Zac Quinn 
At the beginning of the summer, sighting of heavily camouflaged prototypes of a future C8 Corvette trim was popping up in photos on the internet as a few cars were spotted in a parking lot in Colorado. One such vehicle was believed to be the upcoming C8 Corvette ZR1. And after some radio silence, heavily camouflaged prototypes have again been spotted, but this time in the familiar stomping grounds of Marietta, Ohio.
According to Corvette Blogger, the spotters claimed that the engineering team was driving three different C8 Corvette prototypes completely covered in their heavy black camouflage coverings. Each features the Z06-style enormous wings and center quad exhaust systems, which points us towards the upcoming Corvette ZR1. Accompanying these cars was a Hypersonic Gray 2023 Corvette Z06 with the Z07 package and a Suburban chase vehicle. The Suburban may be a supervisor to ensure the engineers don’t get in trouble again.
What Can You Expect From The C8 Corvette ZR1?
Unfortunately, the photos don’t appear to have anything new from the other sightings we mentioned earlier. So, here’s what we can expect from the upcoming supercar. It’s believed that the C8 Corvette ZR1 will arrive for the 2025 model year, with GM’s Mark Reuss setting that timetable. The car will utilize a widebody design on the Z06 and E-Ray, which can be seen in all the spy photos and videos that have emerged. We can expect the front, rear, and side exterior design elements to differ from the Z06, which should help people differentiate the ZR1 from the lesser models.
The C8 Corvette ZR1 will also feature the same center-exit exhaust design as the Z06. As for the powertrain of the C8 Corvette ZR1, we’ll see the high-revving flat-plane V8 formula in the Z06 discarded for a wickedly powerful twin-turbo design. This 5.5L TTV8 engine will be known as the LT7 and could have an output of around 800 horsepower. Like all other C8 variants, an 8-speed Tremec dual clutch transaxle will send power directly to the rear wheels. Unfortunately, the ZR1 will likely be one of the last new Corvettes powered exclusively by an internal combustion engine.
