Before all-electric quad-motor powertrains boasting four-figure output ratings evolve to best internal combustion engines by every performance metric, the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X is giving gas power a little more glory. The American hypercar is officially the quickest production automobile that Car and Driver has ever tested, by two crucial measurements.
In the 80 years since the automotive publication first started testing cars, the unhinged ‘Vette is the first to put down a zero-to-60-mph time of 1.8 seconds, besting both the Lucid Air Sapphire and the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT by .1 second. Just as impressively, the ZR1X is also the first C&D-tested car to break the 9-second quarter-mile barrier, doing so in 8.9 seconds at 155 mph. Previously, the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport and Lucid Air Sapphire were tied for the quarter-mile record at 9.1 seconds.
As C&D points out, several elements converged to create the ideal conditions for the ZR1X to squeeze out the tenth, including tire pressure; the temperatures of the tire, battery, engine, and air; and the pavement surface. The most consequential upgrades were the carbon fiber wheels and the ZTK performance package, featuring significantly stiffer springs, aggressively recalibrated magnetic dampers, and ultra-sticky Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2R tires.
But the heart of this hellacious hybrid is the ZR1’s twin-turbocharged LT7 V8, which on its own is good for 1,064 horsepower and 828 pound-feet of torque sent to the rear wheels through an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. Extra output comes from an improved version of the E-Ray’s high-voltage battery pack and electric motor, bringing the ZR1X’s total output to 1,250 horsepower.
The C&D test is just the latest in a series of wins for the most extreme Corvette ever made. Shortly after debut in 2025, it became the fastest American and fifth-fastest production car to lap the Nürburgring. It then was christened America’s quickest production car after Chevrolet clocked an official zero-to-60-mph time of 1.68 seconds, stealing the record from the Lucid Air Sapphire. And in reality, the only other car on Earth that’s quicker to 60 mph is the Rimac Nevera R by a mere .02 seconds.
Best of all, you can get the Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X specced exactly like the Car and Driver test car for under $260,000—or you can spend $2.5 million to get those two hundredths back in the Nevera R.