- The Corvette ZR1’s 5.5-liter LT7 twin-turbo V8 may actually produce nearly 1,200 hp.
- If the ZR1’s engine delivers that much power, the ZR1X could reach up to 1,350 hp.
According to Chevrolet, the new Corvette ZR1’s twin-turbo 5.5-liter flat-plane crank V8 delivers 1,064 hp and 828 lb-ft of torque. That’s enough to blast it to 60 mph (96 km/h) in 2.3 seconds and down the quarter-mile in just 9.6 seconds at 150 mph. However, it seems Chevy’s published horsepower and torque figures for the ZR1 may be rather conservative.
Customer deliveries of the car only just kicked off, and the crew from Paragon Performance in Waukee, Iowa, has already gotten their hands on one and strapped it to the dyno. Left bone stock, the car delivered 1,028 hp and 839 lb-ft (1,137 Nm) of torque at the rear wheels.
Read: America’s Everyday Corvette ZR1X Hypercar Versus The World
It’s impossible to know exactly what kind of powertrain losses the ZR1 suffers, but it’s likely in the range of 10-15%. If that’s the case, then the raging twin-turbo V8 may actually be producing closer to 1,130 hp and 922 lb-ft (1,250 Nm) of torque, or upwards of 1,182 hp and 964 lb-ft (1,307 Nm).
To put that horsepower figure into perspective, Chevy says the flagship Corvette ZR1X delivers 1,250 hp, and it benefits from a 186 hp electric motor at the front axle. If the LT7 engine of the ZR1 and ZR1X is producing closer to 1,200 hp alone, that means the ZR1X may actually have over 1,350 hp on tap. That would push it even deeper into hypercar territory.
Of course, it’s important to consider that different dynos deliver different numbers, and without several dyno results from different tests conducted in varying climates, it’s impossible to definitely say just how much power Chevy’s new LT7 delivers. Whatever the final figure is, it’s clear that the brand’s engineers have created something very, very special in adding turbochargers to this race-derived, high-revving engine.
