Photo Credit: Chevrolet



As exciting as it is to see a 1200HP+ Corvette be sold. One would have to wonder especially when looking into buying a ZR1. Is the hybrid tech reliable long term? Especially when considering the premium in price the X carries over a regular ZR1. Last thing anyone would want to deal with is a more expensive car with more issues. With what looks like to be a light softening in pricing for a gas ZR1. What do you guys think?

 

I couldn't agree more.

 

The e-motor/drivetrain has an 8 yr warranty so I have zero concerns....I haven't followed the E-ray, but if there were significant issues, you'd hear about them by now!

 

The manufacturers know their cars reliability so well they sell extended warranties at a price where they know they will make money. All you have to do is compare warranty costs on a per dollar value of car basis and number of years warranty to find out!

 

only 6k or so E-Ray out there and in that section there are very few electric issues that I've seen. Not even sure I've seen a defective battery pack? But like anything else I'm sure it happens.

As for the Ev system itself savagegeese interviewed the engineers of the ZR1X and they said that they loosened up the system even more for the X and now we know the new GSX, because they made it so robust that the battery wasn't degrading at the rate that they expected. So it can use more of the pack and discharge and recharge even Quicker.

Anyone complaining about the hybrid performance tech is stuck in an old world. It's why you see the newest 911s have it now. Because it works like nothing else.

 

Nope. The technology is not new by any means.. Chevy is just a bit late to the game.

Not much to go wrong with the electric bits. People just have a weird thing about not going electric so some just stay away with is their decision.

 

I imagine anyone who can afford a ZR1X can or will trade it in on the new C9Z06 before the 5 year factory powertrain warranty expires. To me, the supposition is a big #nothingburger. I'd be more worried about buying a pricey Porsche that only comes with a 4 year powertrain.

 

I haven’t heard much about electrical problems with ERay owners. Never heard of one catching on fire, etc.
Hybrids have been around for well over 100 years. So no, not new technology.

 

I would be more concerned about the DCT, engine tick or the brakes. To slow down that much weight sure generates a lot of heat. Couple of track sessions and your brakes are done. Someone posted pictures of the Alcon brakes (on a ZR1) that didn't look so great after tracking.

BTW, is the FPC tick is still a thing? Has any ZR1 had that problem?

 

Honestly with a car like this for long term ownership If the electrical AWD system worries you I would worry just as much with the rest of the car and all the electrical components.

If you think about prior generations the C5 is having issues with the ECBMs not being available anymore and if you look in the C6 Z06/ZR1 section there are posts about certain parts no longer being available. With a car this advanced I can only imagine what kind of key parts may be difficult to get 10-15 years down the road. And GM has publicly said they only feel obligated to support replacement parts 10 years after the last production run.

 

I don't think any modern-day vehicle is good for long-term (15 yrs or longer) ownership due to the level of technology vs. parts availability down the road. With AI, perhaps there's the possibility of remanufactured and/or repaired dash-wide displays and ECMs for everything down to turn signals, but who knows. I plan on buying a ZR1X around the time my Z06 is five years old. I'll keep the ZR1X around the same amount of time and then buy a C9. Hopefully GM will bring back Amplify Orange for '28!

 

I'm not concerned about the ZR1X at all; I likely won't be keeping it (or any car) much past warranty or as parts no longer are available. We can remanufacture virtually any mechanical component on today's cars, but there's no plan in place to supply chips to older vehicles once the manufacturer's spare parts supply runs out, and when the automaker's foundry-direct agreements run out. An example of this would be:

In early 2023, after realizing that they were last on TSMC and other's lists for automotive chips, behind the likes of Apple, GM signed a first-of-its-kind long-term, direct-capacity agreement with Global Foundries. The goal is to standardize GM's chips onto a few preferred nodes that GF has pledged to keep active for at least 10–15 years. By moving away from hundreds of unique chips to a few standardized "building blocks," GM hopes to keep the production lines running longer.

Right now, in a C8 Z06, there are at least 3 to 5 high performance chips (under 14nm) that are virtually impossible to replace with generic hardware once they go out of production. The rest of the car (approx. 50–70 other microprocessors) uses legacy nodes (90nm+) for things like window motors or seat heaters. Those will be easy to source maybe up till 2040, but after that they will likely be unproduceable due to economic factors. The danger for the Z06 owner, in the longer term, is that for example if the 7nm central gateway or the Infotainment SoC dies in 2038, the car's "handshake" security protocol (Global-B’s encryption) won't allow the engine to start, effectively turning it into a brick. These are the things I worry about for any vehicle bought currently.

 

I’ve had two hybrids, two plug-in hybrids, two full electrics and now an Eray. I’ve had a few software updates but NO real issues on any of the cars. The motor, battery and controllers have the best warranty going. Absolutely no worries, if it breaks they have to fix it.

The AWD, apart from providing all weather capabilities and thundering acceleration, makes the car very forgiving. I’m totally on board with the X package.

 

This and after havent driven a zr1x at my dealership , id tell anyone that doesnt believe in it and the already proven platform , that youre behind in the times . Technology is evolving and improving

 

Knowing that a ZR1 transmission can go rather quickly. Would used Zr1's become incredible deals due to lack of warranty and the strong worry of transmission reliability?

 

I've owned an E-Ray and wouldn't hesitate to do the ZR1X over the ZR1 if I was going ZR. The hybrid pieces have an 8yr/100K warranty, so less concerning than the rest of the car which only has a 3/36 B2B and 5/60 powertrain warranty. If I wasn't so in love with the sound and rev range of the LT6, I'd still be driving my E-Ray, the hybrid AWD setup makes it so much easier to put the power down on the street, and the ZR1X is just a freaking monster with 1250HP combined.

 

I def. think of that issue and have often considered selling my C5Z06 which I've had since new. But then I look at it in the garage nice & shiny and go drive it now & then, and the thought disappears.

Some years back a mechanic I go to suggested I get a spare on ebay and just stick it in the closet for the future. That was when they could've been had for a grand or so. I probably should've taken that advice.