower top speed but better handling.

    The ZRK trim has a unique front scoop. It replaces the front trunk found in other Corvette models. Air is ducted upward through the hood and over the windshield. This keeps the nose down at high speeds, helping with acceleration. Before pushing the car hard, a single lap in the ZTK-equipped ZR1 was enough to warm up the tires and the driver. On the next lap, speeds hit 175 mph on the back straight, with over 1. 5 Gs of deceleration when braking. These numbers are impressive. Braking that hard feels like the world has flipped upside down.

    The cornering forces are intense too. The sequence of right-hand turns at the end of a lap really tests your fitness. Pulling over 1. 3 Gs in the corners means your neck gets a workout. The in-car Performance Data Recorder captures all this data. It overlays telemetric points and embeds the data for later analysis, just like the pros do.

    Despite its incredible performance, the ZR1 is still approachable. It's a Corvette, after all. It only took one lap to get comfortable diving into corners and pushing past the tires' limits. The advanced traction, stability, and ABS systems make you faster. They only let themselves be known by the occasional blinking light on the dashboard. Even with the aids on, you can still kick the tail out when coming out of slower turns.

    There's a downside, though. The ZR1 ships first as a 2025 model, which means it comes with the old interior. The row of buttons that awkwardly bisects the cabin is a big disappointment. The 2026 Corvettes feature a new triple-screen layout. The ZR1 will get this new interior, but not until the 2026 cars appear later this year. So, if you have the 174, 995 dollars to get yourself into a ZR1, it might be worth waiting for the second model year.

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING

The Powerful ZR1: Chevrolet's New Speed Demon

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