It’s been a few months since we’ve seen the upcoming Corvette ZR1 out testing, with the last outing taking place on the Nurburgring in mid-April. The trail has since gone cold, but all that changed earlier this week when it was caught filling up with that sweet liquid gold we call gasoline. Even better yet, the prototype that was spotted is also half naked, giving us the best look at the coupe so far. Naturally, the entire front end and a small portion of the rear is still wrapped in the psychedelic camo that we all love to hate, but the lack of camo in the middle shows us that the ZR1 will, indeed, have the same rear quarters, roof, and doors found on the Stingray, Z06, and Grand Sport.

So far, there’s not a lot we know about the ZR1. It’s pretty much certain that the V-8 under the hood will be force fed, but whether or not that happens via a supercharger or a pair of twin turbos is still up in the air. We’re also not sure what it will deliver in terms of power, but with the Z06 cranking out some 650 ponies and the last-gen ZR1 making 638 ponies, we’re expecting no less than 700 horsepower out of the gate if not a little more. It should be able to tackle the 60-mph sprint in less than three seconds and will top out at more than 200 mph if you’ve got the balls to push it that hard. And, it’s about time that a C7-gen ZR1 makes its debut – the typical wait time for the ZR1 trim is about three to four years after the generation was introduced and 2018 will be the fourth year for the C7. So, we should be looking at a mid-2018 model or 2019 model at the latest. What can we spot in these new spy shots? Well, I’m glad you asked. Let’s take a better look real quick.

Smoother Booty, Bigger Nostrils

If the heading above doesn’t confuse you, you probably figured that I’m talking about the front and rear fascias. In the rear, the ZR1 is sporting a rear fascia similar to that of the Z06, but there is a little difference, and that is the vents on the outer corners. On the Z06, they are more squared while this prototype seems to be rocking more rounded units. Of course, it’s still wrapped in camo so that could be a visual trick. It gets the same quad exhaust setup in the center and the same style taillights. Meanwhile, a new wing sits a little bit higher and is mounted in the center of the rear deck as opposed to the tri-mounting points found on the ZL1 1LE’s. It also features taller sides while should help on the aerodynamic front.

The more obvious differences are up front where the ZR1 takes aggression to a whole new level in comparison to any of the current production models. Where the ZLE 1LE has a huge front grille and mid-sized corner air intakes (the Grand Sport and Z06 has a smaller opening with no corner inlets,) the ZR1 has a smaller grille opening that is supplemented by a tiny air dam and a pair of massive corner intakes. A large front spoiler is in place to help create downforce up front while the front fascia provides for a continuation of those muscular body lines from the hood like we see on the lesser Vette’ models. Speaking of the hood, notice how it sits just a little taller than that of the Z06 and Grand Sport? This could indicate that the ZR1 will go with a supercharger as opposed to a pair of twin turbos. And, if so, it's quite possible that it could see the DOHC V-8 that’s been rumored in the past – something that may also point to the Corvette factory being shut down for the next few months. Chevy claims that it’s to build a “state of the art” paint shop but between the rumors of a DOHC Vette’ and the mid-engined Zora a new paint shop at the Corvette factory doesn’t seem as likely as some kind of new assembly line setup.

So, with all of that in mind, and the fact that Chevy is dropping camo from the ZR1 already, it’s quite possible that the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Ferrari 488 GTB will have some new competition in the near future. For the record, it will be a tight matchup between these two and the ZR1, but if our predictions are correct, the ZR1 may reign supreme in the end. The Porsche 911 Turbo uses a 3.8-liter straight-six to deliver a cool 540 horsepower and 523 pound-feet of torque while the Ferrari 488 GTB pumps out 660 horsepower and 560 pound-feet from an amazing-sounding 4.0-liter V-8. And, even though the ZR1 should deliver a lot more power, the Porsche and Ferrari are lighter and, as such, they can hit the 60-mph sprint in 2.9 seconds and 3.0 seconds, respectively (the Porsche requiring the Sport Chrono package.) Now, obviously the 60-mph sprint will be a close call, but if the ZR1 can manage to muster up a top speed higher than 205 mph, it will beat both the Porsche and the Ferrari in the long-haul and slowly pull away in the end.

Needless to say, these are exciting times to be a Corvette fan with the new ZR1 on the horizon and a mid-engined Vette’ potentially coming in the next couple of years. But, will it be worth it? Well, the Stingray starts out at $55,495, the Grand Sport comes in at $65, 495, and the Z06 comes in at $79,495. Back in 2013 when the last C6 ZR1 rolled off the assembly line, it had an MSRP of $111,600, so there will be a considerable difference between the Z06 and the ZR1. We expect the pricing of the ZR1 to climb a bit for the C7 generation, but it shouldn’t go any higher than $120,000. With the Porsche 911 Turbo S coming in at $190,700 and the 488 GTB priced at $245,400, the ZR1 could turn out to be a hell of a deal, even if it does set you back some $50,000 more than the Z06. What do you guys think of these new spy shots? Do you think the ZR1 will be worth it? Let us know in the comments section below.

References

Read our speculative review on the 2018 Chevy Corvette ZR1

Read our full review on the 2014 – 2017 Chevy Corvette

Read our speculative review on the 2019 Corvette Zora

Read the latest Corvette news