Chevy's 1,000-HP Hybrid Supercar Might Not Be Called a Corvette
The 2023 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 and Z06 Convertible, shown here, will soon be joined by a hybrid super-Vette.Photo: Chevrolet
The Chevrolet Corvette is well into its production cycle on the C8 platform, which will soon include a long-awaited hybrid all-wheel drive version of America’s sports car. But General Motors is already working on a few successors to go above that hybrid C8, and some hints and rumors give us new intel on what to expect from the car that will likely be called Zora. According to Autoblog, that top-of-the-range C8 might be a separate car altogether that would not wear the Corvette name.
During a recent presentation to investors, General Motors President Mark Reuss said that “two new Chevy sports cars are on the way in 2024,” per Fox News. Both will be built on the C8 chassis, and Reuss described the top-tier variant as “based on the C8 architecture,” a vehicle that will “set the standard of the world for performance for Chevrolet.” Notably, though, the GM president didn’t refer to that ultimate performance vehicle by the Corvette name, nor did he give any details on its drivetrain.
Photo: Chevrolet
It’s not as confusing as it sounds. We’re basically looking at three possible hybrid sports cars with increasing power figures, beginning with the all-wheel drive model we’ve already seen in prototype form. The two new cars Reuss mentioned are presumed to be the Corvette ZR1 and the Zora.
Reportedly, the hybrid all-wheel drive Corvette will bolster the output of the 6.2-liter LT2 V8 with an electric motor driving the front axle, for a total of around 600 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. Autoblog conjectures that this model could wear the Corvette Grand Sport name.
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Next in line would be the Corvette ZR1, due in 2024 and expected to make 850 hp and 825 lb-ft of torque. Autoblog thinks this vehicle could use a twin-turbo version of the 5.5-liter DOHC V8 currently found in the Corvette Z06. And beyond that would be the ultimate C8, the 1,000-hp Zora, expected to come in 2025. As Autoblog reports, this vehicle (and its name) are shrouded in some mystery, and Reuss’s comments didn’t clear up much on that front:
Based on the trim cadence we’ve been covering for years, this sounds like the Corvette rumored to be called the Zora, which would pair the twin-turbo LT7 V8 with electric motors for more than 1,000 hp. However, Reuss didn’t call this car a Corvette; he only said it would be based on the C8 architecture. Back to that 2020 GM document, it had the ZR1 coming in 2025. That’s a year later than this mystery offering, and we can’t imagine why Reuss wouldn’t call a Corvette a Corvette.
It makes sense that Chevy would take a stepped approach for the American supercar, especially leading up to the release of some sort of all-electric Corvette. Remember, these rumored new models are all hybrids for now, and they’re due for release through 2025. This means it’s likely that Chevy is planning a last hurrah (or two) for the small-block V8 with these Corvette hybrids. Unless, of course, the new model isn’t a Corvette at all, and GM is saving the 1,000-hp spec for its Ultium-based, fully-electric Corvette.
Photo: Chevrolet
