New Details Emerge on C8 Z06, ZR1, Hybrid, Electric, and Zora Variants
With the C8 Z06 right around the corner, new information about it and four other Corvette variants has leaked.
It’s been over a year since the C8 Corvette launched, and yet, we’re still waiting for variants of the mid-engine sports car to arrive. The C8 Z06 seems likely to be revealed soon, followed by a variety of other models including a hybrid and all-electric Corvette, as well as the ZR1 and Zora.
Now, we know for sure that all five of these variants are eventually coming to reality, thanks to a new MotorTrend report. The rag also learned some new details about each of them, thanks to an anonymous source, who is reportedly quite reliable. So let’s dive into what we’ve learned about the C8 Z06 and the Corvette variants set to follow it in the coming months/years.
C8 Z06
The C8 Z06 will be the first C8 Corvette variant to arrive, and it will come packing a brand new, naturally-aspirated, flat-plane crank, 5.5-liter V8 that will reportedly produce somewhere between 615 and 625 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque, with a 9,000 rpm redline.
Expected options on the C8 Z06 include carbon-fiber wheels, carbon-ceramic brakes, lots of aero, magnetic ride control, and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, all at a starting MSRP of around $80,000.
For what it’s worth, Corvette Forum members aren’t buying these rumors, judging by this thread. “I don’t believe that,” Iker said. “Z06 will be TT with over 700 hp and it is too early to talk about ZR1 or whatever they’re gonna call it.” “Even if that report is accurate, which I don’t think anyone should take it as such, 615 hp on this platform with a more track-focused setup I’d bet would outperform the C7 Z06 pretty easily,” added Spamburger Hamburger.
C8 ZR1
The ZR1 will take things a bit further and add twin turbos to the Z06’s aforementioned mill, which will result in between 825 and 850 horsepower. MT believes that it will arrive for the 2023 model year, but otherwise, the only other rumor surrounding the ZR1 is that it will cost around $120,000.
E-Ray/Hybrid
The first-ever hybrid Corvette will also reportedly arrive for the 2023 model year with an all-wheel-drive system with two electric motors on the front axle and potentially a third in the rear, along with the Stingray’s LT2 V8. However, MT thinks that it will instead utilize the Z06’s 5.5-liter mill, and will produce 775 horsepower and come with a $100k price tag.
Electric C8
GM recently announced that it’s aiming to eliminate ICE-powered cars from its lineup by 2035, which means the Corvette will inevitably go electric, and that the EV ‘Vette might soon be the only kind on sale. The electric Corvette would presumably use the same electric motors as the E-Ray, but won’t come with a gas engine, and MT reckons that it will cost less than the ZR1 and might arrive for 2024.
C8 Zora
The king of the proverbial C8 Corvette hill is the long-rumored Zora, which will reportedly utilize the E-Ray’s hybrid system and the ZR1’s twin-turbo powerplant to offer over 1,000 horsepower. If this hypercar winds up costing around $150,000, as MT speculates, it could be the performance bargain of the century, as well as the perfect way to send out the ICE-powered Corvette with a bang.
Photos: General Motors, Corvette Forum
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