The 2026 Corvette ZR1X Is America’s Quickest Production Car
On a prepped surface, the ZR1X completed the quarter-mile in 8.675 seconds at 159 mph & reached 60 mph in 1.68 seconds…
The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X, the most advanced Corvette ever, is the quickest American production car available, and the fastest way to get down a quarter-mile drag strip for under a million dollars, according to company officials in a press release.
Testing on the ZR1X culminated in October 2025 with validation at US 131 Motorsports Park—reflective of the real-world environments where Corvette customers exercise their vehicles, noted the release. On a prepped surface and using pump gas, the ZR1X completed the quarter mile in 8.675 seconds at 159 mph, using standard-equipment tires and production 50-state street-legal engine calibration. In the same run, it achieved a 0-60 mph time of 1.68 seconds. The ZR1X blasted to 60 mph in less than 100 feet, generating a peak of 1.75G of acceleration force, the company said.
“When we made the revolutionary shift to a mid-engine platform, this is the type of performance we knew was possible,” said General Motors President Mark Reuss.
Standard Configuration of the ZR1X Tested in Multiple Runs
The car was equipped with ZR1X’s standard aero configuration, standard Michelin PS4S tires and available carbon fiber wheels. The vehicle used for testing completed multiple back-to-back quarter-mile runs, all under 8.8 seconds. GM says the 2026 Corvette ZR1X uses its twin-turbo LT7 V-8 engine and front-axle electric motor to generate a total of 1,250 horsepower, sending it to the ground via electrified all-wheel drive.
Competitive breakdown:
| Quarter Mile | Trap Speed | 0-60 MPH | Starting MSRP | |
| Corvette ZR1X (prepped surface) | 8.675 seconds | 159 mph | 1.68 seconds | $209,700 |
| Rimac Nevera R | 7.90 seconds | 186 mph | 1.66 seconds | $2.5 million |
| Pininfarina Battista | 8.55 seconds | 155 mph | 1.79 seconds | $2.2 million |
| Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut | 8.77 seconds | 185 mph | 2.4 seconds | $3.4 million |
| Bugatti Tourbillon | 8.80 seconds | 176 mph | 1.9 seconds | $4.6 million |
| Lucid Air Sapphire | 8.95 seconds | 158 mph | 1.89 seconds | $249,000 |
Custom Launch Control Optimizes Acceleration
Corvette development engineer and test driver Stefan Frick earned this record-breaking quarter-mile performance using Corvette’s standard Custom Launch Control feature, found throughout the lineup from Stingray to ZR1X. Custom Launch Control manages tire spin, transmission clutch application rate, and numerous other parameters, allowing the driver to optimize acceleration runs by adjusting launch RPM and wheel slip targets from the auxiliary driver display, officials stated.
“There are many different parts and subsystems on this car, with teams across the company responsible for them,” said Frick. “We were all motivated by the mission to break into the eights—this is a powerful example of the in-house skill at GM, and the level of performance we developed into this car.”
On an unprepped surface, the Corvette ZR1X equipped with available ZTK Performance Package can complete the quarter mile in 8.99 seconds and accelerate 0-60 mph in 1.89 seconds.
Eighth-generation Corvette 0-60 mph stats:
- Stingray with available Z51 Performance Package: 2.9 seconds
- Z06 with available Z07 Performance Package: 2.6 seconds
- E-Ray with available ZER Performance Package: 2.5 seconds
- ZR1 with available ZTK Performance Package: 2.3 seconds
- ZR1X with available ZTK Performance Package: 1.89 seconds
The 2026 Corvette ZR1X began production in December 2025 and is built at General Motors’ Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky from U.S. and globally sourced parts.
A one-of-one 2026 Corvette ZR1X with Stars & Steel-inspired design will be auctioned at the Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale Auction on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, with 100% of the hammer price supporting the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
