Hold the phone, get your ducks in a row with your local bank, buy your lotto ticket, and don’t put a deposit down on a Porsche GT3 just yet, because Chevrolet just announced today that the new king-of-the-hill C8 ZR1 will start at $174,995 (which includes the $1,695 destination fee).

The new C8 ZR1 Corvette has been long anticipated since it was announced back in the summer of 2024. The 1,063 horsepower, twin-turbo Corvette can accelerate to sixty in as little as 2.3 seconds and is capable of a top speed of 233 miles per hour. But until today, we had no idea what this performance would cost from Chevrolet.

The blue ZR1 shown here gives you an idea what it will look like without the Carbon Fiber Aero and ZTK Packages. The lack of aerodynamic drag is what allows the ZR1 to top 233 miles per hour.

Corvettes usually come in three trim packages, a base model, a mid-level trim that generally includes a little extra leather, carbon fiber, and colors to the interior, and then the top-of-the-range trim package that has all the bells and whistles. But Chevrolet is only going to offer the base 1LZ and the top 3LZ trims for the C8 ZR1. We aren’t sure why they would do this, we speculate that in the past, the top performance models for the Corvette were usually only desirable to buyers in base and top-level trims, not the middle trim, so Chevy has decided not to bother.

The 3LZ trim adds Napa leather GT2 or Competition series seats that are both heated and ventilated with power lumbar and memory, extra leather and micro-suede trim for the instrument panel, console, and door panels, and a steering wheel with carbon fiber trimmed steering wheel with carbon fiber shift paddles. Yes, the ZR1 will remain equipped with a DCT like other C8s, no manual trans option.

We started spotting the ZR1 in 2023, with this camo pre-production test car ripping up the Nürburgring in December of 2023.

Along with the more luxurious trim thrown in by Chevy, they also throw in some convenience features. Power-folding mirrors, blind spot warning, rear cross traffic alert, a forward-facing curb-view camera, 14-speaker Bose Performance Series stereo, and a wireless phone charger. Jumping from a 1LZ to a 3LZ to get all this extra trim and equipment will bump the starting price of your C8 ZR1 to $185,995. An 11,000 dollar increase.

If you would like to feel the wind in your hair (or what’s left of it), and we suspect you might with the eye-watering performance and exhaust note, you can expect to add another $10,000 to the price. The convertible model features the same retractable hardtop as other C8 models.

The ZR1 Carbon Fiber Aero Package is priced as an $8,495 option. This adds a high-downforce rear spoiler, a front splitter that is larger than the stock one, and other components to aid in downforce on the racetrack. While this may look like an exact copy of the Z06 carbon fiber parts in its package, they are special to the ZR1 and add extra downforce.

If you want the ZTK package, which gets you the factory-installed performance goodies like Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tires, stiffer springs, and ZR1-specific mag ride calibration that lets you accelerate to sixty miles an hour in 2.3 seconds, you fork over another $1,500 on top of the Carbon fiber Aero Package. Yep, you read that correctly, if you want ZTK, it requires the Carbon Fiber Aero Package, bringing the total to an extra $9,995 for the pair. Worth it if you demand the best on-track performance as well as the race car looks.

The LT7 twin-turbo 5.5 liter V8 powering the C8 ZR1 pumps out 1,064 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 828 lb-ft at 6,000 rpm .

In years past, the Corvette has been the king of ‘bang for your buck’. America’s sports car, now supercar, has always offered performance that makes the European competition sweat for a price that’s attainable. For instance, the Porsche 911 Turbo starts at $197,200 and the track-focused GT3, which the ZR1 aims to compete with, starts at $222,500.

If you are looking for four-digit horsepower from the other side of the Atlantic, be prepared to shell out the big bucks. The 1,016 horsepower Ferrari SF90 will run you $524,814, the all-new Lamborghini Revuelto costs $608,358 and makes 1,001 horsepower, or the Mercedes Benz AMG One will drain your bank account an estimated $2.7 million and advertises one less horsepower than the C8 ZR1.

Chevrolet tested the ZR1 recently in Germany, reaching a top speed of 233 miles per hour, making it the fastest Corvette and American production car ever.

Official Pricing for the C8 Corvette ZR1:
– 1LZ Coupe starts at $174,995
– 1LZ Convertible starts at $184,995
– 3LZ Coupe starts at $185,995
– 3LZ Convertible starts at $195,995
– ZR1 Carbon Fiber Aero Package: $8,495
– ZTK Performance Package: $1,500 (requires the Aero Package)

When it’s all said and done, you can check every box and drop $205,990 on a 3LZ C8 ZR1 convertible with the Carbon Aero and ZTK packages. And that doesn’t include the other possible options not announced yet like special color options for the paint and exterior or factory accessories. While cresting $200k for a Corvette might sound like Chevrolet has lost their mind, this will be the first time a production Corvette has ever surpassed this MSRP. it’s a bargain compared to what you get from the competition.