UPDATE 9/18: We have a better update video above – check it out!
While the first model year’s worth of the new Chevy Corvette C8 have hit the streets, GM is by no means taking their foot off the gas pedal. Quite the contrary, in fact, as TFL reader Quinten spotted outside his Denver, Colorado hotel this morning. No fewer than ten Chevy Corvette C8 test cars came and left the lot, he says — including what appear to be either the ZR1, Z06, or both.
Obviously, we see quite a few prototypes testing in Colorado, and engineers are most likely altitude testing these cars up in the Rocky Mountains. It’s rare, though, that we see an entire fleet of test cars, but this is a sign that we’ll see bigger and better things out of the Corvette C8 lineup, possibly even in the near future.
A previous leak back in April laid out potential groundwork for the C8 generation through 2025. That included a Z06 due out in 2022, a Grand Sport in 2023 and a ZR1 in 2024. Finally, to round of the top of the Corvette stack, we could even see a 1,000 horsepower electrified “Zora”. To be clear, we believe GM is testing either the ZR1 or Z06 here, since those cars would arrive first.
What do we know so far?
Based on that information, we have a decent idea what sort of powertrain could lurk within these Corvettes. The C8 Z06 and ZR1 will use a 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8, but in different configurations. The mid-range Z06 should put out around 650 horsepower, while the ZR1 could pack twin turbochargers and manage 850 horsepower.
From this angle and distance, it’s difficult to tell exactly what sort of Corvettes we’re looking at here. Notably, these cars don’t appear to have the wings we normally associate on the higher-performance models (especially on the ZR1). But, as the standard Corvette Stingray is on sale now, clearly General Motors is orchestrating their next move in expanding the range, and that will bring exciting additions in the coming years.
