Take that, electric cars! Corvette ZR1 gets most powerful V8, all 1064hp of it

US car giant Chevrolet has unveiled the new-generation Corvette ZR1 – and with an epic 1064hp it has the world’s most powerful mass-production V8.

With the exception of niche supercar brands such as Koenigsegg and Hennessey – which assemble cars in the dozens rather than the thousands, as will be the case with the new Corvette ZR1 – the latest iteration of the iconic badge also has a number of other firsts.

• First Corvette with turbocharged power
• Most powerful General Motors production car V8 ever built
• First Corvette ZR1 with the option of carbon-fibre wheels

Here are the key stats:

• 5.5-litre twin turbo V8 (code name LT7)
• 793kW at 7000rpm (1064 horsepower)
• 1123Nm at 6000rpm
• Eight-speed dual clutch auto
• Rear-wheel-drive
• No 0 to 100kmh claim is made, but good luck getting all that power to the ground
• Top speed (claimed) 346kmh
• Quarter-mile dragstrip time (claimed) sub 10 seconds

The optional 20-inch (front) and 21-inch (rear) carbon fibre wheels shown in the photos are made in Australia by the same company that also supplied carbon fibre wheels to Ferrari and Ford for their high-end supercars.

The brake discs are carbon-ceramic (similar to what is used in Formula One and on Porsche’s high-end models) and are 400mm in diameter up front and 390mm in diameter at the rear.

There is also a massive carbon-fibre rear wing for ground effects at high speed, and lashings of carbon fibre elsewhere on the vehicle, including on the side and rear engine cooling ducts.

For now, General Motors Specialty Vehicles (GMSV) says there are no plans to bring the Corvette ZR1 to Australia – even though we have taken every version of the new Corvette so far.

“The Corvette ZR1 is not currently planned to join the line-up in Australia and New Zealand, but we will monitor demand and assess further over time,” a media statement from GMSV Australia said.

Since the Corvette’s switch to a rear engine layout, it has been easier for General Motors to manufacture the vehicle in right-hand-drive.

As it stands today, however, only three variants of the new Corvette are on sale in Australia:

• Stingray
• Z06
• E-Ray (electric)

Meantime, here is our recent review of the Corvette Stingray in case you’d like a recap.

That car did 0 to 100kmh in an impressive and repeatable 3.6 seconds, so heaven knows how fast the new ZR1 will be – if it can get that power to the road without frying the rear tyres.