Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X: 8.675s Quarter-Mile Record
The Chevrolet Corvette ZR1X stands as the most advanced Corvette ever. It also ranks as the quickest American production car you can buy, and it delivers the fastest way to cover a quarter-mile drag strip for under a million dollars.
Engineers completed ZR1X testing in October 2025 with validation at US 131 Motorsports Park. That venue mirrored the real-world conditions where Corvette customers drive their cars. On a prepped surface, the ZR1X covered the quarter mile in 8.675 seconds at 159 mph on pump gas.
It ran standard-equipment tyres, used production 50-state street-legal engine calibration, and recorded a 0-60 mph time of 1.68 seconds on the same run. The ZR1X reached 60 mph in under 100 feet and generated a peak acceleration of 1.75 G.
“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.
The car ran ZR1X’s standard aero configuration and standard Michelin PS4S tyres, and used available carbon-fibre wheels. This acceleration did not happen as a one-off. The test vehicle completed multiple back-to-back quarter-mile runs, each under 8.8 seconds.
The 2026 Corvette ZR1X combines its twin-turbo LT7 V8 engine with a front-axle electric motor to produce 1,250 horsepower in total, and it puts that power down through electrified all-wheel drive.
The numbers place the Corvette ZR1X among the world's quickest cars, and it does so at a far lower starting price. On a prepped surface, the Corvette ZR1X ran 8.675 seconds for the quarter mile with a 159 mph trap speed and a 1.68-second 0-60 mph time, and it starts at $209,700.
The Rimac Nevera R posted a 7.90-second 186-mph time and a 1.66-second 0-60 mph time, and it starts at $2.5 million. The Pininfarina Battista delivered 8.55 seconds at 155 mph, a 1.79-second 0-60 mph time, and starts at $2.2 million.
The Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut recorded 8.77 seconds at 185 mph, a 2.4-second 0-60 mph time, and starts at $3.4 million. The Bugatti Tourbillon ran 8.80 seconds with a 176 mph trap speed and a 1.9-second 0-60 mph time, and it starts at $4.6 million.
The Lucid Air Sapphire ran 8.95 seconds with a 158 mph trap speed and a 1.89-second 0-60 mph time, and it starts at $249,000.
Corvette development engineer and test driver Stefan Frick delivered this record-breaking quarter-mile performance using Corvette’s standard Custom Launch Control feature. The Corvette lineup features models from Stingray to ZR1X.
Custom Launch Control manages the lineup transmission clutch application rate and many other parameters. It lets the driver optimise acceleration runs by adjusting launch RPM and wheel slip targets from the auxiliary driver display.
“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 the available ZTK Performance Package can complete the quarter mile in 8.99 seconds and accelerate from 0-60 mph in 1.89 seconds.
The eighth-generation Corvette range also delivers strong 0-60 mph times across the lineup, with the available Z51 Performance Package accelerating from a standstill in 2.9 seconds. The Z06 with the available Z07 Performance Package reaches 0-60 mph in 2.6 seconds.
The E-Ray with the available ZER Performance Package achieves 0-60 mph in 2.5 seconds. The ZR1 with the available ZTK Performance Package hits 0-60 mph in 2.3 seconds. The ZR1X with the available ZTK Performance Package delivers 0-60 mph in 1.89 seconds.
The 2026 Corvette ZR1X began production in December 2025, and General Motors proudly builds it in America at the Bowling Green Assembly Plant in Kentucky using U.S. and globally sourced parts.
